Midas touch

Origin of: Midas touch

Midas touch

Sometimes known as the golden touch, the Midas touch is an expression that dates from the 1500s. A person with the Midas touch has the ability to make money or achieve success in any enterprise. The allusion is to the legend of King Midas of Phrygia who, according to Greek mythology, asked the gods for the power to turn objects into gold by just touching them. When he turned his own beloved daughter into gold by accident, he asked the gods to reverse the process and take back the gift.