In Goldfinger, the 1964 James Bond film, the dastardly Auric Goldfinger planned to make the US government’s gold reserves worthlessly radioactive by detonating an atomic device in the vaults at Fort Knox. This was intended to make Goldfinger’s personal bullion stash 10 times more valuable. Frankly, his investment strategy was needlessly complex. This supervillain should have followed a more time-tested mantra: buy and hold.

If Goldfinger had snapped up the metal in 1964 and clung on to it, his bars would now be worth 26 times more in nominal terms, and four times more in real terms. This is a much lower rate of return, but is still very respectable – and would not involve murdering anyone by coating them in gold paint or threatening superspies with lasers.