# War chest > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/War_chest > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/War_chest.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_chest > Source revision: 1329439699 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Metaphor for a collection of tools or money}} {{for|the Megadeth album|Warchest}} {{More citations needed|date=December 2025}} A '''war chest''' is a metaphor for any collection of [tool](/source/tool)s or [money](/source/money) intended to be used in a challenging or dangerous situation. Historically, it referred to an actual [chest](/source/Chest_(furniture)) located in the homes or barracks of [soldier](/source/soldier)s or military leadership, in which [arms](/source/Armaments) and [armor](/source/armor) were stored. Traveling armies, such as that of [Hannibal](/source/Hannibal), collected the spoils of war and used them to negotiate with others to resolve conflicts through economic exchange rather than violence. In the modern era, the term refers to amassed [funds](/source/funding), expertise, and/or equipment which allows a person or organization to survive a challenging situation. ==Etymology== In arms and armor, a '''war chest''' is a [container](/source/Chest_(furniture)) for the [personal weapon](/source/personal_weapon)s and [protective gear](/source/Personal_armor) of a [citizen-soldier](/source/Militia), kept in the household, and is the origin of the term. The term's modern meaning originates with the [medieval](/source/medieval) practice of having a [chest](/source/chest_(furniture)), literally, filled with money to open in time of [war](/source/war){{citation needed|date=December 2022}}. ==In politics== In [politics](/source/politics), a war chest is funding obtained from donors well in advance of a campaign, usually accumulated by an incumbent for either re-election or to contest a more advanced office, or provided by a wealthy candidate to their own campaign. The possession of such excess funds may discourage otherwise viable candidates from a primary or general election challenge. ==In business== In [business](/source/business) a war chest, or '''cash mountain''' is a stash of money set aside to deal with unexpected changes in the business environment, or to use when expansion possibilities arise.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/ici-eyes-buyups-with-1631bn-war-chest-435693.html ICI eyes buy-ups with £1bn war chest] ''[Independent](/source/The_Independent)'', 9 February 2007, accessed 19 September 2009 Today companies can use accumulated cash or rely on quickly raised [debt](/source/debt) which costs less to carry when you do not need it. This is not always a reasonable substitute, as the credit available to a company typically drops as a result of the same actions that require the war chest to be opened. Companies can redistribute their war chests to [shareholder](/source/shareholder)s by issuing larger or special [dividend](/source/dividend)s, or more commonly through share [buyback](/source/Share_repurchase) operations. Companies do this because if actually held in cash, the companies will be earning a low rate of return in the [money market](/source/money_market)s, whereas they could be using the funds to invest in more profitable projects. If they continue not to invest the funds, shareholders may sell the company's shares and make it vulnerable to a takeover. This would place the current management's jobs at risk. ==In professional sports== In [club](/source/football_club) [association football](/source/association_football), it refers to the [transfer](/source/transfer_(association_football)) budget that the club's [manager](/source/Manager_(association_football)) has been allotted for acquisition of new players by the club's chairman, board of directors, owner or investors. ==Related terms== Similar terms are also referred to as surplus cash, cash reserves, emergency reserves, acquisition funds, [rainy day fund](/source/rainy_day_fund)s, or undistributed earnings within different contexts. ==References== {{Reflist}} Category:English-language idioms Category:Political terminology of the United States Category:Metaphors referring to war and violence --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [War chest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_chest) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_chest?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.