The Millionaire's Favorite Author
By Expat World, Fri Dec 9th

YOU WON'T FIND W.G. HILL ON ANY BEST SELLER LISTS, BUT IT'S HARDTO FIND A MILLIONAIRE WHO HASN'T READ MOST OF HIS $100 "SPECIALREPORTS".

Hill's Low Profile -- The name W.G. Hill isn't bandied aroundmuch in the book-publishing world. No literary society has everdiscussed any of the two dozen or so volumes this author hasproduced. But over the last thirty years, in the world ofbankers, accountants, high net worth investors and financierswith offshore interests, Hill has been a seminal influence. Hismost famous book is P.T., or "Perpetual Tourist." Though thistitle might convey the idea that it's a book about traveling, itisn't. The subject is, how wealthy people can - with properpaperwork - enjoy life more. Its "How to have a good time withyour money, but at the same time avoid unwelcome attentions thatconspicuous consumption and high profile wealth always bring."These negatives include the unwelcome intrusions of taxcollectors, insurance salesman, contingent fee plaintiff'slawyers, alimony seeking ex-wives, kidnappers, burglars. Not tomention every description of con-man. Do these matters concernmillionaires? Judging from Hill's book sales, they do, indeed.The original Hill (who could not be found for an interview - EWhears he's in Patagonia doing hands-on research on female femalegaucho wranglers - was back in the 1970's a self-publisher whoadvertised his books as "Special Reports" in the London basedEconomist and International Herald Tribune. One of his earlyfans was the newsletter guru, Sir Harry Schultz, who must havemade enough beforehand or sold enough books to live well. SirHarry writes in PT, "I spent my first few years as a tax exileat the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel, interacting with hard-bodied,high maintenance cost divorced women who in their toplessbikinis populated Riviera pool sides like motes in thesunshine." Hill's books always offered his personal services toassist any reader to accomplish the goals set out. For instance,his 1975 Lloyd's Report promised the reader would "make seriousmoney without any investment, work or risk." This was twodecades before many Lloyd's names did in fact suffer substantiallosses. But Hill wrote later, "If people handled their Lloyd'srelationships as I suggested (with stop loss insurance) theycame out way ahead." Hill charged a hefty fee to introduce newnames and get them into Lloyd's as insurance underwriters.Eventually, around 1985 Hill's maneuvers were picked up andthereafter published by Nicholas Pine. Pine was then operatingas Milestone Press of Plymouth, England. He was a very minorpublisher of books for collectors of ceramics. Their typicalpress run in the pre-Hill days was a thousand copies. WithHill's books for millionaires soon selling like hot cakes,Milestone hit pay dirt. Pine changed his company's name to ScopeInternational. An ex-employee revealed that at the time he quit,sales of well over 100,000 copies of each Hill book would havebeen "a low ballpark figure." With ten books being major sellersand a direct mail price of £60 / $100 per book, that means thatgross sales of Hill's books passed the 100 million dollar marksome years ago. As marketers who sell direct via advertising andjunk-mail that means most revenues go direct to the bottom line.Although book sales figures are not available to the public(through bookstores), this could mean that little known Scope,by publishing the works of a mystery man who disappeared tenyears ago, is far and away, the world's most profitable bookpublisher. But The Profits Just Start With Book Sales -- EachHill report describes a certain product or lifestyle. If thereader wants to make it a reality, he hires Hill (or morerecently a Hill clone at fees up to $10,000 per consultation) toget him up and running. Our informant suggests that twenty percent of all book buyers sign up for consulting services. Thenthere are the international seminars at $2000, plus residenceand passport programs costing up to $350,000. The Hill bookssuggest other ways that millionaires can enjoy their money more- by spending it with Scope on "lifestyle enhancing" productsand services. The basic premise of PT and all of Hill's books,is that any wealthy person will enjoy life more and protect hisassets better by using what Hill calls "five flags."

