Casey approached his car with a begrudging smile. As much as he acted like he resented the teasing from Rex and the others, he needed it. What’s more, he knew that he needed it. These were the only people that were willing to treat him like an equal. Maybe that wasn’t quite true. Maybe these were the only ones that he respected enough to appreciate it.

He shook his head at the thought. He sounded like some ‘poor little rich boy’ or something. Wealth had never been comfortable for him. He had been born into riches and part of him never got over that guilt. The expectations had been too confusing.

Growing up he felt like he should apologize for what he had. He had the usual rebellious period when he trashed everything that his family had made. He vividly remembered one Thanksgiving in particular when he’d made a real ass of himself, going on and on about how they were eating fine while the poor were out there starving.

The next week his grandfather took him on a little tour. The first stop was a soup kitchen that received a large annual grant from The Company. They’d stood quietly while a sad parade of men and women walked through the line and were fed. When they got back in the car, he’d accused his grandfather of trying to buy his way out of the guilt that he must feel from their privileged position. The older man looked at him sadly and told him that one day he’d understand. It wasn’t guilt that drove him nor public relations. This was a small thing that he could do to make some lives better and he was glad to do it. He slept well before they started donating and would still sleep well if they quit.

The next stop was at the factory complex. His grandfather toured him around. Casey had been here many times before in the past. Early memories were of the amazing machines and what they could do. He also remembered the rough men who always seemed so sure of what they were doing.

This time his grandfather stopped those men from their work and asked them questions. Did they own their homes? How were their children doing? Were they happy? The answers were always ‘yes’, ‘very well’ and ‘of course’.

The lesson was simple and his grandfather was nice enough not to rub his nose in it. The hard work and capital of his family was creating wealth for many. Casey felt like a prime fool for missing that part of the equation.

His poor grandfather died shortly after that. Not so soon that Casey didn’t have a chance to repent and apologize, but soon enough after that his final lesson carried that much more weight. He’d loved the old man and cherished his teachings even when he still found the path confusing at times.

The point that he focused on was that his wealth was also a responsibility and one that he must always take seriously. He had to be worthy of it at all times. Never should someone look at him and decide that he’d be nothing without someone else’s money. This attitude drove him and served him well.

But just thinking of building a Wonder raised some of the old ghosts within him. Was this just some ostentatious display of wealth? Their own way of lording it over the peasants in their everyday life? Casey didn’t want to think so but it was hard to avoid that conclusion.

He could decline the offer. Just let it pass him by. He’d already mentioned the product launch. That was a perfectly justifiable reason to duck out. Besides, he didn’t even know what possible thing he’d build for something like this. A true Wonder? How about curing homelessness or hunger. That would be an accomplishment worth celebrating. Not quite in the spirit of the whole thing, though.

But what if he turned the whole thing around on its head? The idea flashed in his head and it felt like a winner. What if he publicly offered to donate the winnings to charity? 30 million was a huge amount of money. You could do some serious good with cash like that.

The publicity wouldn’t hurt either. Think of the people that would flock to stand by his side. Think of the tourists that would feel like their money was going to something good, just by going to see his…whatever.

Yes, that was some kind of sticking point. What in the world would he build? Maybe he’d have to talk to his wife about this after all. She was creative and would probably enjoy the involvement. Yes, he could team her up with his creative department and get both of them out of his hair. That was exactly what he needed. Then he could do something good and concentrate on his business needs at the same time. Despite the jibes, the products really did roll out more smoothly with a firm hand at the wheel.

Casey turned on his phone. He’d talk to his lovely wife first. Then he’d consult people within the company. The path was open and he felt good about it.