For this week’s rant, I would like to talk about money; in particular, US$88.3 million. You may be asking yourself, “Scott, that’s a precise amount of money you’re mentioning, what’s going on?”
That’s very perceptive of you to notice, ka pai! If you haven’t already heard, you may need to sit down for this. Donald J. Trump, everybody’s favourite ex-president, was involved in a second defamation lawsuit brought against him by E. Jean Carroll.
Trump had previously been found guilty, of defaming and sexually abusing Carroll, in May 2023. This resulted in Trump having to pay $5 million to Carroll in damages.
Fast forward to the second defamation lawsuit, where on 26th January 2024, a jury of his peers assessed the trial and handed him two fines, $18.3 million in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive damages, to be paid to Carroll. There are a lot of other factors in these two cases, but the crux of it is this: the court had awarded Carroll $88.3 million in damages, and Trump is legally required to pay it.
I’m aware that Trump is appealling the decision, but I really want to talk that figure: $88.3 million. To me, that number is an astronomical amount for a single person to pay. It’s more money than a huge percentage of the world’s population would ever see or earn.
Which brings us to the question; what can you buy with $88.3 million?
I realise that the US currency is not the only currency that exists in the world, I mean New Zealand uses polymer Monopoly-type bank notes. That being the case, the fines were in US currency, so that’s the currency I’ll be using.
Before I start, I need to add three points:
1.) Any conversion of foreign currency will be accurate at the time of writing this blog.
2.) The price of any shares will be accurate at the time of writing this blog.
3.) Some suggestions will have a price tag, others will be donating to charities or organisations.
Awesome, let’s put on our imagination hats and on behalf of E. Jean Carroll, let’s spend $88.3 million on things that Trump would love.
Price Tag:
Diamond Life Membership to the NAACP: $2,500
Membership to the AAPIP: $300 per year
100,000 Pfizer shares at $26.93: $2,693,000
World Vision: To fund 1,000 community mini-savings banks at $591: $591,000
Oxfam: 10,000 Hygiene kits at $36.38: $363,800
Annual Washington Post Premium Digital subscription: $39 first year, then $100
Curator membership to American Museum of Natural History: $10,000 per year
Tractors for Africa: 50 x 75 HP tractors in Ghana at $35,000: $1,750,000
Frontline Membership to the Anti-Defamation League: $1,000 per year
Global Giving: Literacy Classes & Books for Afghan Women & Girls: Two reference books for a school or public library for $24: 2,500 books for $60,000.
Babbel: Learning Spanish-Lifetime membership: $299.50 (current sale)
Unicef USA: To fully vaccinate 500,000 children at $58: $29,000,000
Annual New York Times digital subscription: $20 first year, then $90
Becoming a Clinton Foundation Ambassador: starting at $1,500 per year
Lifetime member of Pride at Work: $1,000
Michelle Obama: The Light We Carry at Amazon: $20.99 paperback
100,000 NextEra Energy (solar and wind energy) shares at $58.15: $5,815,000
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Poster: $30.00
Donations:
World Health Organization (WHO)
Galck+(Formerly known as The Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya)
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
United Hands for Relief and Development (UHR)
I’m sure Trump would approve of every single one of these wonderful selections, for Carroll to spend his money on.
This is all fun and games, but if we are allowed to be serious, there are thousands of worthwhile charities, NGOs, and groups in the world; which cover every possible theme or cause. $88.3 million could go a long way in helping a vast amount of people, in a short amount of time.
$88.3 million. That figure still staggers me, all because a 77-year-old man, could not stop insulting an 80-year-old woman. I wonder what a third defamation lawsuit would look like? Damages over $100 million? $125 million? Higher?
If the court awarded you $88.3 million of Trump’s money, what would you do? As always, please let me know.
That’s it for another blog and another week. Thank you so much for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, watch the African Cup of Nations and Asian Cup Finals, and I’ll see you next week.
SOME GEEK TOLD ME 
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