THE FIVE FLAG THEORY The First flag for instance, is thePassport of a country that doesn't try to tax or control youonce you have left. According to Hill, any passport will servethis purpose except those of the USA. Their citizens have torenounce and get another one. Why? The USA is the only countrythat taxes the worldwide income of nonresidents. It is also theonly country that polices it's citizens morals and conductabroad by making certain conduct of its citizens outside

thecountry, criminal acts punishable by jail sentences back home.These include traveling to forbidden places, paying minorbribes, or having sex of a forbidden kind. Each "Flag" of Hill'sis supported by at least one other book. For instance: Thesuggestion that every PT should have a suitable passport, goodfor visa-free traveling and not costing the holder a substantialportion of one's income is supported by Hill's most popularbook. This is the PASSPORT REPORT, a hefty, nearly 400 pagereference manual that explores the opportunities "in over 125countries and political subdivisions."

The Second flag is the Tax Haven Legal Residence -- Everymillionaire needs one, according to Hill. This concept isfollowed up by Scope with a large number of regional reports onsuch places as Monaco, Campione, Liechtenstein, The ChannelIslands, Isle of Man, Andorra, Gibraltar, Switzerland. As thereare no taxes in these tax haven, moving (by eliminating incometaxes) doubles one's income at a stoke.

The third flag is Playgrounds -- Where can a jaded tycoon enjoygood climate, gourmet food? Where, if he desires it, is thecompanionship of beautiful young women (temporary wives), thrustupon him? Who will gladly (and for a small fee) provide him withthe illusion of love, if not the reality. This aspect of theMillionaire's dilemma was well covered by Hill's controversialbook, Sex Havens For Tax Fiends. Despite its great popularity,this report was withdrawn from the publisher's list two yearsago because of legal problems due to British censorship andobscenity laws.

The fourth flag is the place Where The Millionaire Invests HisMoney -- These are countries and institutions where funds areplaced under management to get maximum, tax free returns, safetyfrom lawsuits, government confiscation, wealth taxes and all thefinancial problems and other risks. This problem is solveddefinitively in the newest 1997 Hill/Trevellian book, TheInvisible Investor, subtitled, "Get Your Money Out of theCountry Before Your Country Gets the Money Out of You." Here wevisit the "offshore" world and the service providers who swim init. Cayman Islands, Panama, Bermuda, Bahamas and other bankingsecrecy centers are explored.

The fifth and last flag is Where To Work, Earn Money And HaveAn Active Business -- For USA citizens, one of severalrecommended options is to incorporate abroad, have yourheadquarters, administrative and billing done from abroad, butsell your products worldwide, still paying attention to theimportant United States market. ." For readers who don't havequite enough money to retire completely, there is another new1997 report PTO: Portable Trades & Occupations. The idea here isto describe several dozen ways that any person can earn "seriousmoney" in a foreign country - even if without any residence orwork permit. These methods include promoting events, doingconsulting work, giving seminars, public speaking and varioustypes of creative work, including writing and self-publishing.Hill should certainly know something about that!

DOES HILL EXIST? There was a chap, introduced and billed asHill. who used to appear at Scope's lectures in various wigs anddisguises. He disappeared from the scene many years ago. It wasvariously announced that the original Hill had died, retired orwent low profile himself in the Far East. The truth seems to bethat there was a falling out with Scope and Hill just left. SomeHill books released during the 1990's, are said not to bear hisdistinctive humor and cut-to-the-point style. Scope is mum onthe subject of what happen to the Original Hill, but they keepreissuing and selling more and more of his old titles. There arenewly revised and expanded versions appearing every year. All weknow for sure is that the original Hill, if he ever existed,hasn't done a new book for ten years.

TREVELLIAN - WORTHY SUCCESSOR TO HILL? Lately, Hill's one timeeditor and friend, Peter Trevellian has released under theTrevellian name, two new titles, PTO and Invisible Investor.These reports complete the set and round out Hill's originalplan: "To present a coherent philosophy for productive,successful people, together with specific, highly detailed plansfor achieving their goals." In doing this, Scope, Hill andTrevellian have certainly found a profitable niche forthemselves. (Article from the Expat World Newsletterhttp://www.expatworld.net)

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