The Great Wyoming Buyout
Jefferson Thorne, the world's first trillionaire, leaned back in his diamond-encrusted ergonomic chair and sipped his artisanal moonwater. He had done everything: space tourism, longevity research, a brief but disastrous attempt to cross breed hippos with butterflies. Now, he craved a legacy project. Something truly absurd. Something historic. "I want to buy Wyoming," he said one day, scrolling through a list of world landmarks that he already owned. His financial advisor, Penelope Strand, blinked. "Like... a ranch in Wyoming?" "No. The whole state." Strand cleared her throat. "Uh, I don't think you can do that." Thorne swiveled his chair dramatically. "Penelope, do you recall Citizens United v. FEC?" "Well, yes, but—" "The Supreme Court ruled that money is speech. And I have a lot of speech." It took weeks to organize, but soon, Thorne made his bid: $500 billion for Wyoming, an offer so staggering that ever...