A Millionaire's Best Friend: A Tiger

Last week Michael Jackson’s Thriller died. No, not his immortal album, that shall forever live on in pop history. Rather his pet tiger died at the age of 13. In Tiger-years that is a pretty a good, long life!

Thriller was one of many exotic pets the millionaire Jackson had at Neverland Ranch. Among the other were elephants, orangutans, giraffes, flamingos, and many rare reptiles. People speculate that Thriller was one of the more prized animals in the collection hence the name. But there is also speculation that the tiger was a zombie, also a good rationale for the name. Whatever the real reason, Thriller was a popular tiger and attracted many visitors after it was removed from Jackson’s estate.

Michael Jackson’s net worth would amount to $600 Million today. However, the millionaire should be a billionaire being worth 1.5 Billion, but the lifestyle of the rich and famous exacted a heavy toll on his estate. The costs result from luxurious living and lavish spending. Some of the costs include:

$15 Million to buy Neverland Ranch

$5 Million annually for Neverland Ranch’s upkeep

$20 Million to settle lawsuits.

$65 Million for video projects

$12 Million for divorce settlement

$500 Million of debts

And many millions spent on cars, animals, art, and other needless eccentricities. 

So all this weighs Jackson’s supposed 1.5 Billion networth down to a measly $500 million. But not bad. You can learn a lot on how to live lavishly from this millionaire. 

In honor of Thriller's death Butlr is offering the following items:

A Tiger

A Lion

Michael Jackson's Military Style Coat

When Yacht Racing and Car Collecting Get Boring

There comes a point in every millionaire’s life when racing yachts, collecting jets and cars, and owning professional sports teams becomes, well—dull. Boring. Average. So what do you do then? 

Well, there’s a lot of different answers, from finding a spouse thirty years younger, to chartering a flight to space. But one millionaire, or rather billionaire, Larry Ellison, had a different solution to remedy his pedestrian life. He bought a private Hawaiin island, or at least 98% of it. 

But first, let’s look at his life prior to this exciting $500 million purchase. Larry Ellison recently won the America’s Cup sailing race. It cost him $100 to buy and man a worthy yacht for the race. He beat out another billionaire, Ernesto Bertarelli, for first place. He also owns many planes and cars. Some of the highlights include a McLaren F1 and an Italian Marchetti jet plane. He also used to own a ‘mega-yacht’ that leaned more to the side of luxury cruise ship. This yacht had a wine cellar, theater, and even a basketball court and cost over $300 million. 

What I’m trying to say is that Larry Ellison’s millionaire lifestyle was a dull one. There were many just like it. But now, Ellison has added prestige to his reputation as a tycoon.  With the purchase of this $500 million private island adds a special air of megalomaniac power and stature. Owning a big house is one thing, but owning an entire island is something completely different. There can be no richer neighbors, nor even any neighbors Ellison doesn’t like. It’s just Ellison, his money, and his cars. But what do you get when a private island becomes boring? 

Try YOUR hand at owning island and living like Larry Ellison TODAY!

The Doggystyle Millionaire: A Spending Biography of Snoop Dogg

Like he’s told us before, Snoop Dogg always has his mind on his money and his money on his mind. That is, when he’s not rolling down the street in his 1967 Cadillac sipping on gin and juice. 

Snoop Dogg (Calvin Brodaus) is worth $110 Million. He’s not only a playa, but also a big player in the Millionaire’s club. Most rappers plateau quite young. They find themselves broke and forgotten by age 40. Snoop, however, at age 40 is still a multi-millionaire and major celebrity figure.  

So what is Snoop Dogg’s millionaire lifestyle? How does he spend his millions? Besides bling, marijuana, and champagne, Snoop Dogg invests in automobiles, real

estate, and pee-wee football teams.

Snoop owns a 1967 customized Cadillac. Customized in this case means ‘Snoop Dogg’ is written in bling on the front bumper of the Cadillac. He also has a yellow 1967 Pontiac convertible. So what about the year 1967 does Snoop love so much or want to remember? Maybe that Romania and Spain signed a commercial relations agreement? Or maybe he just likes the cars from the year? PersonalIy like to think he is remembering the 100-year anniversary of Canadian independent federation.  But then again, maybe he just likes the car. 

