idiom

Skin in the Game

SKIN in thuh GAYM

/skɪn ɪn ðə ɡeɪm/

Listen

Hear it in a clear American voice. Slow it down to catch each syllable.

Syllable breakdown

Skininthegame

Dictionary meaning

Having a personal financial stake in the outcome of a venture or investment; being directly affected — positively or negatively — by the decisions you make, ensuring alignment of incentives.

History and origin

Popularized by investor Warren Buffett; extensively analyzed by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his 2018 book 'Skin in the Game'

Examples

The CEO has real skin in the game — she invested her own savings in the company's Series A.
The philosopher Nassim Taleb wrote an entire book arguing that advisors without skin in the game give bad advice.

Synonyms: personal stake, financial interest, invested in the outcome, aligned incentives

Pronunciation tips

The concept is about accountability through shared risk. If you don't bear the downside, you're more likely to take reckless risks with others' money.

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