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Billionaire roofing tycoon dies falling through roof of his house

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Here's a quote of the story

BELOIT, Wisconsin (AP) -- The 91st-richest man in the United States, a roofing company billionaire, has died after falling through his home garage's roof, local authorities said Friday.

Ken Hendricks, 66, was checking on construction Thursday night on the roof at his home in the town of Rock when he fell through, Rock County Sheriff's Department Cmdr. Troy Knudson said.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/21/roof.ap/index.html


What got me thinking was this sentence

"It doesn't make any difference to me; I can't spend it," Hendricks said in an interview with Inc.com in September 2006. "I'd have to sell the company, and I'll sell the company over my dead body."

How hard is it to move along from something you built? Some of us in the forum are extremely focused and hardworking in our projects and goals. This can make it pretty hard to take a step back and decide its time to move a long or rethink our priorities.

Even if something this dramatic never happens and your work never kills you, I think you still risk getting to the end of your days and regreting some of the things you sacrificed.

I guess its hard to balance above average focus, dedication and passion with the capacity to leave things and move along when its time to do it :confused:
 
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WheelsRCool

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Re: Billionaire roofing tycoon dies falling through roof of his h

So wait, I'm a bit confused...when he says he "can't spend it," that he'd have to "sell the company," does he mean he couldn't spend any of his $3 billion unless he sold his company...?

Was he like a Warren Buffet, worth billions, but living an average lifestyle, in his case because he would have to sell his company to do so and he refused to...?
 

Vicious

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Re: Billionaire roofing tycoon dies falling through roof of his h

So wait, I'm a bit confused...when he says he "can't spend it," that he'd have to "sell the company," does he mean he couldn't spend any of his $3 billion unless he sold his company...?

Was he like a Warren Buffet, worth billions, but living an average lifestyle, in his case because he would have to sell his company to do so and he refused to...?

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20061201/entrepreneur-hendricks.html


He owns multiple companies, and is worth over $3b.. He may not have $3b cash but he's FAR from broke. Seems like a genuine down to earth guy.
 

WheelsRCool

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Re: Billionaire roofing tycoon dies falling through roof of his h

I see, thanks for the info. Looks like he is one of those billionaires who just solely loves the game o making money, but has no material interests though.

It's strange, some of these billionaires love the game of investing and building companies, and live on like a huge estate, whereas others just choose to live a middle-class lifestyle.

Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Tim Blixseth, etc...all live the super luxury lifestyle, whereas guys like Sam Walton, Warren Buffet, and this guy live middle-class lifestyles.

RIP to the fellow, I love his philosophy of job creation, eliminate waste, create value, and treat your employees correctly.
 
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Vicious

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Re: Billionaire roofing tycoon dies falling through roof of his h

IMO, the obscenely over the top lifestyle isn't all it's cracked up to be. Yes having the money and ability is always nice, but the guys I know who have the $$ went through that phase at their younger years and then stepped down to a more reasonable level.

Reasonable level, being only a 10k sq/ft home.

I've been in/around 20K+ SQ/FT homes and honestly I can say I know it's not for me. After a certain point it's just scoreboard on your buddies that yours is bigger because you would never use half of it. And who wants to walk 1/8 of a mile to get to the other side of your house?

My idea home is in the 8k range, 5 bedroom (well 4 and a dedicated office) with a nice gameroom/theatre, and a massive garage. At this point I see a more effective use of space, the rooms are just truly massive. Your master closet is 800 sq/ft, master bd and bath are 1800ish. There aren't 14 bedrooms, just the ones you need are twice to 3x the normal size.

I just need a matching 5k sq/ft garage with a few lifts.

Even the wild cars aren't used all the time. You don't really want to always drive an SLR, Murci, Veyron, Bentley, RR, etc. to the grocery store or taking your kids to school. There is a time when being low key and average has its benefits.
 

WheelsRCool

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Re: Billionaire roofing tycoon dies falling through roof of his h

On LamboPower in the "Cribs" thread, in Texas, the one guy had a beautiful 10K home that cost $2 million, was very incredible, looked to have solid marble floors, chandaliers, wrought staircase, etc... He was moving out of it to a 5K one because he said it was too big. He said in Newport Beach, it likely would've cost $9 million, but Texas real-estate is cheaper I guess.

I just need a matching 5k sq/ft garage with a few lifts.

I actually saw an ad in an issue of Makes & Models magazine for a 7K square-foot home with like 5K sq-ft garage I believe, the home was specifically for car lovers, the garage had lifts, and also industrial-strength car washing equipment.

Even the wild cars aren't used all the time. You don't really want to always drive an SLR, Murci, Veyron, Bentley, RR, etc. to the grocery store or taking your kids to school. There is a time when being low key and average has its benefits.

Certainly, but there are also plenty of times when driving those cars is great fun! You take them to a race-track :)

Different strokes for different folks though, right now I am intent on acquiring a palace:cool: But I am a real lover of grandeur, and BIG things, you know, I would want solid marble floors, marble bathrooms, solid gold fixtures in said bathrooms, mirrors wrought in solid gold, chandaliers throughout, very fine wooden furniture, etc...I will need to acquire some big $$$ for all that though!

If I found I didn't like that lifestyle or that size of a home, I'd just downgrade is all. But for now I will assume I do like it.

One HUGE dream I have is that I want an enormous library, as I am a real lover of books. I mean a library where you walk in and like it goes straight up four floors or so, with a big telescope at the top for viewing the stars.

Remember in Beauty & the Beast when he takes Bell into the library and has her open her eyes and the thing is so enormous? Well I would want something similar, I mean I know it would be impossible to have a library as big as that one (that one must've been like ten stories or more tall), but I still want a huge one.

I don't know if I will ever get that much wealth, but I won't stop trying!

:roi:
 

Vicious

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Re: Billionaire roofing tycoon dies falling through roof of his h

On LamboPower in the "Cribs" thread, in Texas, the one guy had a beautiful 10K home that cost $2 million, was very incredible, looked to have solid marble floors, chandaliers, wrought staircase, etc... He was moving out of it to a 5K one because he said it was too big. He said in Newport Beach, it likely would've cost $9 million, but Texas real-estate is cheaper I guess.

Depending on the area of Newport (I live there) $9m can get you something very nice or not even get you a call back from the Real Estate Agent. The place I would love to build a home (Newport Coast) the dirt lot could cost you $9m. And they have requirements for home size etc. 8k might not cut it there. It's the place to be in Newport, ocean side of PCH with phenominal views and is extremely exclusive. It's the place where you can spend $70m on a home. Dropping $25m doesn't make you special, when guys like Kobe and Nicholas Cage live around the corner.

Last I checked they were asking $6m for this.
129052.jpg


But LOOOK at the view. Sigh, one day.
 
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WheelsRCool

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Re: Billionaire roofing tycoon dies falling through roof of his h

Yeah, California is very expensive! $25 million will still get you a mighty-fine home though, it's just that area is so rich that you wouldn't stand out is all, as you have plenty of other people with homes of equal size and cost.

I believe Larry Elison of Oracle has a $100 million home.

And yeah, very nice ocean view. Some day!
 

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