He also has a nice home in Diamond Bar. And his brand of gin? Tanqueray of course. And when he coached his son’s pee-wee football team to a championship he didn’t take them out for a pizza party, he bought them  chrome and gold footballs. And the kids weren’t driven to game by soccer moms in SUV carpools. They were chauffeured in a tricked-out bus. But what better way is their to spend your money than buy outrageous swag for your son's football team? 

Live out your own stylized millionaire life now.

What can $125 Million Buy Today?

How do the rich live? How do they spend their money? Well today in Butlr we look at a millionaire fashion designer who didn’t just lead trends in fashion—he led trends in spending. And now the remains of his spending are-- well-- on sale in an auction!

Gianni Versace was man of fine taste, his finest taste being his hunger for opulent and lavish living. He is now deceased, but his legacy is not dead. His Lake Como villa located in South Beach, Miami is on the market for the price of $125 million. Its contents which included rare art of all kinds have already been auctioned away. 

The house has 10 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. And what would a villa be without a 50 foot pool ornamented with 24-carat gold lining? And swimming is dreadfully dull without mosaics, frescoes, and statues adorning the pool to enjoy. I’ve always said if a pool doesn’t have a mosaic on the bottom then why swim at all? Exercise? Please, I worry about dollar signs and zeroes, not calories and carbs.

The Villa is so full of art that one might think the property belonged to a Roman emperor. Or that perhaps it was decorated after a Napoleonic-scale looting of the Louvre. But this is not the case. Gianni Versace was just rich and had wild imagination when it came to decoration.

The property is 19,000 square feet, underwent a $33 million renovation and expansion, and sits only several paces from Lake Como. Versace Gianni taught many how to be a true millionaire and in some ways defined the lifestyle of the rich and famous. His estate wasn't called the ‘iconic oasis for the rich-and-famous’, for nothing. His home is truly a one of a kind property.

So don’t pass up on this one of kind property! It is on sale in Butlr now, and you wouldn’t want to let any other lords or ladies beating you to the chase!

The Cracker Cannon: A Powerful Weapon Against Hunger

The moment when you realize you haven’t slept, showered, breathed fresh air or heard a language besides HTML, Javascript, Flash, or CSS6 in over 36 hours. This, as I came to learn, is a Hackathon. 

This weekend Butlr.com took its wit to The Big Brand Hackathon at Madrone Studioes. A Hackathon is an odd, but delightful thing. Home Depot, Kraft, and Toblerone hosted this Hackathon, give programmers a chance to make them an app. At the competition were people of all ages and backgrounds; college kids, professionals, hackathon hobbyists, high school kids, starts-ups, a dog, and even a parrot. (We weren’t allowed to bring our Butlr Bot though! Grr). 

Butlr teamed up JamesNorman. Sleep deprivation and countless energy drinks culminated 36 hours later into a solution to hunger. A military solution. RitzCannon. It aims to solve Hunger. How so? Well the only plausible way of course—flinging Ritz crackers into hungry mouths. The game challenges users to hurl a cracker into a moving hungry mouth. Expect to see it as a wage-earning minigame on Butlr.com soon.

When eyelids were drooping, recycle bins were overflowing with every kind of energy can, and restroom lines stretched around corners, the event finally came to close and winners were announced. Butlr’s RitzCannon won ‘The People’s Choice Award’ for the app most loved by, well, the people! Don’t ever say people don’t care about stopping hunger! We left tired, stiff, and delirious. We left proud. 

A weekend well spent. Check back for more updates on Butlr’s progress. Until then, Cheers from the Butlr team!   

 

-The Butlr Team

Millionaire Next Door: Mitt Romney as Your Neighbor

“My car is always boxed in!”
“Our ocean view will be gone! Oi vey!”
“But I hear he will increase the value of our houses by 10%!”

