Imagine this…
The financial system is crumbling, the U.S. dollar is teetering on the edge of a major correction, and gold just hit $3,000 an ounce. It’s the moment many have feared, but only a few were truly prepared for.
One of those few is James Turk.
For nearly five decades, James Turk has been at the epicenter of international banking, finance, and precious metals. He’s worked everywhere from Chase Manhattan Bank to managing billions of dollars in commodities for the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. He later co-founded GoldMoney, which has since become the world’s largest precious metals network.
His prediction now as then? Gold is the ultimate form of money.
Here are the three main reasons why:
1. Gold Preserves Purchasing Power Over Time
James Turk has a simple, undeniable truth: Gold is money, not just a commodity. Its value is consistent because its supply grows at a stable rate—around 1.75% per year—mirroring population growth and economic expansion. It’s a natural monetary system.
Think about it: One ounce of gold today still buys roughly the same amount of goods (like crude oil or a high-quality suit) as it did decades or even centuries ago. Compare that to fiat currencies, which depreciate relentlessly over time thanks to money printing and inflation.
Turk explains it through what he calls the “Theory of Natural Money.”
The idea?
Gold maintains purchasing power because it grows at a stable rate. It’s a tangible asset, not something a central bank can conjure out of thin air.
2. The Fiat Monetary System is Failing
Turk pulls no punches in our latest pod… he explains why fiat currencies are inevitably doomed, and always have been.
Governments can print money at will. They can conjure it from nothing. But gold? Gold requires labor, time, and capital to mine. It’s a discipline—one that fiat currencies simply can’t match.
The U.S. dollar, Turk believes, is on the same path as all fiat currencies before it. He sees the reckless creation of currency by central banks and governments as a death knell for the fiat system. Economic instability, over-leverage, and mounting debt only accelerate the process.
The system is broken, and there’s only one way out: SOUND MONEY.
3. Gold Will Be the Backbone of the Future Financial System
Gold has been the foundation of monetary systems for over 5,000 years. Turk believes it will continue to be so, even in a rapidly evolving digital age.
While he acknowledges Bitcoin’s brilliance as a form of digital scarcity, he argues gold will ultimately remain the bedrock of the next financial system. What’s more, he predicts a transition to digital gold-backed systems—where gold is stored in vaults and transferred electronically, combining the convenience of digital transactions with the security of gold’s proven stability.
Turk sees the battle clearly: It’s between hard money (gold and possibly Bitcoin) and the smoke-and-mirrors of fiat currency. And in his view, gold will win. Because it always has.
Why Gold is Still Undervalued, According to James Turk
Despite gold’s recent climb to $3,000 per ounce, Turk argues that it remains significantly undervalued. His models, built over decades of studying monetary history and international finance, suggest gold’s fair value is closer to $10,000 per ounce.
The key to understanding gold’s value, Turk explains, is recognizing that fiat currencies are declining in value. When you measure wealth in grams or ounces, not dollars or euros, you see the real story: Gold holds its purchasing power, while fiat currencies fade away.
So what’s the play?
If James Turk is right—and his track record suggests he often is—then we’re still in the early stages of gold’s resurgence.
He’s not anti-Bitcoin. In fact, he views Bitcoin as a valuable tool in educating people about alternatives to fiat currency. But for Turk, gold remains the true standard. The ultimate store of value. The thing that can’t be printed, can’t be hacked, and can’t be erased by reckless governments.
The world is moving towards a digital future, but the foundation of that future, Turk believes, will be built on gold.
And if you’re not prepared for that shift, you may find yourself standing in the wreckage of a collapsing monetary system—wishing you had paid attention.
Want to hear the full conversation with James Turk and understand why he believes gold is the best bet in a world of broken promises? Listen to his conversation with Pinnacle Digest’s Aaron Hoddinott below.
