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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHoward Hughes was the weirdo, flashy, self-aggrandizing "billionaire" of his day.
He started out with flashy barnstorm flying that he could do because he was rich. He also had a lot to do with commercial passenger aviation as we know it today. He got richer at while doing it. He built airplanes, too. He got richer doing that. He dabbled in this and he dabbled in that.
While he indulged himself, he also created a lot of jobs - whether intended or not. I really don't think there was a lot of altruism involved. Nonetheless it happened.
This post might be a non-sequitur were it not for today's Richard Branson space flight and the upcoming Bezos and Musk flights.
Hekate
(90,865 posts)Response to Stinky The Clown (Original post)
multigraincracker This message was self-deleted by its author.
sanatanadharma
(3,740 posts)...because he arrived before the Reagan decade of greed, without TV's "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"
How much bread could a Branson bake if a Branson did bake bread?
Building billionaire amusement park rides is one way to create jobs. Feeding people is better.
underpants
(182,950 posts)He invented a drill bit that chewed through rock.
Hughes was a Republican but hed loan money to Nixons brother and the ever paranoid Nixon thought he might be dishing info to the Dems. They broke in looking for info on Hughes. At least thats one thing Ive read about it.
cojoel
(958 posts)He got royalties from that for many years that funded the other ventures.
underpants
(182,950 posts)Goonch
(3,618 posts)moondust
(20,017 posts)As his empire grew, Hughes used every trick conceivable to avoid paying taxes to the government.
Original role model for TFG and today's GQP? I have long wondered how much influence he had on them starting decades ago.
Owl
(3,645 posts)He wore tissue boxes on his feet to protect them. And he burned his clothing if someone near him became ill.
From first link in post above yours.
Howard Hughes--the billionaire aviator, motion-picture producer and business tycoon--spent most of his life trying to avoid germs. Toward the end of his life, he lay naked in bed in darkened hotel rooms in what he considered a germ-free zone. He wore tissue boxes on his feet to protect them.
Owl
(3,645 posts)Mr.Bill
(24,334 posts)adapted the behavior of a skid-row junkie. Locked himself in a hotel room and shot dope into his arm. There is a lesson there somewhere.
lame54
(35,331 posts)Made from Hughes saved toenails and urine?
Quixote1818
(28,992 posts)Scrivener7
(51,053 posts)andym
(5,445 posts)Started out as a tax shelter for Hughes, but ended up advancing medicine. Has an endowment of ~$23 billion.
Much of his fortune ended up here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Hughes_Medical_Institute
brush
(53,924 posts)I don't think he's an American citizen which would mean he can't vote here but remember, he's friends with Obama and Michelle and seems to be a good guy.
I know Musk is a republican. As for Bezos, no Democrat would treat their employees as Amazon does.