Brewster's Millions

[zippypinhead]

For some reason, Brewster's Millions popped into my head today, where Richard Pryor has to spend $30million in a month in order to inherit $300million. It got me to thinking:

You've got thirty days to completely squander $100million (sum updated to match current inflation values.) You can't have anything left of that money -- no property, no possessions, no change, no refunds, no returns on investments -- it has to be completely gone. If you manage to spend it all, you get a billion dollars. How do you waste the money in a month?

Also, here's a fun fact which I had no idea about until I went to grab the Wikipedia link for it just now; the movie was adapted from a book written 120 years ago, and which has had over a dozen movies made based on it. Crazy!

 

[Ozzie_]

For some reason, Brewster's Millions popped into my head today, where Richard Pryor has to spend $30million in a month in order to inherit $300million. It got me to thinking:

You've got thirty days to completely squander $100million (sum updated to match current inflation values.) You can't have anything left of that money -- no property, no possessions, no change, no refunds, no returns on investments -- it has to be completely gone. If you manage to spend it all, you get a billion dollars. How do you waste the money in a month?

I'd give away as much as legally possible to family members.
Make large donations to local charities in my town.
Buy my groceries from the expensive "end" of the supermarket.

And of course, I'd "go nuts" on Stripchat

But none of that is what I would call "wasting" the money

 

[Vixxen81]

The correct answer is run for public office. Easy-peasy.

 

[Vixxen81]

I'd give away as much as legally possible to family members.
Make large donations to local charities in my town.
Buy my groceries from the expensive "end" of the supermarket.

And of course, I'd "go nuts" on Stripchat

But none of that is what I would call "wasting" the money

In the movie, only a certain percentage can be used altruistically -- tipping is by nature altruism and well charity is a given altruistic outreach.

 

[Ozzie_]

In the movie, only a certain percentage can be used altruistically -- tipping is by nature altruism and well charity is a given altruistic outreach.

I do not know the movie so was unaware of any restrictions apart from what @zippypinhead said :-

You've got thirty days to completely squander $100million (sum updated to match current inflation values.) You can't have anything left of that money -- no property, no possessions, no change, no refunds, no returns on investments -- it has to be completely gone.

Tipping on a cam site is definitely not altruistic from my POV. I expect "something" (a service, not tangible goods) in return, so it is a purchase

 

[Ozzie_]

For some reason, Brewster's Millions popped into my head today, where Richard Pryor has to spend $30million in a month in order to inherit $300million. It got me to thinking:

You've got thirty days to completely squander $100million (sum updated to match current inflation values.) You can't have anything left of that money -- no property, no possessions, no change, no refunds, no returns on investments -- it has to be completely gone. If you manage to spend it all, you get a billion dollars. How do you waste the money in a month?

Also, here's a fun fact which I had no idea about until I went to grab the Wikipedia link for it just now; the movie was adapted from a book written 120 years ago, and which has had over a dozen movies made based on it. Crazy!

Of course another tack from my original reply is to just say, "fuck it", I'll take the $100 million to use, invest, donate etc however I want and "you" can keep your billion dollars

Or is it the case that if I fail to complete the task, everything goes back to how it was before, i.e. I lose any property, investments, returns on same etc that I purchased, made or received during the month and my life returns to exactly how it was before? If this is the case, then I suggest that it is an impossible task, especially if there are limits on the amount that can be altruistically disposed of. (Even buying another person a coffee is an altruistic act)

I am unfamiliar with any of the movies, or the original story, can any one tell me; was there a successful way to complete the challenge?

 

[zippypinhead]

The correct answer is run for public office. Easy-peasy.

A 30-day campaign? Just don't get elected, or donors. "Vote for None of The Above!"

I do not know the movie so was unaware of any restrictions apart from what @zippypinhead said :-



Tipping on a cam site is definitely not altruistic from my POV. I expect "something" (a service, not tangible goods) in return, so it is a purchase

Sorry for leaving key rules out, but no worries, it's all in good fun. I don't think tipping for tip-based income services is altruistic, either. I think the rule is more like, "no $100k tips to the waiter or cabbie; no donating everything away." That sort of stuff. The wiki synopsis of the clause from the book sums it up well:

"Brewster is required to demonstrate business sense by obtaining good value for the money he spends, limiting his donations to charity, his losses to gambling, and the value of his tips to waiters and cab drivers."

Also, if we're choosing to stick by the rules, you can't tell anyone why you're spending it all so quickly. You have to keep the goal of the greater fortune a secret.

No rules say anything about retaining the services of sex workers, online or not. Loophole! $3.3million a day is still a lot to spend, though, even as a Great White Whale.

Of course another tack from my original reply is to just say, "fuck it", I'll take the $100 million to use, invest, donate etc however I want and "you" can keep your billion dollars

Or is it the case that if I fail to complete the task, everything goes back to how it was before, i.e. I lose any property, investments, returns on same etc that I purchased, made or received during the month and my life returns to exactly how it was before? If this is the case, then I suggest that it is an impossible task, especially if there are limits on the amount that can be altruistically disposed of. (Even buying another person a coffee is an altruistic act)

I am unfamiliar with any of the movies, or the original story, can any one tell me; was there a successful way to complete the challenge?

