Lest we forget that the mega-rich simply do not think like we common folk, take a look at this lawsuit from Oracle founder Larry Ellison.
Seems a trio of Redwood trees have grown a bit too high for Ellison’s liking, to a point in the sky where they’re seriously hampering the San Francisco Bay view from his $US3.9 million 10,000+ square-foot hillside mega-mansion. He wants them gone.
Chop, chop, right? What’s a few massive trees to the super-rich? Well, the problem for Ellison is these three trees reside on the property of Bernard and Jane Von Bothmer, who bought the land and constructed their own massive, $US6.9 million home there in 2004.
Now Ellison, who maintains the previous owner said the trees would be regularly trimmed and maintained (which the owner denies), is suing to have the trees removed, reports Business Insider:
Larry Ellison has hired an attorney who specialises in neighbor’s-trees-blocking-your-view litigation and sued the Von Bothmers to force them to cut down the trees. In connection with this litigation, he has already submitted a 207-page deposition, in which he revealed that, when a neighbour complained about redwoods on his property in the Valley blocking her view, he chopped them down.
Hilariously, the Von Bothmers have found several limbs from the controversial trees in their yard, allegedly trimmed by rogue lumberjacks that Ellison has since denied hiring. An attempt to “top” one of the trees was foiled by Mrs. Von Bothmer when she confronted three of the lumberjacks who were up in the tree at the time.
Rich people—they have petty domestic squabbles just like us! [WSJ via Business Insider]