phrase
Spanish
El Dorado
lit. “the gilded one”
A legendary city of gold — and any wealth chased fruitlessly into the distance.
Origin
Originally referred to a Muisca chief in present-day Colombia who, in initiation rites, was covered in gold dust and dove into a lake. Spanish conquistadors mistranslated the figure into a city, then a kingdom, of gold, and a century of expeditions perished hunting for it. Voltaire used it in Candide as a satirical contrast to European misery.
Modern usage
Used for any wildly profitable territory pursued at high cost — gold rushes, oil booms, crypto, AI capex. Often the search costs more than the find.
Tags
wealth
myth
pursuit