Billion Dollar House – Ultimate Luxury or Living Hell?
November 2, 2007 by JS
This past week Mukesh Ambani, thanks to a big jump in the Indian stock market, was handed the title of “Richest Man in the World” but sadly for him a day later it turned out to be a miscalculation.
Even so, Ambani’s correct net worth is estimated in the $50 Billion range, ranking him comfortably in the world’s top 5 richest men.
What does someone with $50 Billion do when they need new digs?
Build a billion dollar home of course! Below, thanks to Mumbai Mirror are some of the specs:
According to the plan, the house will rise to a height of 173.12 meters, equivalent to that of a regular 60-storeyed residential building. However, Antilia will have only 27 storeys in all, which means each floor will have a ceiling considerably higher than the current average of nearly three meters.
Six floors for parking
The first six floors will be reserved for parking alone, and that too for cars belonging only to Mukesh’s family. Space for a total of 168 ‘imported’ cars has been earmarked here.Floor for car maintenance
Sources said the Ambanis would prefer to have all their cars serviced and maintained at an in-house service centre. This centre will be set up on the seventh floor.Entertainment floor
The eighth floor will have an entertainment centre comprising a mini-theatre with a seating capacity of 50.Balconies with gardens
The rooftop of the mini-theatre will serve as a garden, and immediately above that, three more balconies with terrace gardens will be independent floors.The ‘health’ floors
While the ninth floor will a ‘refuge’ floor – meant to be used for rescue in emergencies – two floors above that will be set aside for ‘health.’ One of these will have facilities for athletics and a swimming pool, while the other will have a health club complete with the latest gym equipment.For guests
There will be a two-storeyed glass-fronted apartment for the Ambani family’s guests above the health floors. One more refuge floor and one floor for mechanical works will be built on top of these apartments.Family
The four floors at the top, that will provide a view of the Arabian Sea and a superb view of the city’s skyline, will be for Mukesh, his wife Neeta, their three children and Mukesh’s mother Kokilaben.Air space floor
According to the plan, two floors above the family’s residence will be set aside as maintenance areas, and on top of that will be an “air space floor,” which will act as a control room for helicopters landing on the helipad above.Helipad
The plan states that three helipads are to be built on the terrace.
The place will require 600 full time staff to keep it running on a day to day basis!
I know we’ve all seen Trump’s gold encrusted New York apartment, but this guy is in another league entirely. I would sure be interesting to see the public reaction in America if anyone was to build a house this opulent. But given the horrific poverty that is present in India, to build a structure like this as a personal residence does seem to be highly insensitive at best.
I’m as much of a capitalist as anyone and Mr. Ambani can certainly do as he pleases with all that dough, but I do think an awareness of the fate of those around him should play into his actions.
Really will having a house this spectacular give him a better life; or will the separation it creates from virtually everyone else around him make it a regretful nightmare?
[...] Billion Dollar House – Ultimate Luxury or Living Hell? (at Smart Money Daily). [...]
Will the poor resent it? Possibly. But you can also say he’s dumping a billion back into the economy as well as providing 600 full time jobs on a permanent basis.
[...] http://www.smartmoneydaily.com/personalfinance/billion-dollar-house-ultimate-luxury-or-living-hell.a... [...]
[...] Smart Money Daily] These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web [...]
Mr. Ambani, with all due respect, you are going to be labeled as the dumbest richest person in our century. How much to you contribute to your fellow Indians? How much donations do you make to infants? Orphanage? Disabled? Elders? Hospitals? Education? Homeless? Aids? Cancers? HIV? Mr. Ambani, with all due respect, living 10 times higher than those around your neighbors will not make you any BETTER person. You might be living so high, with the characteristics of yours will show of a very…there is not even a word to describe you. Mr. Ambani, I am very proud of you how has managed to become world’s fifth richest man, but act like a man and not like a GOD and SHIVA, because you will lay next to a same person who doesn’t have a roof to sleep under.
Well, thats another 600 people with a job feeding their families. That´s 1 billion back to economy not to count upkeep costs. And that´s just for his home. Not to defend him, I don´t know him, but to put things a little straight.
who cares..its his money he can do watever he wants with it, and how do you know he’s not donating money, and helpin others? like mat says he’s dumping 1billion in the economy creating jobs for 600 people, not only that god knows how many people will be needed to build this place.
