The Privilege of the Millionaire

The Privilege of the Millionaire

It's difficult to find a millionaire who hasn't read the majority of W.G. Hill's $100 "SPECIAL REPORTS"; nonetheless, you won't find him on any best seller lists.

Hill's Shallow Presence The book publishing industry doesn't use the name W.G. Hill too often. Among the roughly twenty volumes this author has written, none have ever been discussed by a literary society. However, Hill has had a significant impact on the world of bankers, accountants, high net worth investors, and financiers with offshore interests over the past thirty years.

The novel he is most known for is P.T., or "Perpetual Tourist." It's not a novel about traveling, despite the title suggesting as much. The topic is how affluent people can live better lives with the right documentation. Its motto is "How to have a good time with your money, but at the same time avoid unwelcome attentions that conspicuous consumption and high profile wealth always bring." These drawbacks include the unwanted presence of tax collectors, insurance salespeople, plaintiffs' attorneys who charge a contingent fee, alimony-seeking ex-wives, kidnappers, and robbers. Not to mention all the stereotypes of con artists.

Do millionaires care about these issues? Based on Hill's book sales, it appears that they do. The original Hill, who is reportedly conducting firsthand research on female gaucho wranglers in Patagonia, was a self-publisher in the 1970s who sold his works as "Special Reports" in the International Herald Tribune and the Economist, both based in London. However, he was unavailable for an interview. Sir Harry Schultz, the mailing guru, must have made enough money previously or sold enough books to support himself, as he was one of his early admirers. According to Sir Harry, "I spent my first few years as a tax exile at the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel, interacting with hard-bodied, high maintenance cost divorced women who in their topless bikinis populated Riviera pool sides like motes in the sunshine."

Hill has always provided his personal services in his publications to help readers reach the objectives stated. In 1975, for example, he told the reader of Lloyd's Report that they would "make serious money without any investment, work or risk." This occurred twenty years before significant losses were really incurred by several Lloyd's names. But Hill subsequently commented, "If people handled their Lloyd's relationships as I suggested (with stop loss insurance) they came out way ahead." To introduce fresh names and get them into Lloyd's as insurance underwriters, Hill demanded a substantial premium.

Eventually, around 1985 or thereabouts, Nicholas Pine took up on Hill's strategies and published them. At the time, Pine was doing business as Plymouth, England's Milestone Press. He was a tiny book publisher catering to pottery collectors. Before the Hill, they usually ran a press run of a thousand copies. Milestone struck gold when Hill's books for millionaires began to sell like hotcakes. Pine decided to rename his business as Scope International. Sales of much over 100,000 copies of each Hill book would have been "a low ballpark figure," according to an ex-employee. Since ten of Hill's books are best-sellers and cost £60 or $100 each when sent by direct mail, the book's gross sales had surpassed $100 million several years ago. Since we are direct marketers, the majority of our earnings come from advertising and junk mail. Book sales numbers, albeit not publicly available (save through bookstores), may indicate that little-known Scope, as the publisher of a mystery guy who vanished ten years ago, is by far the most successful book publisher in the world.

But Book Sales Are Just the Beginning of the Profits -- Every Hill report outlines a certain product or way of life. If the reader really wants to make it happen, he can get him up and running for up to $10,000 each consultation by hiring Hill, or more lately, a Hill clone. Twenty percent of book consumers, according to our informant, should enlist in advisory services. In addition, there are residence and passport programs that can cost up to $350,000, and foreign seminars that cost $2,000. According to the Hill books, millionaires can also increase their level of enjoyment from their wealth by using Scope to purchase "lifestyle enhancing" goods and services.

All of Hill's publications, including PT, are based on the fundamental idea that anyone who is affluent will live a better life and safeguard their assets by employing what he refers to as "five flags."

