Violinist Robert McDuffie wanted a great violin but couldn’t afford the cost himself. “So he incorporated, setting up 1737 del Gesu Partners, L.P., and convinced 16 friends and acquaintances (including himself) to invest in the instrument. The return on equity? Two private concerts a year, a share in any profits when McDuffie sells the violin in 2024 — and the pleasure of seeing and hearing a master play a masterpiece.”