[...] terms of his native currency, Mukesh (he of the billion dollar house fame) and probably his brother Anil by now, are both [...]
its all abt money,,,,,,,,,,,, honey
Looks like a Jenga game…and someone is about to lose
[...] – You think the $17M penthouse in the Shangri-La is expensive? Try this 27 storey, $2B home in Mumbai.The Blog According to Buzz. Spread the word, ya [...]
[...] a house that makes a manion in Wood Buffalo look like a one car [...]
[...] Dollar House – Ultimate Luxury or Living Hell? Mukesh Ambani – Billion Dollar Home – Ultimate Luxury or Living Hell? Glutenous. __________________ I love libertarians. Every red light they get stopped at becomes [...]
He is a disgrace to India…….I am ashamed of him being in the country…..
I hope he sleeps well in that palace when thousands do not have food……
[...] Billion Dollar House – Ultimate Luxury or Living Hell? [...]
What, no basketball court!!? This guy is tottally uncivilized.
Just goes to show that no amount of money can buy taste! This house is just plain stupid and ugly and most importantly a total waste of money which could have been spent on better things. What a joke! Are the owners blind? They say it’s all about feng-shui…come on we all know that is just a way for them to try to justify their horrible design and taste. I hope it crashes because it is an eye-sore.
Will you adopt me?????
I am from India. Mr. Mukesh Ambani is known for his contributions to the Indian economy. Not surprisingly, he has also used the opportunity of constructing this custom home of his, to contribute more. From what I’ve read, apart from the designers from abroad, almost 85% of the material used in every floor of the building is Indian. The building is Vaastu compliant, which is an ancient Indian spiritual way of living, requiring Vaastu consultants. Many Indian industries would have benefited by supplying the original Indian designer wares. The labor and the building machinery was also ordered locally.
Mr. Ambani is known to do things differently in business, starting many new things in this country and creating thousands of jobs. At the personal front, he deserves to own great things. And doing that too in a unique way by giving back to the country is just great thinking.
for a billion dollar, the building is disturbingly ugly. i’d rather have a regular-sized home and keep the remaining 1,980 million dollars in a bank account. and besides, let’s look at this objectively, i suppose they are planning on taking all their fortune to heaven, because i cannot and would not possibly imagine what would anyone want 50 billion dollars in a lifetime. Make history! change the world! Don’t just give to the poor!! give production means to the poor! ppl are starving to death! but i would assertively suppose being on a magazine within the top five richest do matter the most.
This house may be billion dollars amd may be full of luxuries inside it sure is ugly from outside.
I don’t want to sound like I am envious or something, but it seems to me that this is stupid. What do you do with that place? Since you have all that money, you could help other people too for a change.
please i want photos in mukesh ambhani hose ,
This house is absurd. Wtf does he need all that space for he is just flaunting his wealth infront of the world and in no way giving back to the economy of his home country.
its an absurd waste of money,while millions of indians go without food,this ungodly man builds a monster home to hide from the masses,,,one day he will be judged by the almighty and i m afraid that he not will fair well….what a shame!!!
I like the idea of this house and Mr. Mukesh Ambani is one person who has the money, time and nerve to build something like this. We should be happy that this is happening in India.
He has worked hard to get this money….he should decide how to spend it.
As for the many of you who hate wealthy people. How money of you will donate 50 billion if you have that money. I am sure enough is being done by Mr. Mukesh Ambani for the needy.
It just goes to show that everyone who works hard and diligently as Mr. Mukesh Ambani can make it big and own a house like the one he is building.
Are the Ambani’s building this huge tower so that they can’t see the Mumbai slums????
Look at Bill Gates and his wife. They have shown how money can be put to help those who are disadvantaged. Warren Buffet followed on.
Evolve.
And yea, the building looks ugly!!!
If George Bush would have done the whole machinery would have been out to say that its pumping 2B dollars back into economy and how its going to benefit the whole society. Since it is Mukesh Ambani, he should have thought of the horrific poverty around himself. How does his not building this house affects the poverty situation in India? Why is there an assumption that since he is building this house, he doesn’t donate to charity?
Double Standards?
whoever said it looks like a jenga game mad props. i think the turd i layed this morning looks better than this house.
He gave me the 9th floor. The place is pretty sweet.
Mr. Ambani, I would like to work for u. As far as building is concer nothing can be said by seeing the picture.
Kids!!! Why are we surprised that some Indian business magnate is spending like $ 2 billion to build his own home? Since, when we started expecting the capitalists/businessmen/corporate mafiosies to think about those “disadvantaged” people? What exactly this guy has done? Like all other devious, wicked, uncouth capitalist pigs, this guy is another precedent of greed and vice that comes up with capitalism. Oh and all those wonderful stories about Bill and Warren the philanthropists…heheheh thats for some other day!
