If you had $17 billion! (1 Viewer)

larso

larso

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I was reading today that one of the former Microsoft guys has $17 billion and one of his projects is to find major battleships! He - or his guys - just found the Mushasi and are taking pictures of it.

So, I thought what toy soldier/military things would I do if I had $17 (really, really) 'large'. In my local memorial park there is a German WW1 cannon. I would really like there to be a WW2 Japanese one. So I'd find one (heaps were dumped at sea) and have it properly mounted.

Toy soldier wise - I'd resurrect the old Timpo multi-coloured swappets. I'd bring out Romans and those brilliant Vikings again (Apaches too, and the 4th style cavalry/Civil war, oh and the Crusaders - they should be big sellers in the current environment) but also Celts, Saracens & Mongols (There was a battle where the Muslims and Christians united to defeat invading Mongols - I'd like to 'play' that out!), War of the Roses (with men-at-arms and archers).

Basic plastic Anzacs and Turks. NZ Maories to go with anyone's 19th Brits. A German WW2 motorbike recon group.

I'm currently inspired by Irwin's (SellToys) Jagdpanzer, so a US halftrack with a variety of loads. And a Priest. A Hummel. A Stug. A Puma.

Then obviously I'd get to world poverty. Perhaps addressing it by giving jobs to people to make my soldiers!

There's more but back to work for now!
 
I would buy a battleship rather than look for a damaged one!
 
Rebuild the Tuilleries. As for toy soldiers, I would produce some of the forgotten wars, or ones that are less popular among TS collectors. I have also always wanted a full and conpletely accurate mode of a star fort (or any type of fort) complete with all figures. Maybe a good battle would be Seringapatam....
Speaking of that, another pe next would be to restore historic sites in India.
 
Buy Nudgee college, kick all the kids out and send them to state schools and fill the entire place with wall to wall dios and then hire Jack as a full time curator come tea/coffee maker person. :wink2:
Oh and also make every Great War truck, wagon, artillery piece, limber and the whole battle of Jutland in 1/30 scale. :rolleyes2:
PS.....create a large 1/30 scale Dambusters dio for Jack.
Wayne.
 
We are talking really silly amounts of money here so here is the start of my spending.

Huge mega yacht with the appropriate crew. A few homes overseas etc.

However my pet project would be a world class military museum in home city of Brisbane. If I had 18 billion then could budget 2 billion no problem for land, building, exhibits and staff etc. This would involve a lot of purchasing of items and first target would be Mephisto the WWI German tank. Naturally toy soldier dioramas would be a major feature and might have to tempt a few diorama guys from their days jobs. Not only Aussie history depicted in soldiers but all other periods (ie. Romans, Greeks, ACW, Naps, Zulus etc).

Museum would aim to consolidate all the small museums in the area and give them a permanent free home. Admission $2 but all going to military related charities. Lots of veterans to be employed and a place every school would arrange trips to.

A feature would be a wall where Qld family medals would be displayed with photo and details. Would buy up all remaining Australian Victoria Cross sets not held by War Memorial in Canberra. Would be a home for the original Qld Regimental colours I saw lying in a Cathedral crypt a few years ago.

Aim to be a world class tourist attraction, conference centre etc.

My charity side would be focused on veterans and emergency service personnel.

I would even provide a Japanese gun for Larso's local park {sm4}
 
waynepoo said:
Buy Nudgee college, kick all the kids out and send them to state schools and fill the entire place with wall to wall dios and then hire Jack as a full time curator come tea/coffee maker person. :wink2:
Oh and also make every Great War truck, wagon, artillery piece, limber and the whole battle of Jutland in 1/30 scale. :rolleyes2:
PS.....create a large 1/30 scale Dambusters dio for Jack.
Wayne.
Click to expand...

Missed your post before I made mine.

Can we combine my idea with yours and use Nudgee site !
 
Well, I'd do the following:

1- build my compound in Sedona Az and keep enough cash handy for me to pay my bills and live my life in obscurity. For the times Id actually leave the compound, I would wear the gaudiest suits I could possibly find.
2- Pay all my parents bills so they could live the rest of their lives doing whatever they want
3- ask my kids what they want to do and Wala- it would be done
4- call my old boss from the City of Baltimore and have his office refurbished and arrange for him to have a limo drive him to and from work everyday. He is a great friend.
5- Walk into the Chicago toy soldier show buy all the toy soldiers in the show and then tell everyone in attendance to take what they want.
6- Hold the most Kick butt metal concert that has ever been concieved in the history of music- free to all attendees- Id invite Maiden, Hatebreed and scores of other bands I love. Pay em twice their fees.
7- Lastly, it costs St Jude $1.8M to operate daily. 17B would let them stay open for 9,444 days- essentially a quarter century.
 
