Perhaps an ultra-wealthy individual/group of individuals should "revive" Concorde?

Back in '03, specific airlines made the decision to ground Concorde flights.

It was not just the crashes that spooked businesses and the general public, but the excuses included the high cost of travel and operation and unfulfilled passenger capacity etc.

Now, passing over the "safety issues", the high cost is something else.

Hence why it could be suggested that an ultra-wealthy individual (say, a megamultibillionaire** with lots of wealth to burn) or an ultra-wealthy group of individuals (say, a group of megamultibillionaires with wealth to burn). Take SpaceX for example - this company makes no profit (and is currently a loss-making enterprise) but has specific aims and goals to achieve.

The above hypothetical person or group could set up an airline (or two) - or indeed delegate it to someone or something (and backing them up with enormous financing) - in order to bring supersonic travel back to the commercial arena. However, it will have to be an individual or group who is not afraid to enter a loss-making enterprise and lose money (hence, a megamultibillionaire or group of megamultibillionaires).

Whadya think?

**Megamultibillionaire - an individual with more than 70 BILLION US 2019 dollars in wealth, assets etc (not to be confused with a multibillionaire, an individual with ten or more billion US 2019 dollars in wealth, assets etc)

a reply to: AnakinWayneII


Why would any businessperson want to lose money on air travel?

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

...It was not just the crashes that spooked businesses and the general public,...

Only one Concorde ever crashed, I always thought it was sad that they'd ground such a beautiful and iconic aircraft after just one 'mishap', but ces't la vie.

I believe it was simply the final nail in the coffin and a great excuse to get out of what was, as you say, a loss-making venture.

I really miss hearing the sonic-booms as she flew over the Channel Islands (Paris-JFK I'd assume).

Just for fun, here's a short video of Concorde doing a low fly-by at my local island airport.

I was only four years old that day, I was stood with both of my parents and my sister on the opposite side of the runway, I still have the photos I took that day (one of me sat in a Red Arrow too, bad*ss 😎🤙🏻)

I'm unable to embed as it's a FB post, my apologies;

m.facebook.com... r

While we're on the subject of supersonic passenger travel, I'd always thought it would be pretty cool to convert a B-1B Lancer into a passenger jet, until I found out that they're hanger-queens lol

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: AnakinWayneII


Why would any businessperson want to lose money on air travel?

Did you not read the OP. An ultra-wealthy individual (or group of individuals) with wealth to burn and a desire to bring supersonic travel back to the commercial arena (think Washington to Paris in three hours etc).

There are many ventures or pursuits that ultra-wealthy people engage in which produce no profit and are loss-making (think space travel for example etc).

originally posted by: AnakinWayneII
There are many ventures or pursuits that ultra-wealthy people engage in which produce no profit and are loss-making (think space travel for example etc).

It's being run at a loss now with aims to make it profitable in the future, they aren't running a charity.

The Concorde is old tech and no longer cost effective. No sane businessperson is going to run an airline at a loss as their stated business plan.

And,

The dang thing was too sqwatty.....only 5 feet tall in The cabin..... too claustro man.....hate that feeling in an aircraft......a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: AnakinWayneII
There are many ventures or pursuits that ultra-wealthy people engage in which produce no profit and are loss-making (think space travel for example etc).

It's being run at a loss now with aims to make it profitable in the future, they aren't running a charity.

The Concorde is old tech and no longer cost effective. No sane businessperson is going to run an airline at a loss as their stated business plan.

Look bud, an ultra-wealthy megamultibillionaire (with EXISTING profit-making businesses) can burn through some of their wealth of they desire to. This isn't about a "same businessperson". We are talking about a megamultibillionaire or a group of megamultibillionaires, not a freaking millionaire with a 3 million dollar a year revenue construction company.

Hence, it's not mecessarily about reviving the Concorde to run a profit-making business. Think of it like buying up expensive supercars which will ultimately depreciate in price. Hence, a megamultibillionaire or group of megamultibillionaires with an interest in reviving the Concorde could do so without having to worry about losing a hell of a lot of cash in the process. Imagine an ultra-wealthy dude opening up a museum of his interest with entry prices for people not being too high. It'll be a loss-making museum, but the ultr-wealthy dude has intellectual interests and he'd like others to feel the impressions that he does from his museum etc.

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

You know how they get that rich? Not doing stupid things like running a money-losing airline.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

You missed my point. They are ALREADY ultra-wealthy - beyond anything most folks can dream of. This isn't a few million dollars in wealth or even a few hundred million dollars in wealth - this is tens upon tens upon tens of billions of dollars.