Cool it guys! Its his money, he likes it, he thinks he deserves it. So let him enjoy every bit of it. Atleast lets be happy that he is not using tax-payers money to bomb Iraq or afganistan.
I wish he build more such houses/palaces (would you be able to build something like a Taj, Mr. Mukesh or Anil Ambani?). Build more structures that the world would come to envy (maybe like Petronas Towers)…
Poverty? Where does poverty not exist? Is the US/Europe rid of the homeless poor or poverty stricken?
Just keep building more of these Sir.
Mukesh Ambani aint got shit on Rothschild!!!!!!!!
In his defense… he is creating 600 jobs for the economy of that area.
This is a sheer example of ultimate insanity. He has the money but NO TASTE. Just imagine a “house” with 600 “unfamiliar” faces all around you. His family consists of 4-5 members whereas the number of people that would be staying/ moving inside this house would be 600….REAL CRAZZY…Can’t even imagine this…It WOULD BE LIKE LIVING INSIDE A “MALL” OR A MARKET PLACE , where you don’t know each other. Also, I don’t think this house would cost him $ 2 billions…
Instead he should have used this money for some good cause…
People who have a notion that “India is a Poor Country”, think about it again. This is a classic example of a rising giant, this is India at its best. Mr. Ambani is not cause of shame, but a matter of pride, west has had its days, its time for east to shine. Think about it.
Best response on this page is by wo xuexi hanyu.
That is what makes sense here. The only thing.
You can see such things happen only in countries like India.Charity is not in their dictionary.He probably bribed all the politicians to get a permission to build it .The rich and the corrupt rule the country.I dont think building high rising towers will make India a super power.
Amazing, the ultra rich in the Western world take jobs away from average folks and send them to places like India. That is bad enough if you are suffering from something like this, but then to see that some fool like this gets crazily rich and that the average guy in India is not any better off. What has this man done to earn 50 billion? No one should achieve this, it is obscene. I an no commie, but this is the kind of thing that makes the people mad as hell and revolt–and then they are usualy led like sheep by some despot with promises. Then people like him do not do so well. A real man would live more simpy and try to do good with his money. 2 billion would create one hell of a fundation that would leave a wonderful legacy, vs. a sybol of his greed.
SORRY TO SAY MR AMBANI,BUT U DONOT HAVE BUSINESS STRONG ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY YOR WEALTH, BUT HAVE MANUPULATION STRONG ENOUGH IN THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET, SO BE AWARE OF THE PEERS OF YOUR CLASS ACROSS THE WORLD WHO HAVE ATTAINED THE HEIGHTS BEFORE YOU OWING TO THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE AND DIVERSITY OF BUSINESS, YOU HAVE MADE THE HOUSE OF RIGHT HEIGHT SO THAT WHEN THE TIME COMES HE CAN JUMP FROM THE TERRACE AND SLEEP PEACEFULLY,FOR YOU ARE INSECURE PERSON BY NATURE, U MANUPULATED THE INDAIN STOCK MARKET STOCK MARKETS AND AMMASSED ENORMOUS WEALTH LOOTING LAKHS OF INNOCENT INVESTORS BECAUSE OF THE IN SECURITY FROM YOUR OWN BROTHER, WILL WILL HAVE TO PAY THE SAME HERE ITSELF, BECAUSE HEAVEN AND HELL ARE ALL ON THIS EARTH, RIGHT NOW YOU ARE IN HEAVENS, PREETY SOON, U’LL BE HELL.BE PREPARED. AS PER NUMEROLOGY YEAR 2011 HOLDS SPECIAL SIGNIFICANE IN YOUR LIFE, BE CAUTIOUS, ENJOY THE LOOT TILL THEN AND CONTINUE TO LOOT TILL THEN.
WHAT AN IDIOT! Seriously… Ok I know everyone here has been defending him by talking about how his spending will dump money back in the economy and provide more people with jobs, but SERIOUSLY. It doesn’t work that way. The people around him will still be desperately poor and he will have done nothing to help THEM, who actually NEED IT. Their lives won’t improve one bit. What the hell is this guy’s problem? Seriously. And how would you even live with 27 floors and 5 other people in your family? It’s like living in an airport or a shopping mall. Not to mention, it’s a hideous house. Seriously, man, follow Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. They are a hell of a lot more useful to humanity than you are. FOLLOW THEIR EXAMPLE. What a moron, seriously… I hope you can see not only the Arabian Sea which you so desire to but also the slums and all the poor people around you who you by the way didn’t give a crap about.
