Independently Wealthy.... (Chicago, Wheaton, Northbrook: budget, condo, travel)

[HOWELL_STREET]

... For a moment, let's suppose that 'you' are independently wealthy and could spend 100 million dollars on a Chicago area home - - if you wished to.

Perhaps you are a retired CEO of a large corporation and you want to move into an incognito type of life style. No more high volume of people, no Chicago area traffic mess, no people constantly rubbing shoulders with you.

Many of these same goals are sought after by the younger generations. And it usually compresses down into a Chicago area stampede of people wanting the best job, the highest employment remuneration, a beautiful house and beautiful land. Low crime rate and good transportation.

So the quest of most everybody - - even my self - - is the best style of living for the least investment.

Unfortunately - - unless we are independently wealthy, such goals are out of our practical reach.

But suppose you, we, or I had a 100 million dollar budget to buy a fabulous Chicago area home. Then one way of doing this is to locate the ultimate dream home in the ultimate suburb and walk up to the owners with a cash offer of at least $5o million dollars. Most anyone would sell their property to you on the spot.

Since I have lived in the Chicago suburban area most of my life of 66 years, under the Independently wealthy scenario, I would search for such a dream home in Kaneville, Illinois - - or Wayne, Illinois. I'm sure there are others, too, that I have momentarily forgotten.

So the point of this is that one has to 'go' in a different direction - - against the stamped where everyone has the exact same goals as you do.

That is the only way to find your 'sleeper' if it still exists....

Carter Glass,
Wheaton, IL

[Steve-o]

For 100 million you could have several large homes. Here is where Id have mine: Wasco, Lake Forest, condo in the Chicago Spire, Hinsdale, Galena.

[Manigault]

Kenwood, south side of Chicago.

[emmi605]

I would definitely choose the lakefront with a private beach, maybe slightly wooded and private too. I'm not exactly sure which North suburb would be the best fit, but looking out on Lake Michigan every day would be a top pick. I also like the wooded areas up in the Kennelworth and Long Grove. It is very peaceful. Honestly, though I'd high-tail it out to San Diego if I was that wealthy....and find myself a beautiful home on the ocean...

[gardener34]

Wayne, I live adjacent to there now and like it very much.

[Manigault]

Wasn't there some study about people who had won big in the lottery? Most did not move out of their neighborhoods. Some got new and nicer houses, but they mostly stayed around where they were before they got the big bucks. Makes one wonder.

[NYrules]

Give me one of those nice penthomes in the new Trump Tower. In fact give me a few of them! You know you're rich when you see that Trump Tower mailing address on mail coming to you!

[sukwoo]

I read somewhere that the senior partner of the Citadel Hedge fund has a penthouse condo in the building overlooking watertower at Chicago and Michigan. Must be nice.

[HOWELL_STREET]

... Like Mannigault's comments, I would probably stay put. At least for awhile.

During the 1980s while employed in the Northbrook, IL Motorola Automotive division... the wife of one of our young electronics automotive engineers - - won a lottery worth about ten million dollars. But that was the earlier years of lotteries when the first prize wasn't up in the mega millions of dollars.

That next morning, our engineer friend just stood around our electronics department - - kind of like in his own daze. He answered our questions by saying that he would 'stay put' - - with Motorola employment & his current residential address - - and would also buy himself a new business passenger jet. Perhaps a Lear jet or a Gulf Stream - - if that particular jet existed in those years?

He wanted to learn how to be a pilot... and I suspect that he accomplished that. Perhaps even today, he flies out of Chicago's Pal - Waukee Airport?

But about a week after his wife won the lottery, one day, he just walked out of Motorola's employment and became independently wealthy. Of course, he also realized that everyone would solicit him for his money and donations - - and so he became incognito. That was the last time we ever saw him.

So living in the Trump Tower might be fine for some people - - but in my own situation, I would move into the country side and thus become incognito in that manner. You see, I would always be concerned about a possible future Chicago version of '911'.

Carter Glass,
Wheaton, iL

[aragx6]

I think if I won that kind of money I'd would travel for about 2-3 years and then settle down with a condo in the city (probably Chicago) as well as a seaside villa in Italy or the like.