Fowlplay

Timor Leste's Stock Market

At the turn of the century, right after Timor-Leste gained its independence, she had the distinction of having one of the lowest income per capita in the world. Then the average annual income of a Timorese is about $395.

The game fowls are traded outside the rings, prized fowls command as high as $200. During the daily bout of games, about $3000 are exchanged between hands. Individual bets run as high as $250.

Game fowls were one of the most expensive commodity publicly traded between Timorese. In the absence of a stock market the, the birds seemed to have filled the void.