Why is it the duty of the richest people to always help the poor? why can’t they just enjoy their wealth without some hippies coming out protesting that they don’t help out.
Because Chris, they made their riches from the back of the poor. Either poorly paid labor, or anything else. Besides, you can never spend that amount of money even in 10 years.
Dear Readers,
Its easy to say, donate the money to all poor, give it to charity, do this and do that. But the pain can be only felt by the hen which has layed its egg. Mr. Mukesh Ambani, his brother and his respectable father have spent their life in developing the economy so far. How many Indian citizens have got shares in Reliance groups, how many house holds income in based on this. How many business men are gaining interests, dividents and other incomes by selling the company shares when the market goes up and down. its countless. many have earned money. Why dont all of them donate money.??? Its a pride that Mr. Mukesh Ambani is building this Billion dollar home in India. Do you all know. this has changed the total Face of Indian face in the world market. I am from United Kingdom and now in UK, all property investors are arguing that they need to ask investors in india to pump money in to UK for developing their country. Poverty is not created by its own or by nature, its created due to lazyness and immature activities or the civilization. Now its all changing. so stop moaning and appreciate his courage to spend such a huge money. Its going to be a pride like the Mysore Palace, Jaipure palace. Its modern technology. The Building might look Ugly, do you think a person spending $2 Billion dollars to built would have not thought about this. this is the technology and design which would hold the building for a longer time. think in a different directive. So stop blamming others. Have a great day guys.
********All these complainers sound like they are either so JELOUS or so STUPID,,, its like looking back at Shah Jahan and saying he shouldn’t have built the TAJ MAHAL,,, and that he was selfish and stupid in building after-all a tomb, for the love of his life… The Guy has done a great job, and wants to reward himself and his family… let him do so by all means… don’t feel Jealous of him. I can bet if any one of you had the chance you would definitely think of doing something like this for yourself, and besides its going to be a historic building,,, created with top notch modern technology, combined with ancient expertise why would you want to stop someone form creating history,,, if you cant do it…
I understand the frustration about all our jobs (in the US) going to Asia and other places,,, and I ve been a victim of the same… but that’s something our government and people are doing,,, they are betraying their own and literally selling them out… but as you can see now the concept is coming back to bite them on their backs… We cant blame India or China for our own peoples selfishness, self-centeredness and stupidity…INSTEAD WHY DONT WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THE GREAT MAHATMA DID (MAHATMA GANDHI),,, IN NOT BUYING WHAT THE BRITISH WERE TRYING TO FROCE DOWN THEIR THROATS, LIKE IMPORTED clothes AND GOODS FROM ENGLAND, INSTEAD HE BOYCOTED AGAINST THEM, IN A VERY DELEBRATE YET PEACEFUL MANNER, AND MADE HIS PEOPLE SOW THEIR OWN CLOTHES, GROW THEIR OWN CROPS, LIVE SIMPLER BUT MUCH MORE FUILFILLING AND HAPPIER LIVES. We the people need to do something about what is going in this country, and not sit around and wait for the government or the selfishly rich CEO’s to come to our aid,,, coz they never will know what it is to loose a job, or not pay your bills on time, or for that matter feed a family… ONLY we know what that feels like and only we can truly do something about it…. FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS FELLOW AMERICANS, GET READY TO FIGHT FOR BASIC RIGHTS…. PEACEFULLY….
all i can is thats a big ugly house/he may have the money but no taste at all
This is with reference to Mr. Mukesh Ambani’s 2 billion dollor house. Its so surprising and shocking.Mr. Mukesh should not forget that he came from a middle class family. People know about his father’s economic status before he established Reliance. Though we say india is becoming rich, the average man’s life is not improving. Instead of building such a house, he can invest something in remote villages, where millions of people still live in starvation.Like Bill Gate’s he can help the government to eradicate AIDS in India.
Mehaboob.
THIS IS TOTALLY FOOLISH NEED NOT TO DO LIKE THIS I NEED SOME MONEY CAN U HELP ME . TOTALLY IDIOT OF SPENDING THIS HUGE AMOUNT FOR 4 MEMBERS OF FAMILY . IN WHICH FLOOR U ARE GOING TO STAY.
