In Pursuit Of The American Dream

In the North Sound section of the British Virgin Islands, in the East Caribbean Sea, lies a small group of islands known as Billionaires Row. One more or less permanent resident of the area is none other than the enormously wealthy Sir Richard Branson, whose Necker Island retreat is but a stone’s throw from one slightly smaller island called, The American’s Paradise. The island is owned by one deeply mysterious American citizen called Charles Brunton, otherwise known in some circles as Charley Bubbles.

It is not known exactly how much Brunton is worth. Some say that his net worth is so astronomical that it makes Branson’s 2.9 billion dollars look like small change. Even more mysterious is how exactly Brunton came to be worth so much. Some people have speculated that Brunton is perhaps the real brains behind Bitcoin, the real Satoshi Nakamoto. Others have claimed that he is an ex-CIA operative who spent time in the region of the Asian Pacific, with excellent connections among the super-rich Chinese Triads, or the Japanese Yakuza. The fact is, nobody really knew for sure, hence the abundance of highly imaginative speculation.

The American Paradise, otherwise known as simply, The Haven, is a very private island where nobody except Bruton and whoever he invites can go. It has been said that even Branson cannot wrangle himself a personal invite. Clearly, Brunton chooses his friends very carefully indeed. And although it is perfectly normal for the ultra-wealthy to be prudent about their private lives, Brunton takes it to an entirely new level.

There aren’t any known photographs of the man, nor even so much as an artist’s hastily drawn sketch with a sharp pencil. Neither are there any business records to be found anywhere. And he most certainly doesn’t appear on any Forbes list of the rich and famous. Given the level of secrecy around Brunton, it is no surprise that people are wary of him. Nobody would want to get close only to discover that Brunton is some Mafia Godfather’s private hitman. And yet, there are some who swear that they have been to the island and found Brunton to be a very genial host. Of course, since Brunton does not allow cameras, let alone guns, onto The American Paradise, nobody is in any position to prove what they claim is true. The only other thing people who have been to the island will tell you is that Brunton does not suffer fools gladly and that he is not a man to meddle with.

Local suppliers of food, drink, and normal daily household products, such as floor cleaning detergents, have to sign an agreement that they will not discuss nor disclose anything of a confidential nature, not even about lowly employees such as chambermaids or property maintenance workers. It is very much a case of observing the mission statement of three wise monkeys in all matters to do with The Haven.

Above all, Brunton was the epitome of the great American Dream personified. The concept of the American Dream can be traced all the way back to the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. Those men believed that all people, regardless of background or social and economic status, inherently possessed the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

In time, the American Dream came to signify something more akin to a story of rags to riches, economic and political upward mobility, and the accumulation of great wealth and power. In a phrase, the American Dream enables a relative, insignificant nobody to be a significant somebody, even if it was somebody who, like Brunton, preferred to continue to wear the garb of a nobody. Brunton believed that it was far more prudent to be rich and anonymous than rich and famous. Sooner or later some lowlife is going to try to knock you off your perch.