Some are in it just for the money, others to help buy a meal. Then there are those who trade for fun or to spend time among friends. Millions of investors – pensioners, security guards, high-school students – dominate China's stock markets, conducting about 80 percent of all trades. Retirees gather in brokerage houses dotted around China also to enjoy some company and savour the air conditioning on hot days. Some start as young as 13, trading from home with an eye on future careers in finance. Winning isn't guaranteed. This year, among the most turbulent in China's financial history, its stock markets more than doubled in the six months to May, only to crash amid concerns that growth in the country, which makes everything from cars to steel, is slowing faster than previously thought. (Photo by Aly Song/Reuters)

A 10 week old stuffed Tiger cub and a Tortoise are displayed in a cabinet at an “Endangered Species” exhibition at London Zoo on September 12, 2011 in London, England. The exhibition is organised by “Operation Charm”, a Metropolitan Police partnership aimed at tackling the illegal trade in endangered wildlife and runs for one month at London Zoo. Items include the tooth of a sperm whale, Ivory carvings, and a stuffed Tiger. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

“Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was a British singer-songwriter known for her powerful contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. ... Winehouse died at the age of 27 on 23 July 2011 at her home in London; police have said that the cause of her death was «as yet unexplained»”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Amy Winehouse vigil outside Amy Winehouse's North London home on July 23, 2011 in London, England. Singer Winehouse, 27, was found dead today. (Photo by Sylvia Linares/Getty Images)

People ride a minibus illuminated with green colorful lights at a street in preparation for celebrations of the birthday of the prophet Muhammad, in Sana'a, Yemen, 04 October 2022. Mawlid is annually celebrated by many Muslim countries on the 12th day of Rabi al-Awwal (the third month of the Islamic calendar), marking the birthday of the prophet Muhammad, which is expected to be marked on 08 October 2022. In Yemen, it is celebrated by illuminating buildings and streets with green colorful lights and decorating vehicles in green. (Photo by Yahya Arhab/EPA/EFE)

An actor playing the role of the Conductor, poses for a photograph alongside the Polar Express Train Ride at the Swanage Railway in Dorset, UK on Thursday, November 16, 2023, a festive-themed train journey based on the Polar Express book and film, which invites visitors to travel in their pyjamas and dressing gowns as they journey from Swanage to the “North Pole”. (Photo by Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images)

4-year-old Benji, making waves at Arpoador Beach in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil on December 12, 2024. The Jack Russell Terrier who began catching waves one year ago, has become a fixture along Rio's iconic Ipanema Beach. His skills not only impress fellow surfers but also delights beachgoers, who often pause to admire the bond between man and dog riding the surf. (Photo by Bob Karp/ZUMA Press Wire)

Inmates ride in a bus out of the Cojutepeque prison in El Salvador, Thursday, June 16, 2016. This prison, which houses more than a thousand 18th street imprisoned gang members, will be closed down by the government, since it has been unable to prevent the amount of illegal activities happening inside the prison walls. Inmates will be relocated to other medium-security prisons. (Photo by Salvador Melendez/AP Photo)

In this October 21, 2015, file photo, a young man rides a hoverboard along a Manhattan street toward the Empire State Building in New York. More than 500,000 hoverboards are being recalled after reports that they can burst into flames. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday, July 6, 2016, it has received 99 reports of battery packs in the two-wheel motorized scooters catching fire or exploding that causing burns or property damage. The recalled hoverboards were made by eight companies. (Photo by Kathy Willens/AP Photo)