RUBBISH OH RUBBISHRUBBISHRUBBISHRUBBISHRUBBISHRUBBISHRUBBISHRUBBISH
It is his money, let him spend it the way he likes it. I donot think he has any irregularity to his name or any real civil or criminal charge against him. If one feels rules favour the rich and powerful, change the rules. OH! it’s been tried – by the french revolution, by the Bolsevics in Russia and by Mao in China and we know the results. I know I have got at least a rupee from what he earned because he earned it from the Indian economy and I am part of it. If he gave away all his money among the poppulation of the world each would get Rs. 280/. Well if he were to do that, why would he earn the money in the first place? I am happy with my one rupee, that I got from his efforts in pushing the Indian economy up.
CONGRATS,.making a house of this kind , not only requires money but also a huge amount of guts. Mr Ambani has shown that he has both.HATS OFFFFFFF.
AS far as donating or investing issue ,he never said ,he is not going to do after the house is complete.
Okay, HOW in the WORLD is building a large house immoral? By those standards even having an Internet connection should be considered immoral; don’t you think that $40 a month could better benefit starving people? Ambani didn’t cause the poverty around him, and I happen to know that Ambani has donated WAY more to charity than any of the commenters to this blog ever have!
What do you do with a billion dollar house. All this money that you have you can help alot of people that need the help. There are children out there that don’t have food or a roof over there head, and here you are building a billion dollar house that only you or relative are going to live in it.There are plenty of rooms that are not going to be use. Can you imaging how much it is going to cause to clean it. you can build a ccommunity for the poor with that money, I can use a million if you are going to through your money away. I can put it to better use. What in god name were you think.(SHARE THE WEALTH).
It’s Mr Ambani’s money. If he can afford it, why not build it?
Why dont the critics of the house do something to help the poor and stop nagging. Stop looking at what others does and do your own thing good.
He is spending less than 5 % of his wealth on the house and it will create some income for others. Also he has a lot more money left for charity. Whether he spends the rest of the money on the poor or not, its his money…but….God will judge him in the end.
I do hope he will spend at least a couple of billion more on the poor in India, but it’s his money…not mine.
So stop nagging…It’s not up to us to judge.
its a great achievemnt……., it is going to be an inspiration for those who are not succesful in their life….
Since when is money the only standard for achievement?
It is his money so his choice how he spend it. How you know he didn’t donate anything. If i was a person in need I would rather have a job than some charity form some billionaire. I think he created enough job to reach this height. Everyone has money. it is not that the charity only accept a billion dollar at a time. How much have you donated? My dad was a social worker all his life and I can never be like him but I donate whatever I can rather than crying on the internet and yelling at rich people cause they are not donating. Sounds more like jealousy than anything else.
HE DESREVE WHAT HE IS DOING.He do what has to done for his HOME Country. But everyhuman kind on this earth or any other planet thing about himself & that is human nature. MR. MUKESH AMBANI & ANIL AMBANI DESERVES EVERTYTHING in world. They had seen bad days in life & good days. so they can feel the taste & money.
This is total insanity. Why should a normal person build a 27 story home, having 6 floors of parking? Please give me a good reason for his actions. He can do something better with the money like help build new schools in India, help the poor people afford health care, and so on. Now because of his crippy, selfish little heart, he decides to build a 27 story home. Besides, his business was inherited, he did not toil and work all day like others, he deserves much less. I mean, what honestly is the point of living in a 27 story home with 5 other people. This is absurd, insane, ridiculous, and apalling. Indeed it is hard for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God. I live in USA and to those of you who write saying this man’s action to build such a home has improved India’s image, I strongly disagree. He has simply worsened India’s image because all we can see happening is the cast system. Thank you
Are those that r saying Mukesh and Anil Ambani haven’t done anything for the country actually read about them? Or are they making assumptions? This guy is a Multi- Bilionaire….He donates Milliones and MIlliones to poverty, aids, etc etc….He has done a TON for the Indian economy…People need to read and do some research before they start critisizing an individual. Also, yes the house isnt that great from the outside…But have you seen the inside? He has the money so he can spend it.
Well I think that he has the money to build this “house” and if that’s what he wants to do with his money that is is business. I personally would not choose to build something THIS big for the amount of people that are living there, but I don’t think that people should try to tell him what o do with his money.
