A few years ago sitting at a stop sign a Mercedes was approaching. The A-hole didn't use a turn signal but turned while I waited there thinking he was going straight. So I did the right thing and blew my horn at him. The old dude turned to wave like I was a friend and was surprised I was scowling and throwing my hands up. "Nice signal!", I yelled and pulled off. About 3 months later, same damn thing. Same damn Mercedes. Same damn confused look on his face when I blew the horn. The guy is about 80 something and an obvious menace.
I found out who he is by someone that works at his place. He's the owner and a multi-billionaire, lol. So yesterday at the same stop sign, here comes that same Mercedes. Signaling. YES! But he never glanced my way to wave.
I don't know that I have ever seen or met a billionaire. But it sound as if they guy you saw at least worked for his billion(s) since he has a company and job, and employes a person you met. And if he has the same car for a few years then it doesn't sound like he is too lavish with his wealth.
I forget where I heard or read it a while back but I think the most common car(s) for millioaires are F150's and the Toyota Camry; it wasn't some fancy expensive luxery car/brand. [But I think a top line F150 these days can sticker at or near 100k]
I've seen a few and met a couple of billionaires back when a billion was a lot of money. Bill Clements when he still owned SEDCO and Bunker Hunt tho I'm not sure if that was before or after the silver debacle. Met JP Owens Sr many years ago at the Petroleum Club in Lafayette La. He was a billionare on paper but was mostly regarded as an asshat..acted like it that day too.
Can't say I've ever met a billionaire, at least not knowingly..
I met many, but also know quite a few millionaires though. I've got quite a few friends that come from very wealthy family's.
Back in my 20's i was a bartender at our "local" (Its way out in the middle of nowhere lol) yacht club. Basically everyone there was a millionaire.. Giant golf course, surrounded by lots of giant mansions.
The people at this particular club tended to come in different categories and personalities..
1) The older retired millionaires that are just enjoying the fruits of their life long labors. Always very chill and nice people, and usually the best tippers, lol.
2) The younger more middle aged guys/gals that are successful, but still working hard on whatever they do, often doing business deals right in the club.
3) The very young that inherited their money, that usually just sat around the pool all day drinking. Not a whole lot of these, but a few.. With one guy we often had to "escort home due to often being in a drunken drugged out stupor.
4) Then there were the local and state politicians that were there a lot, doing whatever they do, but they rarely if ever spoke to me, unless they were ordering a drink, or getting a snack. Never rude or anything, just not very talkative like many of the regular members.
[This message has been edited by Jonesy (edited 01-09-2021).]
Now that's a job you get full spectrum of classes of people. I've seen the lottery multi-millionaire twice at clubs and noticed the tenders and waitresses knew him by name (actually his nick-name). He must tip well.
A high school friend always wanted to be Sonny Drysdale. Driving Mopars, looking for a party, spending Daddy's money. The politicians are probably aware that engaging in conversation is business. Spend business time where it's best spent. Another school friend achieved millionaire status. He said if he retired now he'd drink himself to death.
Millionaire status is different in San Diego and Vancouver, obviously.
[This message has been edited by sourmash (edited 01-09-2021).]
Now that's a job you get full spectrum of classes of people. I've seen the lottery multi-millionaire twice at clubs and noticed the tenders and waitresses knew him by name (actually his nick-name). He must tip well.
A high school friend always wanted to be Sonny Drysdale. Driving Mopars, looking for a party, spending Daddy's money. The politicians are probably aware that engaging in conversation is business. Spend business time where it's best spent. Another school friend achieved millionaire status. He said if he retired now he'd drink himself to death.
Millionaire status is different in San Diego and Vancouver, obviously.
Yeah it was an interesting job for sure, i was there for a little over two years.. It was a good paying job for a young college kid.
But at the same time, there was a pretty racist vibe there. Basically all of the cooking and cleaning staff were black, and per club rules they were not allowed to interact with the members in any way for any reason, and i would rarely if ever see them until the club was closed for the night and they came out to clean. All the staff that had to interact with members were white.. And there was no black members at all.
Keep in mind this was 20+ years ago, it may be different now.
[This message has been edited by Jonesy (edited 01-09-2021).]
At least into the 90s you had clubs that were male only. Probably still do. Black only clubs still exist. Jewish clubs still exist. Some male only clubs didn't accept Jews or Blacks as well. It was normal.
I remember one local club that the press was bashing for not extending an invitation to the state college Black Basketball coach. The White reporters would go out with camera and mics to badger members on the golf course. One had the most succinct reply when asked why they were so racist not to allow Black members. He put his left hand on his hip, crossed one foot over the other leg and leaned his right arm against his gold club that was planted in the ground, looked at the whiny reporter and said, We don't allow women members either and you've never been out here asking about that in 70 years. Blacks and women were allowed but couldn't be members.
We were in Hawaii on vacation, no kids, with a few friends and family. We went out for a day long snorkeling trip. One of those boats that can hold a few groups of people and they take you out to the good spots. We were sitting in the back of the boat next to another family. Older gentleman, probably late 70s, his kids and their spouses, etc. This guy just screamed wealth, to me. He had on an obviously expensive watch, wasn’t interested in snorkeling because...been there done that many, many times. We were on the boat for quite awhile so I overheard quite a bit of conversation between them. Between their conversations, demeanor, and dress, I can guarantee this family was uber wealthy. Maybe not billionaire, but probably the wealthiest guy I’ve ever been that close to. Would a billionaire have just chartered a boat for him and his family? Maybe, but maybe not. As people have already said in this thread, a lot of very wealthy people tend to be more frugal. (And I suppose not having your OWN boat on a vacation in Hawaii would be frugal to a rich person?)