These are some of the complaints and comments of Mitt Romney’s neighbors in La Jolla, San Diego, where this his year’s presidential candidate owns a luxurious Spanish-style villa. Colorful neighbors is part of life, but what is grinding the gears of these neighbors?


In Butlr's Portrait of a Millionaire today we examine Mitt Romney, Republican party presidential candidate and beachfront property owner.

Romney bought the house four years ago for a hefty price of $12 million dollars. It has three bedrooms, a beautiful ocean view. It also has a history of the rich and famous living there.

Richard Gere, the dashing Hollywood stud from “Pretty Women” lived in the house. So did former mayor of San Diego Maureen O’Connor. But what suited the rich of yesterday is not good enough for the rich and famous of today.

Romney has plans to quadruple the size of the house. Some wealthy neighbors who paid for beautiful oceans complain that Romney’s plans would obstruct their view of the ocean. But what disgruntles some neighbors, makes others ecstatic. Many neighbors are happy to have a celebrity move in the neighborhood as real estate agents predict that the new millionaire on the block could increase the prices of surrounding real estate by as much as ten percent!

Whatever your feeling on the matter is, one thing is certain—it’s one spectacular house! See for yourself. And if you like it enough, purchaseyour own ocean view now! 

Jack Nicholson's "Shining" Million-Dollar Aspen Home

He went violently insane due to a haunted mansion in the movie “The Shining”. Now he wants to sell you his 19^th century Victorian-style mansion in Aspen for $15 Million. 

The house is beautiful and secluded, maybe not as a nice as the $49 Million Homes around the corner, but has a rich history behind it.

The house was built in 1895,  and was named a ‘historic place’ in 1987. It is locally famous as neighborhood like to play ‘haunted house’ in it and see who can stay in it the longest before running out screaming.

Why is Nicholson selling the house? When asked about it, Nicholson looked around nervously and then whispered in the microphone timidly, 

                         “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” 

Then he proceeded to ramble about ‘them’ and how he ‘had to get out of there before THEY found out’.

Now you don’t have to have a rich millionaire uncle to inherit a creepy manor!

Want to appease the spirits of the house and come to a new and deeper understanding of the afterlife? Have your own Shining now! 

Big Kid in a Millionaire's Shoes

A millionaire with a jaguar in his garage is not surprising. But this millionaire never drove his jaguar. Not once. But that is because he never learned how to drive. This millionaire, ironically, was quite wary of technology.

            This jaguar belonged to Ray Bradbury, science fiction behemoth, who passed away on Tuesday. Having published over two dozen novels and six-hundred short stories Bradbury pulled in quite a bit of cash, and not to mention quite a few impressionable imaginations. We have a general idea of how the rich live and spend their money, but just like his writing, Bradbury’s lifestyle and spending were—peculiar. 

            A visit to his living in Los Angeles would tell you this. As a butler I spent many hours there (As a robot I was a great admirer of Bradbury who was both like a father and great deity or legend to me). His living room was messy, very messy, but not with junk. Rather it was priceless science fiction memorabilia—a life-size model of the original Dracula looms over your chair, a scale model of the USS Voyager sits across the room, a scrapbook of every original Buck Rogers cartoon strip is buried other books, and a Hugo award stands to your left with clothing draped over it. All around you what seems carelessly placed junk is actually a museum of the history of science fiction and fantasy. 

            You can buy your very own Bradbury-esque USS Voyager model Here.

            Ray Bradbury was a rare kind of man, and a rarer kind of millionaire. He was big kid who had never really grown up. A man with a true passion and childish infatuation. His lover? Well, science fiction of course.

            May master Bradbury rest in peace.

Amy Winehouse house for sale

Today in Butlr we examine the deceased life of millionaire singer Amy Winehouse. Recently her home in London went up for sale on the market.

While alive Amy Winehouse led a wild life in the spotlight of the media. She dressed provocatively in expensive clothes. She spent frivolously on drugs as well. But alas, she had plenty of money to spend since her album Back to Black is the number-one selling album of the 21^st century in the United Kingdom.

