X-Message-Number: 1074
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 09:37:25 PDT
From: Dave Ross <>
Subject: Re: Raising Money for Cryonics

Steve Harris suggests, in message 1043, that 'wheedling the wealthy' is
a bad way for Alcor to raise money because getting money from them, even
for worthwhile causes, is extremely difficult.  While I normally agree with
Steve on most things, I disagree strongly on this one.

I personally have raised more than $30 million in business capital from
wealthy individuals and I did it every time with a careful business plan
showing precisely what I intended to do with their money.  Most wealthy
people that I know who have made their own money did so by taking 
advantage of deals that came their way that were to their monetary 
benefit.  In all the years of raising money from them I have NEVER met
ONE rich person who did not understand that people will not work for them
for free.  They may cut shrewd deals, but they cut them with the understanding
that if there is not strong financial motivation for the people they are
backing, then those people will walk away.  My investors and others I know
got rich by knowing that money is cheaper than good ideas worth funding.

Not all the benefits that accrue to wealthy investors need by financial.
(that's need BE financial) Many wealthy people that I have known give a
large fraction of their yearly income to charities and research
organizations.  Since Alcor has a strong case that its research will
have benefits to lots of people and in particular to anyone signed up
for Cryonics, I believe that a well-constructed business plan is 
in fact the way to approach these people, and I believe I have the
experience to back up that hypothesis.  Besides, the most important
thing a business plan does is get the writer thinking about just what
his organization is actually planning to do.  It focusses the mind
wonderfully.

-dave ross

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=1074