So this guy inherited a bank, had no interest in running it, and sold it for three quarters of a billion dollars. Then he set out to do what any super-wealthy Formula 1 enthusiast would do: he built his own racetrack in his backyard where he can race his $5-million collection of sports cars whenever he feels like it.
And just to add to y’all’s jealousy, the 52-year old guy’s racing companion is his 23-year-old girlfriend, the wonderfully-named Clemence Lepeyre:
I know: he’s ugly, she’s young and gorgeous; he has lots of money, she has… well, you know.
Sounds like everyone’s happy except the Usual Suspects (in this case, the envious socialists because he dares to be rich and enjoys spending his money, and the envious harpies who whine about the couple’s age difference, like he’s going to settle for some old frump about his own age lol).
To all us guys, though, this man is a god. (What else would you do with $726 million and no charitable instincts?) All he needs to make this thing perfect is an air-conditioned 500-yard indoor range somewhere. (By the way, I love the track layout: it has something for everyone and every kind of sports car.)
As I’ve often said before: money doesn’t buy you happiness, but it sure as hell buys you a better class of unhappiness. Now all I need is to buy that winning PowerBall ticket so I can test that hypothesis for myself…
Perhaps not how I’d choose to spend three quarters of a billion dollars, nor the companion I’d be likely to choose, but hey, more power to him.
Back in college a friend-of-a-friend was truly wealthy, and he owned (IIRC, may be off by a year or two) a 1937 Mercedes roadster, frame #12. Frames 1-25 were used for racing, and this was the only one that didn’t end up as a twisted pile of scrap. Mercedes wanted it for their museum, and offered him an obscene amount of money PLUS any brand-new Mercedes he wanted. He told them he liked the car, and he’d leave it to the museum in his will. One of few truly wealthy people I’ve heard of who believed in enjoying his money.
//He told them he liked the car, and he’d leave it to the museum in his will. //
…sounds like a great way to line himself up for a hit-and-run accident involving a small fast silver automobile.
You don’t want a 500 yard indoor range. You want a 1000 yard range with excellent artificial lighting and an air conditioned shooting pavilion with a retractable range wall (in case the AC needs occasional help catching up.
If I had that much money I’d put enough to live on (say 80M) in REALLY safe, sane investments and then start a motorcycle company with the rest.
As the philosopher Hunter S. Thompson said: “Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba….”
Kim, oh Kim,
Surely employing the people to build and maintain his racecourse is the epitome of charity? He didn’t have to provide those jobs, but he did.
I believe I’d try to be more anonymous about my wealth and hobbies.
But when I was a teenager I used to look at my Aunt’s Sunset (back then there was much more architecture and garden and landscape and less politics and drivel) and architecture magazines and try to design my dream home. What would I do with one square mile of land? Or a square 1.5 or 2 miles on a side?
Invariably there was a race track, though it included a dragstrip. And a place to shoot. And a much larger house than I would want to get now. But it was a lot of fun to dream (and instructive when my Aunt looked them over and critiqued them, and helped me improve them; even the racetrack parts, which says a lot about her!)
I’d have no interest in a race track. But the range would be outstanding.
Puts me in mind of the range the 2010 World Muzzle-Loading Championships were shot on in Portugal. There was a gentleman who owned a construction company, liked shooting…and built himself a range.
One capable of 25, 50, and 100 meter events, sized to be the national range. He wound up having to organize a club to help run it. Complete with bar/grill clubhouse. My word, what an establishment.
With age, comes wisdom.
All I can think is, “well good for him!”. Racetracks are fun, and she’s obviously high speed, low drag and clearly very high maintenance. But what the hell, he can afford it.
(now Prince Harry, on the other hand…)
What is it with old farts and bubble-gummers? I hate liberals and socialists as much as the next guy – but hell’s bells – that man is an idiot! Going out with a young lady like that would be like growing up all over again. Ya know damn well she’s eventually going to cheat on him and take him to the cleaners in the divorce. I lost my infatuation with fast cars and fast women ages ago.
Fella like you has no business envying a man like him, Kim. All your kids are great, you’re hunting and shooting in some of the nicest traditional real estate on the planet, and you have a loyal and established fan base of distinguished riflemen and conservative intellectuals (if I may be permitted to toot my own horn).
You got more going for you than that bum ever will. 😉
Yeah, but I think you’ll agree that three-quarters of a billion dollars would add to the delight all the above bring me.
What is it with old farts and bubble-gummers? …Going out with a young lady like that would be like growing up all over again. Ya know damn well she’s eventually going to cheat on him and take him to the cleaners in the divorce. I lost my infatuation with fast cars and fast women ages ago.
I’m with you on on that. A gal hooked up with a dude old enough to be her dad (or granddad) most likely has issues, or is after money.
Fast cars? Usually useless, unreliable, and uncomfortable (as are some of the hot chicks).
But with money, they’re all replaceable.