A man discovers a wallet containing $700. A few days later, he spots a notice from a wealthy individual who lost his wallet and is offering a $50 reward for its return. The man decides to return the wallet to its owner. However, when the rich man counts the money, he accuses the man of already taking part of the reward, claiming, “This wallet had $750 when I lost it.”

Confused, the man asks what he means. They argue and eventually take the matter to court. Both share their stories, and the rich man ends by asking the judge to believe him.

The elderly judge responds, “Of course.” The rich man smiles, confident in his victory, while the poor man feels defeated. But then the judge surprises everyone by handing the wallet to the man who found it.

The rich man, outraged, asks the judge what he’s doing. The judge calmly replies, “I believe you when you say your wallet had $750. But if the man who found it were dishonest, he wouldn’t have returned it at all. So, this must be someone else’s wallet. If the true owner comes forward, they can claim the money. Until then, it belongs to the finder.”

The rich man demands, “What about my money?”

The judge replies, “We’ll just have to wait until someone finds your wallet with $750 in it.”