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Artist faked being a billionaire to photograph New York City’s best views

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Re: Artist faked being a billionaire to photograph New York City’s best views

#61
post #45

> They’re investments, not really meant for living in. They cast these huge shadows and block views—really change the skyline—just so they can stand empty. That is definitely one of the saddest parts for me. These billionaires (many of whom got their wealth in shady circumstances) are just using these condos to park their money. I may think NFTs are insane but at least when people with too much money park their wealt…

> NFTs are insane With any luck, NFTs and crypto in general might reduce this kind of investment in property. They might turn out to be a better place to park excess cash.

I think NFTs are great because they move money from the hands of the stupid&rich to the hands of artists.

Re: Artist faked being a billionaire to photograph New York City’s best views

#62
post #27

> They’re investments, not really meant for living in. They cast these huge shadows and block views—really change the skyline—just so they can stand empty. That is definitely one of the saddest parts for me. These billionaires (many of whom got their wealth in shady circumstances) are just using these condos to park their money. I may think NFTs are insane but at least when people with too much money park their wealt…

Well, if you want to ruin their investment then issue building permits for more of them. > They cast these huge shadows and block views Talk about first world problems. Expecting a city skyline to never change is ridiculous. The only problem is that so few people use these buildings. The best kind of density regulation requires _more_ density.

>Expecting a city skyline to never change is ridiculous

"In Athens, buildings are not allowed to surpass 12 floors so as not to block the view toward the Parthenon."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_A...

I'd say this isn't typical of most of the world, but it's not unprecedented.

Re: Artist faked being a billionaire to photograph New York City’s best views

#63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> many of whom got their wealth in shady circumstances Like inheriting it, which is the shadiest of shady ways to make money

I can’t tell if that’s sarcasm or not so I’ll just remind everyone of Adam Smith: "A power to dispose of estates for ever is manifestly absurd. The earth and the fulness of it belongs to every generation, and the preceding one can have no right to bind it up from posterity. Such extension of property is quite unnatural." In this country there was a time yes where inheriting it is shady and it’s something I fear our c…

[deleted]

Re: Artist faked being a billionaire to photograph New York City’s best views

#64
post #45

> They’re investments, not really meant for living in. They cast these huge shadows and block views—really change the skyline—just so they can stand empty. That is definitely one of the saddest parts for me. These billionaires (many of whom got their wealth in shady circumstances) are just using these condos to park their money. I may think NFTs are insane but at least when people with too much money park their wealt…

> NFTs are insane With any luck, NFTs and crypto in general might reduce this kind of investment in property. They might turn out to be a better place to park excess cash.

I hope NFTs and crypto are a worse, and more popular, place for plutocrats to park their cash.

Re: Artist faked being a billionaire to photograph New York City’s best views

#65
post #54
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Makes me want to take my few hundred thousands in retirement savings and live like a literal king in the 3rd world.

My wife and I once visited a friend of a friend who was “living like a king” in northern Thailand. He had a walled compound with a Mets baseball theme, a half dozen Burmese slaves, and had recently downsized from multiple wives to 1. He explained that there were three ways people make money in Thailand, drugs, money lending, and prostitution. And that he didn’t touch drugs... It was one of the saddest and strangest e…

Just to tamp down on the hyperbole a little, while Burmese legal refugees and illegal immigrants are mercilessly exploited, slavery (and polygamy for that matter) are illegal in Thailand, and many Western people who think that their money insulates them from the legal system find out the hard way that no, it does not.

Re: Artist faked being a billionaire to photograph New York City’s best views

#66
post #20
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By your definition, I could say about Newton's Principa Mathematica "He put some words on paper, groundbreaking" Or Linus "He put some bits on disk, groundbreaking" If you don't think her book is interesting, that's fine. But treating the methodology of how she got access to take the pictures as her sole output is lazy.

What was her methodology? > To pass as a convincing buyer, Schmied enlisted an antiquarian friend in Budapest to serve as her “husband,” and invented a 21-month-old baby, a personal chef, and a personal assistant named "Coco." She also blew the entire allowance from her residency at Dumbo’s Triangle Arts Association on manicures, makeup and clothes. Oh, but right...literally none of that was necessary: >...Surprising…

It is necessary, brokers are not going to do a credit check or proof of net worth because their clients would not like that but they will judge how you dress and how expensive you look so makeup and clothes are necessary for the impression needed.

Source: I've been dismissed before based on how I presented myself in such situation and learned to play the game when needed.

Re: Artist faked being a billionaire to photograph New York City’s best views

#67
post #27

> They’re investments, not really meant for living in. They cast these huge shadows and block views—really change the skyline—just so they can stand empty. That is definitely one of the saddest parts for me. These billionaires (many of whom got their wealth in shady circumstances) are just using these condos to park their money. I may think NFTs are insane but at least when people with too much money park their wealt…

Well, if you want to ruin their investment then issue building permits for more of them. > They cast these huge shadows and block views Talk about first world problems. Expecting a city skyline to never change is ridiculous. The only problem is that so few people use these buildings. The best kind of density regulation requires _more_ density.

> Well, if you want to ruin their investment then issue building permits for more of them.

That will just expand the market for such investments and make even larger areas unlivable.

Re: Artist faked being a billionaire to photograph New York City’s best views

#68
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So do? Plenty of companies hiring remote, and you will be far (far far far) from the first tech worker to move to South East Asia. Bangkok in particular has world class (and affordable) health care, food, and night life, and you’re only ever a couple of hours from the beach

Thailand is fine until you get into trouble which requires authorities of any kind. It is what "3rd world" is all about.

So, like California DMV?

Re: Artist faked being a billionaire to photograph New York City’s best views

#69
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, if you want to ruin their investment then issue building permits for more of them. > They cast these huge shadows and block views Talk about first world problems. Expecting a city skyline to never change is ridiculous. The only problem is that so few people use these buildings. The best kind of density regulation requires _more_ density.

>Expecting a city skyline to never change is ridiculous "In Athens, buildings are not allowed to surpass 12 floors so as not to block the view toward the Parthenon." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_A... I'd say this isn't typical of most of the world, but it's not unprecedented.

It also constrains supply of real estate, driving up the value for property owners.

Re: Artist faked being a billionaire to photograph New York City’s best views

#70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> many of whom got their wealth in shady circumstances Like inheriting it, which is the shadiest of shady ways to make money

I can’t tell if that’s sarcasm or not so I’ll just remind everyone of Adam Smith: "A power to dispose of estates for ever is manifestly absurd. The earth and the fulness of it belongs to every generation, and the preceding one can have no right to bind it up from posterity. Such extension of property is quite unnatural." In this country there was a time yes where inheriting it is shady and it’s something I fear our c…

I don't get it. What business is it of ours if a wealthy person passes their wealth to their progeny?
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