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Old 03-18-2016, 02:05 PM   #1
Minuteman37
 
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Default Interweaving an Immortal Billionaire into American History

Ok SJGames if there was an immortal who immigrated to the Americas while the British still controlled the 13 colonies and I the GM wanted to assure that he would become the richest man in the world and maintain this position for the next 200 years till modern day, who should he go about this? I'm imagining this character as a futurist whose able to predict trends and remain a step ahead of his competition, but I'm no expert in american history especially the economical aspects of it. So just what choices does he need to make to be successful, but neither be thought of as a terrible monster or completely shift the course of history?
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Old 03-18-2016, 02:22 PM   #2
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Default Re: Interweaving an Immortal Billionaire into American History

You're effectively thinking of Vandal Savage. He can use the funds he's acquired throughout his lifetime, and develop incredibly high skills in how to properly invest in new companies, as well as buying up patents.
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Old 03-18-2016, 02:26 PM   #3
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Default Re: Interweaving an Immortal Billionaire into American History

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Originally Posted by Minuteman37 View Post
Ok SJGames if there was an immortal who immigrated to the Americas while the British still controlled the 13 colonies and I the GM wanted to assure that he would become the richest man in the world and maintain this position for the next 200 years till modern day, who should he go about this? I'm imagining this character as a futurist whose able to predict trends and remain a step ahead of his competition, but I'm no expert in american history especially the economical aspects of it. So just what choices does he need to make to be successful, but neither be thought of as a terrible monster or completely shift the course of history?
Is he publicly immortal?
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Old 03-18-2016, 02:40 PM   #4
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Default Re: Interweaving an Immortal Billionaire into American History

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Depends what you mean by "publicly". Superheroes all seem to know he's immortal. Joe Blow on the street may not have heard of him at all. I'm not an expert on the character by any means, but I get the impression that, in the present at least, he doesn't usually draw attention to himself. That may have been different in other eras.
I was asking about Minuteman37's character, not Vandal Savage.
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Old 03-18-2016, 02:42 PM   #5
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Default Re: Interweaving an Immortal Billionaire into American History

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You're effectively thinking of Vandal Savage. He can use the funds he's acquired throughout his lifetime, and develop incredibly high skills in how to properly invest in new companies, as well as buying up patents.
I'd say What I imagine is more anti-villain then just villain, but in a since yes.
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Old 03-18-2016, 02:46 PM   #6
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I was asking about Minuteman37's character, not Vandal Savage.
I just realized that, and deleted my response, but too late. Ah well. :-)
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Old 03-18-2016, 02:47 PM   #7
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Funding can be done with gold. Get to the California gold fields before 1840s and clean up. Rinse repeat with other gold fields. Seize the richest fields for yourself and buy out poorly prepared suckers. Also bring in a lot of food, equipment, clothes etc. and sell them at gold field prices. Get a monopoly on taverns and brothels. Run company towns.

Early land investment in Manhattan would make anyone a multi-billionaire in modern times. I would suggest post-Revolutionary war would be the safest time to invest. Start with iconic streets such as Wall Street. Buy into Central Park surrounding property at the start of construction (1860) or after its decline (1930s), before its restoration.

Long term land investment should also hinge around buying up vast tracts of oil-rich and mineral-rich lands. Buy cheap and early, dominate later. Coal and iron are important early and stay so for a long time. Later radioactive materials and rare earths are a factor.

200 years ago, government debt was a popular investment. I think they were called 'rents'. Much like bonds today, they had a set interest rate, a term and a regular payment to the holder. The Rothschilds made a lot of their massive fortune by dominating the rents market. Someone with money and good information could trail the Rothschilds and make a fortune in that market over decades.

Meanwhile, trade is a thing. You should be involved in the triangle of rum-slaves-sugar that made such vast profits. You need European holdings and companies, probably England is a good choice since the risk of being involved in invasive wars is non-existent. London will be a major base of operations, as will New York.

You should be at the forefront of industrialisation and with your energy monopoly, you can dominate this revolution. You will be the railway baron to end all railway barons.

You need to be setting up banks from the start of this. Later, you can be forming the first major companies. The stock market will be created according to your vision.

Another thought: art. Buying up the Dutch masters and French impressionists cheap should provide you with a world class collection to decorate your mansions.

Basically you should be JP Morgan, Rockefeller, Du Pont and several other famously wealthy families rolled into one. Being in at the start of America, with good management skills, immortality and a knack for future development is definitely an opportunity to be far richer than anyone in history.
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Old 03-18-2016, 02:49 PM   #8
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Default Re: Interweaving an Immortal Billionaire into American History

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I was asking about Minuteman37's character, not Vandal Savage.
No, the idea is he'll run things from the background and act through intermediaries when necessary, thought from time to time he'll take on the persona of a descendant if for whatever reason the company needs his direct supervision.
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Old 03-18-2016, 02:50 PM   #9
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So just what choices does he need to make to be successful, but neither be thought of as a terrible monster or completely shift the course of history?
It depends on how much he can predict stuff, but:
* stay in the stock market for blue chip companies, selling near their peaks
* stay out of airline and railroad stocks
* sell all properties, businesses, investments, whatever in the South before the Civil War
* there are multiple booms and busts in the 1870-1930s. short your investments just before the busts, then buy heavily during the immediate recovery
* sell overseas investments before WWI and WWII (especially Russian debt!)
* invest heavily in munitions, IBM, and the Big 3 automakers just before WWII. Also buy every stock Kaiser will sell you pre-war and sell it all off afterwards.

Nothing there is terrible or immoral. It just requires a crystal ball to get 90% right.
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Last edited by mlangsdorf; 03-18-2016 at 03:33 PM.
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Old 03-18-2016, 03:03 PM   #10
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I'd say What I imagine is more anti-villain then just villain, but in a since yes.
Then your character is just all the good historical figures, instead of being a conqueror. Same concept, though.
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