Forbes has compiled a list, and I slavishly clicked through to Connecticut’s big money person and it is:
Ray Dalio, a hedge fund guy, worth an estimated $15.4 billion (with a b).
(And Leftover? A guy named Dennis Washington is your state’s richest person. Know him?)
We should probably add these people onto our prayer lists, because as we all know, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to go to heaven. That’s in the book of Matthew. You could look it up.
Dating Jesus 
I shall begin a Protestant Novena for his immortal soul. That’s too much money for any one. He could buy Donald! Oh that he would.
And ship him somewhere nice and warm. Amen.
It’s hard to imagine that much wealth! It certainly is too much for one person/family/village!
I believe the rich Christian’s rejoinder is, “It’s not a literal needle, it’s not a literal camel, and ‘with God all things are possible.'”
One of those, anyway.
Oh Yeah…everybody knows Denny. Small Town Boy Makes Good. The local University football stadium is named for him. Guess where most of the money came from?
He also owns the railroad…Montana Rail Link…which spans most of the state…900 miles central east to west…and terminates in Spokane, WA..
He also manufactures “winglet” style airliners, a smaller craft that can fly longer distances than standard small airliners. He funded development of the airplane because he was sick and tired of having to stop to refuel on coast-to-coast jaunts. Last I heard he had partnered up with Boeing. He is also involved with numerous ventures in Canada. Vancouver in particular.
He also owns the last copper mine left in Butte. Copper mining is where he made most of his fortune. He started small with a local construction company after working for his uncle. I worked for him on three, I think…maybe four…projects back in the day. He was the biggest contractor in Montana before he sold the company and went into mining in 1970.
Everybody loves him and his wife, Phyllis. They contribute tons of money to education, especially the University, here locally and operate a foundation that aids disadvantaged youth. Denny did a lot of bouncing around when he was young…broken home…relative to relative…until he wound up with his uncle here.
I’ve met him. Seems like a regular guy. Soft spoken and not very political. Has some problems with unions. But…well…don’t they all?
The CT guy is someone I’ve never heard of, which is surprising considering how very small a state this is (with something like 3.6 million people, you know someone who knows someone almost all the time). Your guy sounds decent.
Well…you know…Denny’s a Capitalist. He’s done all…or at least most…of the things Capitalists do to get near the top of the heap. (Priced out any copper lately?) He’s more of a “behind the curtain” type of Capitalist. He doesn’t crave public attention or lend his name to many causes. But that doesn’t mean he’s not involved in politics. He contributes financially to mostly Republican causes, sometimes to Democrats…but rarely. He makes a reasonable effort to give back to the communities he’s involved with. He’s been described as a philanthropist, (although I would stop a little short of that classification). He’s pals with Liz Cheney and John Boehner…and Max Baucus.
Folks around here respect him because he comes from genuinely modest circumstances and rarely…if ever…takes sides on hot button social issues. He fits right in with Montana’s Unofficial Motto: Things Could be Worse.
Hey! That’s our family motto! With the ancillary, for when things really ARE the worst: Things Could Have Been Worse, Sooner.