‘Oh Yeah,’ the Song from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,’ Is Catchy, Irritating and the Origin of an Investing Fortune

The quirky techno tune, which accompanied Ferris’s Ferrari escapade and loads of other advertisements and Hollywood comedies, helped create a lucrative investment career for its Swiss co-creator

The catchy tune "Oh Yeah" has been used in Hollywood comedies and advertisements for the past 30 years, ever since "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," giving the tune's co-creator seed money that helped him amass an investment fortune. Photo: Paramount/Everett Collection

ZURICH—Dieter Meier has never seen “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

That alone might make Mr. Meier unusual. Legions of fans made the 1986 comedy a breakout success for Matthew Broderick, who played Ferris, a charmed teenager navigating a complicated day of hooky on the streets of Chicago.

For Mr. Meier, the film had an equally enduring effect:...