[zazagura]

It was priced in the past, but the numbers seem ridiculously low to me:

> To recap, the estimated range is $200 million to $1.7 trillion, which as suspected comes with cartoonishly large error bars.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/08/16/trump-wan...

For once, it needs to be an attractive number for Denmark, more attractive than the unknown, but probably huge future value of such a big uninhabited place. $5T is about 12 years of Denmark GDP, and 10-20 times earnings is a good company acquisition price metric.

We are talking selling it forever. Just think how ridiculously cheap previous land purchases (Alaska, ...) now seem in hindsight.

Denmark is not really in the position to really use that place, even in the future. The only thing they can do with it is sell it, so the question becomes when and for how much.

[Mountain_Skies]

Timing is also important. Apparently Greenlanders don't feel very Danish. At what point in a rise to prosperity would they simply demand independence? Not even a sale, just Greenland being its own independent nation. It'd be unseemly for a modern progressive state like Denmark to demand tribute in exchange for freedom.

If I'm a superpower with plans for Greenland, using the usual tricks to create unrest that leads to calls for independence would be a likely first step.

[WillPostForFood]

10-20 times earnings is a good company acquisition price metric

Only in Silicon Valley playing with VC$. 2-4x earnings would be (have been?) a normal multiple for valuation.

[radicalbyte]

No there are other areas where that is normal. You're talking very well run businesses with natural monopolies in industries with very low risks.

[WillPostForFood]

You might be right, but perhaps very well run businesses with natural monopolies in industries with very low risks are more exceptional than normal.

[Reason077]

> "Denmark is not really in the position to really use that place, even in the future. The only thing they can do with it is sell it, so the question becomes when and for how much."

Greenland is a dependent territory, but it is not part of Denmark. I invite you to review the right to self-determination as enshrined in the charter of the United Nations.

It would ultimately be up to the people of Greenland whether they want to "sell" their country. Not, according to the principles of the UN, something that Denmark could do unilaterally.

[sweettea]

How's that right to self-determination working out for Scotland and Catalonia?

[jcranmer]

Well, Scotland did agree to remain part of the UK the last time they were asked.

[reaperducer]

Wouldn't both Greenland and Denmark have to agree to it?