Hard-up Billionaire

If only Patricia Highsmith were alive to write about Anna Delvey . Rewatching the Matt Damon-helmed movie The Talented Mr. Ripley , I thought it must have been easier to be a grifter in the mid 20th century. when GPS, email, smartphones and the internet weren't readily available. So, it must have been easier to capitalize on information asymmetry. These days though, all you need is a connected lawyer  and a pair of sunglasses.  

 At least economy class rich . Business class, try $100M. 

Bill Gross, the founder and former leader of PIMCO has had a bad decade or so. He battled and won the battle against his Co-CEO Mohamed El-Erian, only to lose the public relations war and ultimately his job. (Word to Gross: Referring to yourself as Secretariat is very Trumpian ).  But don't feel too bad for him. He's still a very rich man and managing the bond portfolio at top Janus funds . But, his ex-wife Sue Gross was able to deceive him with a fake Picasso (Le Repos) that she painted herself. Of course, she cached the original, before the contentious divorce proceedings started. Sue Gross people!

If you haven't had the chance, attention, or time to watch Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press , a Netflix-produced documentary about Hogan v Gawker . Go watch it. Directed by Bryan Knappenberger,  It's one of the best documentaries of 2017.  As U.S. citizens, the doc makes the point that we are allowing our democracy and one of the [if not the] most important principles of the nation--free speech and a free press--to be overpowered by petulant billionaires. Thiel has modeled himself on a composite of Bond villains(see e.g. passion for "seasteading"). And he is as powerful IRL as those fictional ones were in the movies. Incidentally, if WWE allows Hulk back on the payroll after his racist rants against black men, I'll know for sure the U.S. is marching backwards in time.

We're a DINK household(double income no kids) and spend a lot on eating out. The 4% cash back  for restaurant and bar spending on the Uber card is compelling for this feature alone. The 3% on travel spending(airlines and hotel) and no foreign transaction fees are bonus features. We just received the card, so I'll report back. 

Smart and fresh profile of the Original FIREstarter: her name is Vicki Robin and she was living on Whidbey Island, when she co-authored Your Money or Your Life  back in 1992.  Tip of the hat to Mr. Money Mustache for writing the foreward to the updated version.