Math Cow Puzzle: Can You Solve It?

Do you like little challenges that light up your mind while having fun? This math puzzle featuring a cow has been actively circulating on social media for several weeks. At first glance, it seems simple. But as you do the calculations… confusion takes over. So, are you ready to accept the challenge? We bet you’ll want to solve it over a cup of coffee with your friends!

The (very serious) cow enigma

Here are the rules of the game:

You buy a cow for €800.
You resell it for €1,000 ( with a profit of €200).
Then you buy it back for €1,100.
And you sell it again for €1,300.

The question is very simple… What is the total profit actually obtained from this whole operation?

Do you feel like saying 0 € or 500 €? Take a moment to think about it…

This type of puzzle plays on business logic, but also on our ability to correctly follow the sequence of operations. Many fall into the trap, thinking they have to add all the numbers without really analyzing the steps . But that is precisely where the difficulty lies…

Step by step decryption (you will love the click)

You buy the cow for 800 euros, then sell it for 1,000 euros.
The profit is 200 euros.
You buy it back for €1,100, then sell it for €1,300.
Another €200 profit on this second transaction.

Here’s the answer:

Now, let’s simply add these two margins together:

€200 + €200 = €400 net profit.

And that’s it! No need to complicate things: with each buy/resell cycle you made €200. And since there were two cycles, you ended up €400 richer . Simple, once you understand the reasoning.