What would YOU do if you woke up one morning a billionaire?
I'd buy land. Mixed timber quality woods and some meadow. Place a nice house on it. Some outbuildings. Even small cabins out in the hinters of it. I'd never have to worry about getting a hunting license again because I'd have enough acreage to do my rifle shooting and not bother the neighbors. There'd be enough acreage and outbuildings that I could have a BIG blog meet and be able to put everyone up.
I'd HAVE a nice gun range on that parcel. Rifle and pistol, separate. With proper pits for the rifle targets and the ability to do IDPA without endangering anyone on the pistol range. Maybe a shoot house. What's a blogmeet at a billionaire's estate without some shoot house work?
I doubt I'd buy that big truck, bet there would be a few nice vehicles in the garage. 1965 Bonneville. 1957 Cadillac DeVille. 1952 Dodge Power Wagon. Those are just for fun. ATV's and Farm equipment for the property.
I wouldn't prolly get a big ostentatious custom pick em up truck. But you never know.
The place would be on the grid but I could disconnect if I wanted to and rely on my solar panels and other options for power.
I'd buy that OV-10 Bronco, and get a lot of hours in learning to fly. Not the Bronco, at first. That's no beginner plane. To learn I'd get a T-34. Or 2, because, hell, I'm rich.
Of course there would be some serious firearm acquisitions to add to the collection. Even a few machine guns. Just for giggles.
But that would be all I'd acquire. I'd like to set up a living history museum of my own. Make an artificial 'street' on property with simulated storefronts. I'd have these filled with early 1900's era artifacts to make it look like a 100 year old functioning central business district. The blacksmith shop would be a working one, able to shoe horse. The apothecary could make up pills using powders from old jars (fresher ingredients, natch), the barber shop could give you a proper shave with hot towels and everything. The tailor shop would have the material and sewing machines needed for a skilled tradesman to set you up with a suit of clothes. Attached millinery, and dressmaker, too. A hardware store filled with old style nails, tools, paints, &c. A biergarten in the center of 'town', with beer made on premises. Shoemaker, Cabinetmaker, Watchmaker/Jeweler, Baker, maybe a Cooper, Cobbler, Stone Cutter/Mason yard, Butcher and Grocer. Some of those can combine. Hardware store and general store with a forge out back, and attached cabinet maker shop, that sort of thing.
I'd need Bobbi to come run the vintage electronic shop. I would be too strict on the era of materials. The 1914 'town' might just happen to have a 1965 era radio shack.
Don't forget the big steam engine and fly wheel to power it all.
There. That should cut into the billion. And secure my legacy as an interesting eccentric.
Even with a billion dollars, I bet I have more 'want' than wallet.
6 comments:
Myself - I'd buy a Citation to get back and forth to see friends and go shooting. No TSA lines and I am certified to fly it single pilot so I could go anytime I wanted to, load my stuff, find someone handsome to sit in the right seat and not touch anything and we're OFF.
For fun, I'd find an old T-6 trainer, but the T-34. . yeah, that's nice.
I found a website once where property in CO, NW, WY, UT, NV, ID was for sale. Large scale property---thousands of acres plus BLM leases to go with them. I remember one in SW CO had a walk-in gun safe. Some had private airstrips with night lights included. Prices started at $1M.
Ah, but the true trick is picking the $1M property out there that is properly watered... I can build an airstrip and a walk-in vault, but water is my most practical consideration.
That's what's wrong with the East Coast. It's be the perfect retreat area if it weren't for all the people there.
The area around Montrose, CO has plenty of water and was the location of one of the sites with an airstrip. Learning to fly in that area, high altitude (6000-7000' at ground level) and surrounding mountains can be "interesting."
Wash: "Yeah well, if she doesn't give us some extra flow from the engine room to offset the burn through, this landing is gonna get pretty interesting."
Mal: "Define interesting."
Wash: "Oh god oh god we're all gonna die?"
Mal: "This is the captain. We have a...little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and then...explode."
I agree. I'd love to do what Douglas Tompkins (the founder of North Face) did-- you know with out the kooky enviro-religion. Back in the early 90s, he purchased over a thousand square miles in Chile for only like $20 million. His property cuts the country completely in half. Damn.
-Michael
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