At the age of 27, Amy Winehouse was found dead in her apartment in 2011. Now this very same apartment, stained with fame, is up for sale. How much? Only 4.2 million dollars. Is it a nice house? Well it was described as, “substantial and impressive three double bedroom, three reception room, semi-detached period villa with well-proportioned private front and rear gardens."

It can be added to your own collection of homes here: http://www.butlr.com/deal/null-Amy-Winehouses-London-Home.html

 

The 49 Million Dollar Aspen House

Today we look at the life of John Paulson, a real-life billionaire. Master Paulson made his money through hedge funds. He has a taste for lavish living. Paulson has bought a modern Xanadu snuggled away in the opulent hills of Aspen, Colorado. 

John Paulson recently bought a 49 million dollar house, no PALACE, in Aspen. The property originally belonged to the Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan and was listed for as high as 135 million dollars. The house has 15 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, and 56,000 square feet of property. Master Paulson plans to rename the ranch, once named Hala Ranch, to Star Ranch.

Hala Ranch is a wee bit behind the times and Paulson plans to modernize the house as to keep up with the lifestyles of other rich and famous people. He plans to install high-tech gadgets around the house. Perhaps he might want my services as a robot butler? 

The house can be bought online here: http://www.butlr.com/deal/null-Star-Ranch.html

Paulson has substantial real estate all over the United States. This includes properties California, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, and elsewhere in Colorado. Does he find time to visit all these homes?  Probably not, but that is part of the lifestyle of the rich and famous.

This has been a portrait of a millionaire, giving you an exclusive glimpse into how the rich live and spend their money. 

Tell me about your own millionaire experiences or fantasies

OR join the Butlr aristocracy now and live out your own millionaire dream: Butlr  

Tax Day & a Hot Air Balloon Ship

 Today in Butlr we examine the life of King Johnson P. Malone again. This time we catch him on tax day. He collects his dues from the other lords and millionaires of Butlr and even obtains a hot air balloon ship along the way  . . . .

Well it was that time of year again– yes, tax day. I woke up bright and early and rolled out of my gold-laced bed. Butlr Bot brought up some fried eggs, roast duck, creamed spinach, and a Bellini champagne for breakfast. I looked in the mirror as Butlr Bot dressed me. “It’s tax day, my good sir,” he said as he carefully laid my crown on my head. I replied, “It’s good to be king, Butlr.”

            My chauffeur drove me slowly through the town in my convertible Bugatti Veyron. Crowds flanked us on either side as we made our way through the town. The first person we were to call on was Duke Moly. We came outside the gates of his house. His private security force quickly recognized me and opened the solid gold gates for our car. Duke Moly was outside waiting for us. He seemed nervous.

            He yelled out, “King Malone, how do you do? I–“

            “Where’s the money, Duke Moly? I want my taxes!”

            He seemed embarrassed and after a little encounter he admitted that he had collected taxes for his land but did not have them for me. Why not you may ask? Well, he told me he had spent them all to buy a giant hot air balloon ship. He was actually millions of dollars into debt. I am a fair and understanding king and we came to a compromise. I left Duke Moly’s estate comfortably seated in my new hot air balloon ship as my chauffeur piloted in the direction of the Oshida estate.

            Now, Marquis Oshida is an odd breed of lord. His estate is characterized by the large herds of Big Game animals he has roaming it and the various celebrities that frequent it. When I arrived, Marquis Oshida was in a large Crane operating a wrecking ball, destroying a house. He had bought the small house and had it flown over to his estate. We brought the air balloon ship down, paying special attention as to dodge the swinging wrecking ball.

            “Marquis Oshida! You know what time of year it is don’t you?” I yelled.

            He got out of his crane, taking off his safety goggles and hardhat and looked at me.

            “Yes, yes, my good king. I was especially harsh and exact in collecting my taxes this year from the peasants and lower aristocracy. Here is what I owe you . . .  Now do you want that in gold bars or shillings?”

            I left that day with fat pockets. What will I do with the money? Well I’ve taken a particular liking to opera recently, maybe I will build an opera house . . . .

            Yes, life as King is good. 

Join the Butlr Aristocracy today and sketch out your millionaire fantasy today.