Straw Millionaire

The legend of the "Straw Millionaire" (わらしべ長者 Warashibe Chōja), also known as "Daietsu" or the "Daikokumai", is a Japanese Buddhist folk tale about a poor man who becomes wealthy through a series of successive trades, starting with a single piece of straw.[1] The story was likely written during the Heian period and was later collected into Konjaku Monogatarishū and Uji Shūi Monogatari. It became popular during the Muromachi period. The legend has become a common anecdote in Japanese popular culture.