Eccentric Millionaires Of Our Time

The GP Millionaire magazine says that the Chinese millionaire Huan Qiaoling had the fancy of reproducing the White House right in the middle of a rice field in his native home town Hangzhou, because he wanted to feel what's like to be the 'emperor' of the United States! Bill Gate enjoys his 45 roomed mansion in Washington, built underground, with the estimated value of 1000 million dollars.

There have been those with millions coming out of their ears, the run of the mill pleasures probably seem to them too common, so they go out of their way to acquire or establish quite unique or varied eccentricities to showcase, or dispose of, or simply to enjoy being outrageous because they can afford not just the cost, but whatever reputation, flattering, enviable, or labelled as in bad taste, wont matter. The latter are usually by those who can't afford either.

One particular millionaire certainly calls far more attention than the rest, not because he is more extravagant and spends far more than other millionaires, but because he won't spend any! He is Ingvar Kamprad, the richest man in Europe. This business tycoon, proprietor of the multinational chain shops of portable furniture, Ikea, with multiple shops in 44 countries and providing employment to over 100.000 people.

When he is not driving his old Volvo, in his older still off the peg suits, he goes about in public transports, using his retired old folks' card so as not to pay anything as he is now 86. He flies in so named 'Low Cost' flights and lodges himself always in cheap hotels, according to the magazine 'The Economist'.

What Kamprad practices is not thrift, I dare say it's almost like an obsession, a compulsion, more like a disease, to hoard money. For what has he been working hard all his life, still working each day now, yet not wishing to even enjoy his grand old age? It reminds me of an old friend of mine in my Hong Kong days. He had so many properties, residences, shops, factories he owned or rented out, he often scratched his head trying to remember whether some buildings we passed by were his or not. He was also extremely thrifty, at times ridiculously so, but with friends or, at least, with me, as he would give me gifts, expensive ones, for no reason at all, just to please; or perhaps he simply enjoyed giving. Apparently not Kamprad. He hates spending, period.

Maybe another very rich man summed it up well. Paul Getty said: "Those who have no money think about money all the time. Those who have, also!"

After 65 years working hard everyday, Kamprad has never had a holiday or been anywhere just for the sake of seeing a new place. Is it really eccentricity? Misery? Contrary? I wonder whether he has a plan for when the time comes and he has to let go. Would he?

Tag:EccentricMillionaires

• Current Mood: busy