Who Wants To Be A Billionaire ?

The news today that Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea Football Club and the 2nd wealthiest man in Russia, has seen his personal fortune plummet by $9 billion (yes that's not a typo) during this worldwide financial crisis has put my meagre losses into some sort of perspective.

I'm surprised he's not standing on the top of the Stamford Bridge stadium this morning with serious thoughts of ending it all.  I mean he's only got a mere $14 billion left and how can anyone get by with that these days ?

Given all the rescue packages and economic stimulus 'handouts' that we've read about over the last 6 months, amounts like trillion and billion have almost ceased to be meaningful to me anymore. And whatever happened to million ?  That's never mentioned and is obviously a derisory amount of money to have in your bank account.  I certainly don't have it anyway !! 

It's bad enough when huge multinational corporations and banks talk in terms of trillions and billions but when one man has several billion all to himself, then it just blows my mind.  I just can't imagine having that much money and that's probably the main reason why I never WILL have that much money.  

Well that and the fact I'm a lazy bugger.  Maybe Roman could throw a few hundred thousand my way as that's about the only chance I'll ever get to see money like that.

But no matter how much you have to start with, to 'lose' almost 40% of your dosh has to hurt.  In Roman's case he may have to sell a few yachts or houses or even dock the Chelsea players wages for a few days and that should get him back on track.  Somehow I doubt he'll do that.  The people who have billions and lose a few, tend to find it surprisingly easy to get it all back again.  And if you're a rich Russian, it seems even easier again.  Ohhhhh I've gone all controversial now !!

Like a lot of people these days, I've lost a fair old chunk of my savings so I really know how Roman is feeling right now.  Oh yes I do.

But if I'd lost 40%, I'd be up on the Stamford Bridge stadium roof with or without him by my side.  Somehow I think I'd be on my own though.

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