THEORY OF FIVE FLAGS

For example, the First flag is the passport of a nation that does not attempt to govern or impose taxes on you after you depart. Any passport will work for this, says Hill, with the exception of US passports. Their residents are required to give up and obtain another one. Why? The only nation that taxes nonresidents' foreign income is the United States of America. It is also the only nation that uses the imposition of jail sentences for specific foreign activities committed by its nationals as a means of monitoring their morality and behavior abroad. These consist of visiting prohibited locations, making small bribes, or engaging in prohibited sexual activity.

Hill's "Flags" are all backed up by at least one additional book. For example: Hill's best-selling book supports the idea that every PT should own an appropriate passport that allows them to travel without a visa and doesn't cost them a significant amount of money. This is the comprehensive reference guide, the PASSPORT REPORT, which covers opportunities "in over 125 countries and political subdivisions." It is quite heavy at about 400 pages.

The Tax Haven Legal Residence is the second red sign; according to Hill, every wealthy needs one. Scope follows up on this idea with a ton of regional reporting on locations including Monaco, Campione, Liechtenstein, Isle of Man, The Channel Islands, Andorra, Gibraltar, and Switzerland. Moving to a tax haven where there are no taxes results in an immediate double income due to the elimination of income taxes.

The third flag is Playgrounds: Where can a cynical tycoon unwind with fine dining and a pleasant climate? Where is the company of attractive young women (temporary spouses), foisted upon him if he wishes it? Who will be happy to give him the appearance of affection, if not the real thing, for a little charge. Hill's controversial book, Sex Havens For Tax Fiends, did a good job of covering this element of the Millionaire's Dilemma. This report was taken from the publisher's list two years ago despite its enormous popularity because of legal issues brought on by British censorship and obscenity laws.

The location where the millionaire invests his money is the fourth flag; these are the nations and establishments where money is managed to obtain the highest possible tax-free returns, protection from litigation, government seizure, wealth taxes, and other hazards and financial difficulties. The Invisible Investor, the newest Hill/Trevellian book published in 1997, has the final solution to this conundrum. Its subtitle is "Get Your Money Out of the Country Before Your Country Gets the Money Out of You." We now take a look at the "offshore" industry and the service providers that work there. We investigate the Cayman Islands, Panama, Bermuda, Bahamas, and other financial secrecy hotspots.

Where To Work, Earn Money, And Have An Active Business is the fifth and final flag. One of the many advised possibilities for inhabitants of the United States is to incorporate overseas, handle your company's administrative, billing, and headquarters functions from there, and then market your goods globally while keeping a close eye on the crucial American market." Another brand-new 1997 publication, PTO: Portable Trades & Occupations, is available for readers who don't have quite enough money to retire entirely. The purpose of this article is to outline a number of methods that anyone, even without a residency or work permission, might use to make "serious money" abroad. These strategies include event marketing, consulting, lecturing in public, holding seminars, and engaging in a variety of creative endeavors, such as writing and self-publishing. Hill ought to be knowledgeable about that, for sure!

IS THE HILL EXIST?

There was a man, identified as Hill, who would frequently show up at Scope's lectures wearing a variety of wigs and disguises. Many years ago, he vanished from view. Different announcements were made regarding the passing of the original Hill, his retirement, or his low profile in the Far East. In all likelihood, Hill simply quit when they had a falling out with Scope.

It is said that several of Hill's 1990s publications lack his trademark sharp humor and direct writing style. Regarding what happened to the Original Hill, Scope remains silent, but they continue to reprint and market an increasing number of his previous books. Every year, updated and extended versions are released. All we can be certain of is that the original Hill, if he was ever alive, hasn't published a novel in a decade.

ARE YOU A WORTHY SUCCESSOR TO HILL, TREVELLIAN?

Peter Trevellian, a former friend and editor of Hill, has recently published two new books under the Trevellian moniker: PTO and Invisible Investor. These studies complete the set and provide context for Hill's initial intention, which was "to present a coherent philosophy for productive, successful people, together with specific, highly detailed plans for achieving their goals." Scope, Hill, and Trevellian have undoubtedly created a lucrative niche for themselves by doing this.

Location:

Share :