Millionaire upgrades his boat for $34 million and wonders if the money he pumps into local economy is a form of philanthropy, and more direct to boot.
"Pharmaceutical gazillionaire Dennis M. Jones "was struck by an intriguing coincidence" upon upgrading his 151-foot yacht to a 164-foot, custom-built yacht named the D’Natalin IV, the Times reports. That coincidence? That the D’Natalin IV's $34 million price tag was roughly equivalent to the $34 million he'd given to charity since 2000. Which got him thinking: $34 million on curing disease and helping the homeless, $34 million on "high gloss raised panel walnut cabinetry and inlay stone floors" for a floating mansion. What's the difference, really? No, really, that's the thought process that went through Jones's mind, according to the Times." -- Kevin Roose, New York
