Secrets

Ed Leedskalnin, by all accounts, was a friendly man. He allowed visitors into Coral Coral CastleCastle so they could enjoy his masterpiece. He made friends with some of his neighbors, and he was missed after he died.

For all this openness, Ed also valued secrecy.

In Latvia, Ed grew up close to the castles of German barons. His life, and the lives of his friends and family, were dictated by the whims of the wealthy. Ed grew up in a time and place where his class of people had little control over the course of their lives.

After moving to Homestead, Florida, Ed built his own castle. He curated and engineered his property to be an impenetrable fortress (when he wanted it to be). Although Ed claimed to have unlocked the secrets of magnetic currents, he chose to take those secrets to the grave.

Rather than choosing to pursue wealth, I think Ed gained personal  satisfaction from holding onto his secrets. After growing up in a world where most power was held by the rich, I like to think Ed died with the satisfaction of knowing he would be respected, long after he was gone.