# The Secret Millionaire



## Pique318 (17 Oct 2010)

Just watching this now and as cynical as I generally am, I have to say that it's a bloody uplifting show.

The generousity of the millionaire to help those who generally don't receive much social aid restores your faith in humanity.

I know we have our own generous benefactors like JP McManus et al who eschew publicity in their donations, and admire those people too.

That is all.


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## MandaC (17 Oct 2010)

Watched it tonight....lovely genuine guy Chris was and the people he met were fantastic.......agree uplifting show.


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## BOXtheFOX (18 Oct 2010)

The series has been running for some time now. At this stage anyone coming to "write" an article or gain "work experience" etc with cameras in tow must be identified as a secret millionaire by everyone?


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## Sunny (18 Oct 2010)

Or your boss in disguise? Isn't that another programme? Undercover Boss or something where the CEO goes 'undercover' onto the ground in his organisation to see what is happening and what the staff are like. Of course, if I was working with someone that was being followed around by camera's, I would make sure I said the right things and did my job properly on that particular day! Stupid concept.


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## mtk (18 Oct 2010)

nice show


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## Vanilla (18 Oct 2010)

mtk said:


> As a secret millonaire myself making helping someone through a donation is rewardng but doing it anonymously is humbler.



You could use some of your money to hire an editor for your posts, money well spent, I'd have thought.


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## Complainer (18 Oct 2010)

Wouldn't it be great if people like JP McManus just paid a little bit of tax instead of all his charidee donations?


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## MrMan (18 Oct 2010)

Complainer said:


> Wouldn't it be great if people like JP McManus just paid a little bit of tax instead of all his charidee donations?


 
He creates numerous jobs which generate taxes along with his considerable charitable donations, so I think he is fairly covered in terms of giving back.


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## Complainer (18 Oct 2010)

MrMan said:


> He creates numerous jobs which generate taxes along with his considerable charitable donations, so I think he is fairly covered in terms of giving back.



What jobs does he create in Ireland?


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## BONDGIRL (18 Oct 2010)

I hope to wake up a secret millionairess on Thursday x


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## MrMan (19 Oct 2010)

Staff at his house, stables and office.


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## Complainer (19 Oct 2010)

Ah, I see. The servants should be grateful for a few crumbs dropped from the table by the lord of the manor. I'd hazard a guess that the state-funded horse race winning money that McManus wins each year costs more than the tax for the part-time staff at the big house. [Does he pay the staff for the parts of the year when he is off in Monaco or Switzerland?]. 1/3rd of the horse race winnings go to the top 10 owners - the usual suspects - McManus, Magnier, O'Reilly etc etc.


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## Latrade (19 Oct 2010)

MrMan said:


> Staff at his house, stables and office.


 
In Switzerland? I jest. 

Scepticism aside, his scholarship for Limerick Youths to go onto 3rd level education is about €54K every year. 8 kids a year, 8 kids who probably wouldn't have had access under normal circumstances. 8 kids over the years (each year) who are now (were at least until recently) more likely to get higher earning jobs and pay more tax, spend more, raise a family in a background of attaining 3rd level education etc.

Even just the €54K a year is a pretty decent investment and contribution to the state. I don't pay that much in tax of any form.

While to a guy worth around €1.5bn it's pocket change, let's not lose sight of it at least being something (and that's just the scholarship, not all the other donations).


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## Sunny (19 Oct 2010)

Latrade said:


> In Switzerland? I jest.
> 
> 
> Even just the €54K a year is a pretty decent investment and contribution to the state. I don't pay that much in tax of any form.


 
I am getting sick of carrying you on my back Latrade.


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## Latrade (19 Oct 2010)

Sunny said:


> I am getting sick of carrying you on my back Latrade.


 
I'll admit it seems a lot to carry for one person which is why my socialist principles mean I spread my scrounging across the whole state and don't expect just one person to carry me. I share the scrounge. 

To me the baker is just as important to society as the business owner, they all get a share of my scrounge.


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## MrMan (20 Oct 2010)

Complainer said:


> Ah, I see. The servants should be grateful for a few crumbs dropped from the table by the lord of the manor. I'd hazard a guess that the state-funded horse race winning money that McManus wins each year costs more than the tax for the part-time staff at the big house. [Does he pay the staff for the parts of the year when he is off in Monaco or Switzerland?]. 1/3rd of the horse race winnings go to the top 10 owners - the usual suspects - McManus, Magnier, O'Reilly etc etc.



I don't think his cleaning staff, security and assistants would appreciate being called 'servants' by you. You do understand that their jobs are quite valid.
Apart from his personal property he also has horse trainers, stable hands, admin etc working for him. 
I don't know the full extent of his business dealings in this country, but I don't believe that anybody would pay more tax than they legally had to no matter what their financial position.


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## Niall M (20 Oct 2010)

Phew, i thought someone was after outing me....


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## Complainer (20 Oct 2010)

MrMan said:


> I don't think his cleaning staff, security and assistants would appreciate being called 'servants' by you. You do understand that their jobs are quite valid.
> Apart from his personal property he also has horse trainers, stable hands, admin etc working for him.


I understand that relative to his wealth, the amounts of tax generated by his part-time staff in Ireland is a drop in the ocean. I also understand the racing industry is heavily subsidised in Ireland. It costs the State about €40 for every visitor to every race meeting. 1/3 of the heavily subsidised race price money goes to the top ten owners, including (surprise, surprise) McManus, Magnier, O'Reilly and co.

I'll respect the man when he pays a fair tax on his income, not when he drops a few crumbs on the table.


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## MrMan (20 Oct 2010)

Complainer said:


> I understand that relative to his wealth, the amounts of tax generated by his part-time staff in Ireland is a drop in the ocean. I also understand the racing industry is heavily subsidised in Ireland. It costs the State about €40 for every visitor to every race meeting. 1/3 of the heavily subsidised race price money goes to the top ten owners, including (surprise, surprise) McManus, Magnier, O'Reilly and co.
> 
> I'll respect the man when he pays a fair tax on his income, not when he drops a few crumbs on the table.



How does it matter what he pays staff realtive to his wealth? He could easily have 50 employees and it would be a drop in the ocean relative to his wealth.

Would you pay any more tax than you had to?


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## Complainer (20 Oct 2010)

MrMan said:


> Would you pay any more tax than you had to?



It's not very likely that I'll ever be in the tax-exile league, but if I were, I wouldn't leave Ireland for tax reasons.


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## Ancutza (20 Oct 2010)

> It's not very likely that I'll ever be in the tax-exile league, but if I were, I wouldn't leave Ireland for tax reasons.



Bravo you!  It's categorically better to stay home and pay excessive taxes to a government which will use the money to bail out failed banks whilst cutting public services, destroying jobs and heaping debt on your offspring (and, indeed, their offspring).

Probably one of the most ludricrous statements I've read on this site! Kudos!


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## Complainer (20 Oct 2010)

Ancutza said:


> Probably one of the most ludricrous statements I've read on this site!



Is this referring to your statement or mine?


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## Ancutza (20 Oct 2010)

Yours!


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## DB74 (21 Oct 2010)

We could all be fantastically generous if we didn't pay any taxes


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## gianni (21 Oct 2010)

db74 said:


> we could all be fantastically generous if we didn't pay any taxes



+1


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## MrMan (21 Oct 2010)

DB74 said:


> We could all be fantastically generous if we didn't pay any taxes



We could be but we wouldn't have to be and many wouldn't bother at all.


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