Wolfgang Hunter
Praise for Trillionaire
“Trillionaire is a political, action, mystery, techno-thriller; unlike any book you’ve ever read. Although it’s constructed on an incredible premise, the pieces come together like the movements of a fine watch. It will really make you think.”
“Trillionaire shatters the law of large numbers – the myth that hyper-growth can’t continue once a company achieves a certain size. It demonstrates that a lack of vision is the only impediment to never-ending growth.”
“If the magazines on your coffee table include Forbes, Fortune, Business Week, Golf Digest or Aviation Week, you will absolutely devour this book.”
“If you know the difference between DARPA and EBITDA you will love this novel.”
“Trillionaire is a fast-paced, entertaining, coming-of-age story, filled with enough business history, science, macro-economic and geo-political meat to choke a horse… I couldn’t put it down.”
“Trillionaire is a fun read but filled with great life lessons -- everything from tips on how to kick-start a successful career to the importance of strategic thinking, the value of an ultra-broad knowledge-base, and the ability to combine multiple, seemingly unrelated skills and technologies to create innovative, mind-blowing new products and businesses.”
Wolfgang Hunter has worked as an engineer, research scientist and manager at several aerospace and technology companies during his 25-year career. His teams have designed hardware and software for commercial transport aircraft, fighter jets, helicopters, business jets, the U.S. Space Shuttle and various missile systems. Wolfgang lives in Arizona with his lovely wife, Sandy, and their three children. In his free time, Mr. Hunter enjoys skydiving, triathlons, marathons, golf, beach volleyball, skiing, playing ice hockey, flag football, springboard diving and hanging out with his rugrats. This is Mr. Hunter’s first novel.
Is it still possible -- in this day and age -- for a single individual to gain control of the overwhelming majority of Earth’s wealth? In the distant past, dictators and despots regularly managed to control large portions of humanity’s net worth. But this is no longer the case. Even the modern-day mega-titans – Gates, Buffet, and their ilk – possess only tiny slivers of the planet’s treasure.
Throughout history, hyper-growth has been pursued in many different ways. In ancient times, most leaders grew their power primarily through military might. During the Industrial Revolution, the so-called robber barons created mega-growth via their financial prowess and business savvy. But today, in the twenty-first century, is it still possible for one person to generate enough wealth to control the entire civilized world? If so, how would it be done?
Alexander the Great was born in 356 B.C. in Pella, Macedonia. He was one of the greatest civilization-building geniuses and military leaders in recorded history. He brought Greek culture to the lands he conquered, forming the basis upon which much of Western Civilization was later built.
As a boy, Alexander was educated by no less than the legendary Aristotle. At sixteen he ruled Macedonia, while his father was off fighting the Byzantium. At twenty he was named King and, over the next twelve years, he conquered virtually all of Mediterranean Europe, the Middle East, Egypt, Persia, and much of southern Asia. His ability to create such a massive kingdom -- without the assistance of modern communications or transportation systems -- is nothing short of mind-boggling.
In 323 B.C., at just thirty-three years of age, Alexander was working in Babylon on an engineering project to improve the irrigation of the Euphrates. He became ill during a banquet, his health deteriorated, and within several weeks he died.
Eight hundred years later, Attila, armed with the divine “sword of Mars,” led his marauding legions of Huns through the heart of Europe. In just three years, Attila went from being a little-known barbarian to being the richest, most powerful, and most feared ruler of his time. Through his masterful management of the ungovernable Huns, Attila brutally acquired huge swaths of both the civilized and uncivilized worlds. Like Alexander, Attila also succumbed to an early demise, expiring on his wedding night at age 46. Had he lived longer, he may well have accomplished (or destroyed) even more.
While others grew their empires by creating extrao
