There's a secret society you've never heard of. Its members can never travel on the same airplane. They guard knowledge worth billions. And the product they protect is probably sitting in your garage right now.

WD-40.

The Myth Is Real

For decades, people assumed WD-40's "secret formula" story was marketing fluff. It's not.

A recent WSJ investigation confirmed: only a handful of people on Earth actually know the complete formula. The exact number varies (the company won't confirm), but it's somewhere between 3-5 people at any given time.

And yes—they're contractually forbidden from flying together.

Why the Secrecy?

WD-40 has never patented its formula. Patents expire. Trade secrets don't.

Coca-Cola famously uses the same strategy. By keeping the formula secret rather than patented, these companies maintain indefinite competitive advantage.

Here's what we know about WD-40:

• It's primarily a petroleum-based solvent
• "WD" stands for "Water Displacement"
• "40" means it was the 40th formulation attempted
• The exact blend of ingredients remains unknown

The Selection Process

How do you become one of the chosen few? The company has never fully explained. But we know:

• Candidates must be long-tenured, trusted employees
• They undergo extensive background checks
• The knowledge is passed directly, never written completely in one place
• There's a succession plan when members retire or die

Why This Works

You might think: "It's a lubricant. How complicated can it be?"

Competitors have tried to reverse-engineer it for 70 years. None have perfectly replicated it. The specific blend creates properties that knockoffs can't quite match—which is why the original still dominates.

The Bigger Lesson

Some knowledge is worth more protected than shared. In an age where everything leaks eventually, WD-40 proves you can still keep a secret—if you're deliberate about it.

Also: next time you spray that blue and yellow can, just know you're using something that only a handful of people truly understand.

Kind of wild when you think about it.

---

Want more fascinating deep-dives on everyday things? Subscribe—we find the stories hiding in plain sight.