Do you enjoy small challenges that make your brain work while being fun? This math puzzle involving a cow has been circulating actively on social media for several weeks. At first glance, it seems simple. But as the numbers add up, confusion sets in. So, are you ready to take on the challenge? We bet you’ll want to solve it over coffee with your friends!

The (very serious) enigma of the cow

Here are the rules of the game:

• You buy a cow for €800.
• You resell it for €1,000 (with a profit of €200).
• Then you buy it back for €1,100.
• And you sell it again for €1,300.

The question is very simple… What is the total profit actually obtained from this whole operation?

Would you prefer to say €0 or €500? Take a moment to think…

This type of puzzle plays on business logic but also on our ability to follow the sequence of operations. Many people fall into the trap of thinking they have to add all the numbers without actually analyzing the steps. But that’s precisely where the difficulty lies…

Step-by-step decryption (you’ll love the click)

• You buy the cow for €800 and then sell it for €1,000.Here you make a profit of €200.
• You buy it back for €1,100 and then sell it for €1,300.Another €200 profit on this second transaction.

Here’s the answer:

Now, let’s simply add these two margins:

€200 + €200 = €400 net profit.

And that’s it! There’s no need to complicate things: with each buy/sell cycle, you’ve earned €200. And since there were two cycles, you’ll end up €400 richer. Simple, once you understand the logic.