I would grant all of John Gambale wishes, although 17 billion might not be enough!
Gary
 
FYI - This is Paul Allen and he is also using his wealth to rebuild downtown Seattle besides other business venture he has (e.g. Seahawks and the Portland Trailblazers)
 
For those in the market for a mega yacht the top 15 in the world are shown at link below.

Paul Allen's worth is 17.5 billion and his yacht is no 15 on the list. David Geffen has two on the list and Spielberg is there as well as Russians and Arabs.

Personally I like the look of No 5 on the list !!! What is interesting about that one is that it represents almost half the worth of its Russian owner. Owner caused a stir in New York when he moored The Serene in midtown Manhattan in March 2014

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...chts-DOUBLE-2-4-billion-year-magnificent.html
 
Heaps of nice ideas and allowable indulgences!

Back in the day, Jack and I would dream of taking our cricket team to England for a series of matches against English village teams at suitably quaint locations. Now, we're a bit older, I'd be happy to sit in the stand every day of an Ashes tour.
 
Would just buy something like this
http://www.bellesdemeures.com/annon...93.htm?annoncepg=2&idtt=8&bd=li_LienAnn_Photo

And a belgian car for the fun of it
http://www.gilletvertigo.com/vertigo.html

Eat at some 3 stars restaurant, visit great cities .. Paris, Rome, Valencia, Barcelona, Milan, Vienne, Budapest and ... in good hotels ( but no need of grande suite, just a good room )
Drink my favourites wine ( white ) Montrachet, Meursault, some Champagne ( and no need to get drunk )



for the rest in french there is a sentence " Pour vivre heureux, vivons cachés " to live happy, live hidden

And 50% to be given to constructive charity .. médecin sans frontières ... orphanages ... research in cancer ... cooperatives in 3rd world
No jockey club, dinners club, rotary or ... any show off club...
 
Gents,

With 17 Billion in the bank I would pack up the family, travel the world for two years and build playgrounds and soccer fields everywhere I went.

John from Texas

PS: I would need the following though:

-A personal physician
-An lawyer who specializes in international law
-One Tutor a la Mr. Reginald Johnston (for my kids)
-8 Body Guards from Air Scan (formally Blackwater)
-A HOT female linguist who speaks at least 5 languages
-A chef (looks don't matter as long as he or she can cook it up)
-Also, an landscape architect (for the playgrounds and soccer fields)
-Oh and my massage therapist.

They would all have to work for me for two years and would be paid well.
 
hotel3alpha said:
Gents,

With 17 Billion in the bank I would pack up the family, travel the world for two years and build playgrounds and soccer fields everywhere I went.

John from Texas

PS: I would need the following though:

-A personal physician
-An lawyer who specializes in international law
-One Tutor a la Mr. Reginald Johnston (for my kids)
-8 Body Guards from Air Scan (formally Blackwater)
-A HOT female linguist who speaks at least 5 languages
-A chef (looks don't matter as long as he or she can cook it up)
-Also, an landscape architect (for the playgrounds and soccer fields)
-Oh and my massage therapist.

They would all have to work for me for two years and would be paid well.
Click to expand...

John,
Lucky you will have 17 billion as you will need your own plane for the platoon above travelling with you {sm4} Are the bodyguards to protect you from your wife when she finds out about the HOT linguist and the massage "therapist".?

What sort of name is Air Scan.

Brett
 
Brett,

Well, with 17 Billion my HOT linguist would be the last of my worries. I am of the opinion that HOT linguists (a la Nicole Kidman in Interperter) would serve me best in the international community and puts dictators at ease. If I want to put a soccer field in say Angola, showing up with Nicole Kidman may make the donation go a little smoother. And Brett who said my massage therapist was a hottie? The best massage I have ever received was from an old Japanese man in Japan who had forearms like Popeye. I busted my shoulder once and ole Mr. Moto straightened me out and have not had a problem with my shoulder since. So, Brett get you mind out of the gutter and allow John "The Baptist" from Texas to go on his "mission from God" (a la Blues Brothers) build his playgrounds and soccer fields.

Secondly, the first year would be by Ship which I would rent for a year, crew and all. And the second year would be by plane (crew and all) to check on the playgrounds and soccer fields that I put into construction the year before. After those two years are over...I would visit Costa Rica and Belize and see which two countries are the best to live in retirement ( I am already doing this anyway) and make plans to build an estate there.

Until then I would come back to Texas go back to work at my shop, watch my kids graduate HS and finish college.

John from Texas

PS: Don't worry Brett I would come visit you and get you finally sell me some HK sets. OH, and Air Scan? Well, I guess the Blackwater name became to negative and they wanted to change their image.
 
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