Antoine Augustin CournotThinkers

Destruction (n.) is, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠commercially speaking, a veritable creation of wealth — when part of a stock is destroyed to sell the rest dearer.