http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/
http://sernaventures.com/default.aspx
I grew up with Tony. He's actually a really nice guy aside from the fact that he punched me in 5th grade, but I probably deserved it.
Tony had some crazy shit happen to him in HS, (he got hit in the head a few too many times and now he's a manic depressive, schizo with some *amazing* plans for his future.
I got a call from Tony right before christmas, but I didn't call him back. I decided to call him tonight to find out what was going on, wish him a merry christmas, and happy new year, but it was obvious from the phone call that he wanted to participate in the competition, and I was morbidly curious.
So I call him, and after we exchange pleasantries, he digs right into it.
"Doug, I want you to help me compete in, and win that lunar competition."
"Wow Tony, that's pretty heady of you, but I really don't think I'm that good at anything involving space travel. I can argue with people really well, and present speeches."
So then we get into how much money this will cost.
"Tony, you realize they want us to fund 90% of the original capital for a 20 million prize right? You also realize that if we couldn't do this in a year, we get cut to a 15 million prize.... right? That means we'd have to do this for 18 million in one year or 13.5 million in 2-4 years in order to break even."
This is where he proceeds to tell me, that Sernaventures.com all told after selling his securites is worth right around 250k per coming in at a whopping 800 million.
He then delves into a lot of 501c mumbo jumbo that I don't understand and that I'm certain he doesn't understand either.
"Tony, this is obviously to earn enough money to live for the rest of your life in the lap of luxury, why not just sell your company off. I mean I'm willing to do this if you pay me a yearly wage to the tune of 40k a year, but you gotta understand, I'd need to see a trust fund with 18 million + my wages for the next 4 years before I even *thought* of trying it out."
He then personally tells me, Doug, I'm willing to bet, right now, that we could do the whole competition for less than 50 thousand dollars.
me: "Wat?"
Then he tells me about his megastructure. You should go back to the serna ventures page and read about it SVAF Heavenkeeper TM. (OMG YES HE TRADEMARKED IT) That's LOL right there. It's the HQ for his business operations. That's right, the planned tallest structure on earth is going to have a *single* piece of glass as its outside shell.
He also tells me about his new communication system and AI he's designed in the last 7 or so years that involves sattelites. That's why he's contacted me to do this lunar competition, because his drug addled mind created an AI that uses sattelites, and sattelites are in space, and so is the moon.
Cliffsnotes: A crazy guy wants me to help him design a lunar module that will take off from earth, travel to the moon, travel 500 meteres, take pictures, AND communicate them back to earth. For less than 50k after my wages. He wants to use his business savvy to win a competition for 20 mil. He thinks I'm smart cuz I was a nerd in HS.
I ask you FTR What's my play
