 At this stage , Guevara acquired the additional position of Finance Minister , as well as President of the National Bank . These appointments , combined with his existing position as Minister of Industries , placed Guevara at the zenith of his power , as the " virtual czar " of the Cuban economy . As a consequence of his position at the head of the central bank , it was now Guevara 's duty to sign the Cuban currency , which per custom would bear his signature . Instead of using his full name , he signed the bills solely " Che " . It was through this symbolic act , which horrified many in the Cuban financial sector , that Guevara signaled his distaste for money and the class distinctions it brought about . Guevara 's long time friend Ricardo Rojo later remarked that " the day he signed Che on the bills , ( he ) literally knocked the props from under the widespread belief that money was sacred . " 