A few years ago sitting at a stop sign a Mercedes was approaching. The A-hole didn't use a turn signal but turned while I waited there thinking he was going straight. So I did the right thing and blew my horn at him. The old dude turned to wave like I was a friend and was surprised I was scowling and throwing my hands up. "Nice signal!", I yelled and pulled off. About 3 months later, same damn thing. Same damn Mercedes. Same damn confused look on his face when I blew the horn. The guy is about 80 something and an obvious menace.
I found out who he is by someone that works at his place. He's the owner and a multi-billionaire, lol. So yesterday at the same stop sign, here comes that same Mercedes. Signaling. YES! But he never glanced my way to wave.
I've knew many of them, and grew up with many of them. I'm the most well connected disconnected person you'll ever meet. I grew up with half the world's leaders and financiers, and didn't keep in touch with any of them. Anyway... work ethic is what leads them to success, but it's also a personality trait. They are "fixers"... in that they don't specifically seek to make money, but instead to solve a problem. Elon Musk is a perfect example. Money is generally not an object to them, or a discussion point. They're more concerned with challenges. They are often detached from everything else going on because they are constantly solving problems in their heads everywhere they go. This has it's own issues (they often fail at parenting and their kids end up as druggies and / or losers).
One very common trait is that they are willing to sacrifice everything to solve a problem. Many of them go completely bankrupt several times in the process of solving a problem, and rebuild their wealth again each time. It's a passion for solving a problem that leads people to often become wealthy. Those who seek to just become wealthy always lose wealth because of what it means to them.
I know two. Both very eccentric. Both complete opposites.
One person doesn't give a damn about others and pays his employees crap, the other gives great pay with benefits and plans to give a million to every one of his employees still loyal when he passes away.
Can't remember any billionaires (I know a couple of Multi-Millionaires) but, I hang out with folks that drive Fieros and old Honda motorcycles so, if they have any money, they ain't showing it.
Rams
[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 01-14-2021).]
We're the budget friendly crowd. So we clearly do it for the love. Just realized that there's a billionaire I met and spoke with a couple of times but he was a lowly multi-millionaire when we met.
from working on high end cars and classics for many years, I know quite a few. Some have died. I knew Dave Thomas, kept some of his Mercedes here at one time. I know Les Wexner from when he started the Limited and Victoria Secrets. Also some big natural gas and oil company owners who are just north. Michael Shanks race shop is just down the road a few miles, known him from racing. A few others too no one here probably never heard of. They all, except 2 have a fleet of cars, several houses and jets. I got to 'fly' shotgun in one of them a few summers ago to a golf tournament in Ga. Think it was a Falcon. One of my best friends/ customers who lives on the New Albany Country Club has 10 cars that I have my own keys for. He has 2, 6 car garages that I have codes for to borrow any time. Thats a Bentey GT, Mercedes S55 AMG, 2 Excalades, 2 Mercedes AMG G wagons, the new Lincoln Suicide Door model, a new Ford "Godzilla" pu, a Jeep MOAB, and a Cadillac CTSV road race car thats street legal (yes its got Ohio tags). I do get into a lot of stuff for free like the Little Brown Jug horse race box seats. I could go to their suites for OSU football and basketball games..but I dont care for sports. One actually built a working lighthouse at Buckey Lake, Oh to stay in during the summer to use one of his 2 party catamarans or ski boat. He has so many guests there, hes building a new lakefront million dollar guest house near it. some of them have some attitude, but most are the nicest guys you can know.
Not going to be a billionaire after all. My buddy with the many high performance cars, parents have a lot of rentals in Santa Clara CA, nearby cities, and New Mexico. I did some mental math years ago and figured that they were on a path to be billionaires, they were buying a house, yearly, then about every 10 months, then every 6 months, then every 3 months. The Dad died, the Mom has been mismanaging the tenants and letting them make small and late payments, and more of the children and grandchildren have taken on living on the income from the properties. I am hanging on the sidelines waiting for the Mom(very frail) to pass and watch the crash. I suspect it will be ugly. It is already a little gross. I hope I am wrong, the Mom is very controlling so, she is limiting their ability to contribute.
Wexner bought Victoria's Secret from Roy and Gaye Raymond, the founders. What he said about Wexner in a first impression is pretty funny. Maybe it was hind-sight, idk.
Wexner put them in shopping malls.
[This message has been edited by sourmash (edited 01-14-2021).]
Ya Dave was great. His other daughter, not Wendy, married another friend of mine whose family built and operate Columbus Custom Coach and Farber Specialty Vehicles. They build custom busses like Blood Mobiles, Bookmobiles, and mobile command posts for police, FBI, VA and Social Security offices. Wexner built an exclusive huge mall here in Columbus. His donations to OSU got his name on the hospital and a big arts complex. He asked the city to build an exit off the interstate specifically going to the mall...and they did.