Honestly, sense wins out there. $100million is still essentially an unimaginable fortune. You could probably maneuver that kind of sum into a billion pretty quickly with strong investments. But yes, if not everything is spent, your life gets reverted to what it was before the challenge was undertaken.

In the original book, he had a year to spend a million dollars, to gain seven million dollars. That was in 1902 dollars. In the 1985 movie, the sum was $30million spent in a month to gain $300million, which is still a ton of money to spend quickly, and a ton of money to gain.

Here's a variation that might work out better:
You have ONE YEAR to spend $100million, instead of a month. At the end, your balance must be zero. Reasonable tips and personal gifts, and 10% to donations are allowed (I think that was pretty much the stipulation in the movie) but you can't give it all away or gamble it all away. You have to spend it all away. You can't tell anybody. Otherwise, you can refuse the offer, and receive an inheritance of three million dollars.



The 1985 movie is a lot of fun, btw. Richard Pryor, John Candy. Worth a watch!

 

[Ozzie_]

Here's a variation that might work out better:
You have ONE YEAR to spend $100million, instead of a month. At the end, your balance must be zero. Reasonable tips and personal gifts, and 10% to donations are allowed (I think that was pretty much the stipulation in the movie) but you can't give it all away or gamble it all away. You have to spend it all away. You can't tell anybody. Otherwise, you can refuse the offer, and receive an inheritance of three million dollars.

So one of my questions remains. How is it possible to spend that much without gaining and retaining any assets at the end of it all? I guess one could go on a year-long adventure around the world travelling and residing 1st class or similar all the way (after first donating the maximum 10%, as I truly would be charitable if I had money).

Must admit, as a humble retail worker, just opting for the $3 million sounds pretty good too

The 1985 movie is a lot of fun, btw. Richard Pryor, John Candy. Worth a watch!

I am of an age that I do remember the movie when it came out. Not sure if I ever saw it however. Might have to see if it's on a streaming service down here. Did Richard Pryor's Brewster manage to "win" the challenge? Or did he decide that life was better as he was?

ETA that as an Australian, refraining from tipping cabbies or waitsaff etc would not be an issue anyway. Everyone down here is paid a living wage, tipping (in those scenarios) is not really a part of the culture.

 

[rockin_rod]

ETA that as an Australian, refraining from tipping cabbies or waitsaff etc would not be an issue anyway. Everyone down here is paid a living wage, tipping (in those scenarios) is not really a part of the culture.

Maybe I'm an outlier here then, but I usually tip good service, pizza deliveries, wait staff, cab drivers etc.
Got to admit, the covid-era change that saw cash payments (and tips) just about disappear overnight was difficult to handle.
So many businesses would refuse to add a % for tips onto the overall bill for card payments, and even when they did, I doubt any tips really made it to the wait staff.....

 

[Ozzie_]

Maybe I'm an outlier here then, but I usually tip good service, pizza deliveries, wait staff, cab drivers etc.
Got to admit, the covid-era change that saw cash payments (and tips) just about disappear overnight was difficult to handle.
So many businesses would refuse to add a % for tips onto the overall bill for card payments, and even when they did, I doubt any tips really made it to the wait staff.....

I have no real idea as to whether it is you or I who is the outlier. As I say, given that the wait or bar staff are most likely earning more per hour than I do, it's not something I am likely to do. Sure if the service was exceptional, I'd consider it, but to just tip for merely good or adequate service? Nope. After all, this isn't the USA where such workers may well be paid below the poverty line and therefore rely on tips to actually live.

 

[rockin_rod]

I have no real idea as to whether it is you or I who is the outlier. As I say, given that the wait or bar staff are most likely earning more per hour than I do, it's not something I am likely to do. Sure if the service was exceptional, I'd consider it, but to just tip for merely good or adequate service? Nope. After all, this isn't the USA where such workers may well be paid below the poverty line and therefore rely on tips to actually live.

Nah, almost certainly me. I know very few people here that do tip, and they often look at me like I'm crazy when I do it........ but it's something my father always did, and passed on to me as I was growing up in the UK.
We weren't well-off, so rarely went out to eat at restaurants and other entertainment. But he always made sure he tipped well for good service, and very well for great service - and always making sure the particular wait staff that had served us got the tip themself.

ETA: makes me want to watch that movie now. Love everything with John Candy in it too. I have a vague memory of watching it at the time it was a recent release, but can't recall much. Maybe the message will mean more this time around? back then, I was probably more interested in watching Jamie Lee Curtis in Trading Places

 

[Vixxen81]

Man now I want every single one of you to actually watch the movie.

 

[Hiunds]

Man now I want every single one of you to actually watch the movie.

Yeah, it’s a fun movie. That and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels are two of my favorite 80s comedies

 

[Vixxen81]

Yeah, it’s a fun movie. That and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels are two of my favorite 80s comedies

Throw in Trading Places and we've got a banging Saturday on the couch!