This ‘too absurd’ puzzle puts your mathematics skills to the test as you try to work out how much one man earned as he repeatedly bought and sold a cow. Can you figure out how much profit he earned?

Let’s dive in and see if we can solve it together!

Here’s how the puzzle goes:

• You sell the cow again for $1300, making a profit of $400 ($1300 – $900).
• You buy a cow for $800.
• You sell the cow for $1000, making a profit of $200.
• You buy the cow again for $1100, but since you already made a profit of $200 from the first transaction, your effective cost for the second purchase is reduced to $900.

So, What’s the Correct Answer?

If you’ve been following along, you might have already guessed it. The correct answer to this cow math puzzle is $400. Let’s break it down step by step:

• Purchase the cow for $800.
• Sell the cow for $1000.
• Net profit: +$200.
• Re-purchase the cow for $1100.
• Net profit becomes -$900.
• Sell the cow again for $1300.
• Total profit = $400.