Some folks buy up merchandise or cars or whatever because those are their interests - they don't make profit etc etc. Some folks, as I mentioned above, open up museums. Some folks may open up theme parks etc.

This is about reviving the Concorde or whatever. This isn't about a millionaire seeking to make profit off of a shaky business idea. This is simply about an ultta-wealthy megamultibillionaire reviving superdonic commercial flight.

originally posted by: MerkabaTribeEntity
I'd always thought it would be pretty cool to convert a B-1B Lancer into a passenger jet, until I found out that they're hanger-queens lol

The B1 is the result of the aborted US supersonic passenger jet program.

a reply to: AnakinWayneII


It ain't going to happen, they aren't that stupid.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: AnakinWayneII


It ain't going to happen, they aren't that stupid.

So buying a fleet of supercars (most of which will ultimately depreciate in value) for example, is "stupid"?

a reply to: AnakinWayneII


If your goal was to basically use them for transporting the public in a money-losing endeavor a la the dopey premise of taking two decades out of service aircraft and putting them into revenue service with the intent of actually not making revenue, yeah, it would be stupid.

originally posted by: AnakinWayneII

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: AnakinWayneII


Why would any businessperson want to lose money on air travel?

Did you not read the OP. An ultra-wealthy individual (or group of individuals) with wealth to burn and a desire to bring supersonic travel back to the commercial arena (think Washington to Paris in three hours etc).

There are many ventures or pursuits that ultra-wealthy people engage in which produce no profit and are loss-making (think space travel for example etc).

You first, but thanks for suggesting how other people should spend their money.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: AnakinWayneII


If your goal was to basically use them for transporting the public in a money-losing endeavor a la the dopey premise of taking two decades out of service aircraft and putting them into revenue service with the intent of actually not making revenue, yeah, it would be stupid.

Your emphasis is on the fact that it is loss-making.

My retort is that an individual (or group of individuals) who have an obscene amount of wealth but an interest in supersonic flight may wish to bring it to the commercial arena, despite the loss-making.

Think of a group of megamultibillionaires (say, four) all with a combined net worth of two hundred and fifty billion US 2019 dollars and a combined yearly increase (from their commercial interests and companies) of 80 billion US dollars. Bringing in supersonic flight to the commercial arena would not be crazy. In fact, there are already plans in the works for private supersonic jets (which can be chartered or bought) which could reach speeds near the Concorde (which may its first flight FIFTY years ago - in 1969).

originally posted by: schuyler

originally posted by: AnakinWayneII

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: AnakinWayneII


Why would any businessperson want to lose money on air travel?

Did you not read the OP. An ultra-wealthy individual (or group of individuals) with wealth to burn and a desire to bring supersonic travel back to the commercial arena (think Washington to Paris in three hours etc).

There are many ventures or pursuits that ultra-wealthy people engage in which produce no profit and are loss-making (think space travel for example etc).

You first, but thanks for suggesting how other people should spend their money.

Nobody does anything interesting you see - even the folks who supposedly strike it rich "overnight"...

a reply to: AnakinWayneII


Do you know most of that wealth is not liquid and is in the forms of issues and instruments? Meaning they'd need to sell off that part of their holdings, which would obviously spook investors seeing insiders selling shares, and then dump that cash into basically a black hole. I know that would inspire confidence that the numbnuts is a sound person to run a business.

Maybe they can also go head to head with the Post Office by buying a bunch of horsies and delivering the mail, or against Amtrak and get some steam choo-choos to haul passengers. Makes as much sense.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus


What, like THIS? (Jeff Bezos Sells About $1.8 Billion Worth of Amazon Shares in Three Days)

Yes, I am aware of wealth and how wealth management etc, thank you very much.

That being said, ultra-wealthy folks still have interests and pursuits and sometimes even wacky ideas.

A space rocket company, for example, will most likely never break even for decades and decades to come, despite what you think...

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: MerkabaTribeEntity
I'd always thought it would be pretty cool to convert a B-1B Lancer into a passenger jet, until I found out that they're hanger-queens lol

The B1 is the result of the aborted US supersonic passenger jet program.

I had no idea, that's awesome!

I'm going to look into that, cheers! 👍

originally posted by: AnakinWayneII
What, like THIS? (Jeff Bezos Sells About $1.8 Billion Worth of Amazon Shares in Three Days)

You really think you're gonna start an SST airline with $1.8billion? You wont even get the jets rehabbed for that.

A space rocket company, for example, will most likely never break even for decades and decades to come, despite what you think...

Hur dur, SapceX valuation in 2012: 2billion, now: 30billion.