I guess it depends on your definition of "creating economic value". If I buy something for $110 from someone who paid $100 for it, I guess you could argue that either you or I just "created" $10 of economic value. I don't subscribe to that. Value is only created when you improve something.

Buy a lump of gold for $100 and turn it into a $110 bracelet -> value created.

Buy a lump of gold for $100 and sell it to someone 1 second later for $110 -> no value created.

I didn't mention gold. I asked about two cash-flow generating assets that would be considered investments by most people (but of course you can have your own definition of investment).

I'm more debating the definition of "value creation" rather than "investment". But admittedly I did conflate the two terms in an earlier response. I'd offer: not all investments, even the ones that provide monetary returns, do so by creating value.

How do a business provide monetary return if not by creating value? A house also provides value (in the form of housing), why would anyone want to pay rents otherwise?