Doug Von Allmen, a self-made man who grew up in a landlocked state dreaming of the ocean, was poised to build a 187-foot yacht that would cost $40 million. Lady Linda would not be among the very largest of the burgeoning fleet of ocean-going palaces, but Von Allmen vowed that it would be the best one ever made in the United States. Nothing would be ordinary. The interior walls would be made from rare species of burl wood, the floors paved with onyx and exotic types of marble, the furniture custom-made, and the art specially commissioned.
But the economic crisis changed everything. Von Allmen’s lifestyle suddenly became unaffordable. Then it got worse: desperate to reverse his losses, he fell for an audacious Ponzi scheme. Would Von Allmen be able to complete Lady Linda? Would the shipyard and its 1,000 employees survive the financial meltdown? More
Grand Ambition Reviewed in the Wall Street Journal More
Bruce is interviewed by The New York Times More
VIDEO: Bruce Discusses Grand Ambition on Bloomberg Television More
An Extraordinary Yacht, the People Who Built It,
and the Millionaire Who Can't Really Afford It.
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