I find it very interesting that no one has talked about Donald Trump who does essentially the same thing as this man! Also, many people are saying that the money would have been better spent donating to the poor, but really how much would that help? I believe in what the bible says, and Jesus himself said that the poor will always be with you, so no matter how much he does to help, his deeds would only go so far. Therefore, it’s only by God’s kingdom and the promised hope for a new earth will these problems ever be solved, because if anyone is helped they would never escape death and that goes for Mr. Ambani as well. Thus, whether the money was well spent, that’s for Mr. Ambani to decide. Plus who is to say that over time he has not given $3 plus billion to charity. In addition, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are no saints, if they were any better than this man they would not still be among the richest men in the world. Anyone could easily live off $100 million or to go further I think you probably could do anything you wanted to with $10-$20 million. So why don’t we suggest they donate their 40 plus billion, because who needs that much to live comfortably? Believe me I survive on much less!
To sum it all up, one day all of mankind’s injustice and inequality will be done away with. Therefore, in an effort to worry about more important things than materialism I will end my message here.
i think if he invested that money on business he could make more money and make more jobs for thousands of people. i like architecture, but this house doesnt appeal to me at all. anyway, its his right where and how to spend his money though. people like this one are pityful, they cant sleep better at nights worrying
A billion dollar for a house?!!! I’m not against him or anything but what’s the difference between living in a 200 million house and a Billion dollar house? well i would never know, but it would be a really an interesting question to ask him…
that money can feed off the entire Africa…well from a perspective of an averege citizen ‘WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY!!!’ conclusion-it’s his money and he can do whatever he wants with it….
It’s pathetic! I’m a structural engineer and I would not feel safe in a structure that looked like that. Architecturally its pathetic. But then this is what you get from people with too much money, little imagination and no intelligence.
Warren Buffitt would laugh his head off and he is richer then them both.
a billion dollars? that’s very hard to believe….unless every square inch of that house is made in gold…mebbe it’s the land value too…honestly a billion dollars converted into indian rupees…is an ocean of money…you dont need that much to build a house like that…such a waste of money.
but then again, it’s his money…let him enjoy it in peace ppl…why do u care? more than anything he’s helping his neighborhood with more jobs…ever heard of the trickle down theory?
that is the stupidest thing i have ever heard of.
what a sad person
Dear Criticizers,
******Before we jump on the Ambani’s billion Dollar house******
Let me ask you all something about yourself. How many of you have built their own house and for how much have you built. Now ask this question to yourself and ask again how much money have “you” spent for charity and towards poor people. Did you consider youself instead of building the house donating the money to poor people or for charity????
First wipe your A** then criticize others.
IF what you did as per your income and your status was right, then Ambani is doing it right as per his income and his status.
As told by my fellow mates, have you ever tried to see how much money reliance group has spent towards charity. They have their own trust for that. They have donated, donating and will donate.
Its been a pride of our country that Ambani has come forward to shine. It will be like the Petronas Tower in malaysia or the Effiel Tower in paris.
Good Work Ambani.
Morally: I thought to criticize this man. But I have changed my mind. How can I judge him? I don’t know enough about him or this world to be a proper judge. I may well not be morally superior to this man. If I suddenly had all his money, I might make similarly selfish decisions. Certainly, I am selfish with the money I have now. I give out small sums and pat myself on the back as I save much more for myself. I wish I were more generous. Why? I believe what Jesus said, essentially: that a person can either store up riches on earth or store up riches in heaven. No one can keep their earthly riches once they die. Not to mention that those earthly riches can be taken from you or destroyed. However, riches in heaven can never be taken away. I wish I were more generous for selfish reasons. How ironic! If you don’t believe that the measure of a man is how much money he has… then, why would this expression of wealth impress you? Consider for example a hypothetical situation. Your child, whom you love and cherish, is drowning in a pool within easy reach from the side. A very rich person (not this rich man… remember, this is a hypothetical to understand what type of riches are most valuable –nothing else), who is completely capable to help, does not help you child and walks away. A very poor person saves you child. Which person is greater? Obviously, the poor person is greater. It does not matter what the hypothetical rich person has done in his life to earn his wealth, it does not matter where he started or what he overcame to earn the money, no amount of money defends his honor. This is why earthly riches are not very valuable next to heavenly riches.
Economically: The idea that spending this money for himself is in fact generous because people will be employed is sort of silly. If he gave the money away, people would be employed also after the poor who received the money immediately spent it. The difference is to what extent the Indian economy would be developed to produce: (food, health care, basic housing and sanitation, and education) VERSUS the extent that the Indian economy will be developed to produce: (extravagant custom items). Yes due to trickle-down, his expenditures will stimulate the Indian economy to produce both things. The question is to what EXTENT the different sectors of the economy would be developed if the money was donated effectively versus using the trickle down approach. Also, how does the greater development of certain sectors in the economy affect the long range economy of India?