The Favorite of the Millionaires 

Although W.G. Hill isn't listed on any bestseller lists, it's hard to find a millionaire who hasn't read at least a few of his $100 "special reports".
The Subdue Hill -- In the world of publishing, the name W.G. Hill isn't tossed around too often. None of the literary groups that have ever met to discuss this author's twenty or so books have ever done so. However, Hill has been a major player in the offshore finance industry for the past 30 years, particularly among accountants, high net worth individuals, bankers, and financiers.

"Perpetual Tourist," or P.T., is his best-known work. Despite what the title might suggest, this is not a trip book. The focus is on how the well-off can, with the right documentation, live life to the fullest. The idea is "How to have a good time with your money, but at the same time avoid unwelcome attentions that conspicuous consumption and high profile wealth always bring." Some examples of these drawbacks include unpleasant visitors from tax collectors, insurance salespeople, attorneys who take contingent fees from plaintiffs, ex-wives who want alimony, kidnappers, and burglars. I won't even begin to list all the ways con artists operate.
Do the wealthy care about these issues? The success of Hill's books suggests that this is the case. According to EW, the real Hill is currently conducting fieldwork on female gaucho wranglers in Patagonia and was a self-publisher in the 1970s. He advertised his books as "Special Reports" in the London-based Economist and International Herald Tribune. Unfortunately, he could not be reached for an interview. Sir Harry Schultz, a mailing genius, was an early admirer of his, therefore he must have had a comfortable income or book sales to support himself. The newspaper PT reports that "I spent my first few years as a tax exile at the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel, interacting with hard-bodied, high maintenance cost divorced women who in their topless bikinis populated Riviera pool sides like motes in the sunshine."
Any reader could always rely on Hill's personal assistance to help them achieve the goals outlined in his books. As an example, in 1975 he wrote in Lloyd's Report that readers would "make serious money without any investment, work or risk." It took another twenty years until many Lloyd's names actually lost a lot of money. Hill subsequently commented, "If people handled their Lloyd's relationships as I suggested (with stop loss insurance) they came out way ahead." In order to recruit fresh names into Lloyd's as insurance underwriters, Hill demanded a substantial price.
Around 1985, Nicholas Pine finally released Hill's maneuvers after they were picked up. The Plymouth, England-based Milestone Press was Pine's business name at the time. He published books for pottery collectors, but he was a modest publisher. A thousand copies was their usual press run before Hill. Hills' books for millionaires quickly became a smashing success, and Milestone hit the jackpot. The name of Pine's business was changed to Scope International. According to a former employee, when he left Hill, sales of more than 100,000 copies of each book would have been considered "a low ballpark figure." Gross sales of Hill's books surpassed one hundred million dollars a few years ago, with ten novels being huge sellers and a direct mail pricing of sixty or one hundred dollars per book. The majority of our income goes straight to the bottom line since we are direct marketers that sell through advertising and junk mail. The public does not have access to book sales numbers (via bookstores), but this could indicate that obscure publisher Scope is, by publishing the works of a mysterious guy who vanished a decade ago, the most lucrative book publisher in the world.
However, Book Sales Are Just the Beginning of the Profits -- Every Hill report promotes a specific brand or way of life. In order to make it happen, the reader can pay as much as $10,000 for a consultation with Hill (or, more recently, a Hill clone). Twenty percent of book purchasers, according to our source, end up paying for consultancy services. On top of that, there are residence and passport programs that can cost as much as $350,000, as well as foreign seminars that cost $2000. According to the Hill books, millionaires can spend their money on "lifestyle enhancing" items and services through Scope, which will allow them to enjoy their money more.
The central idea of PT and all of Hill's works is that wealthy people can live better and safeguard their assets better by utilizing what Hill terms as "five flags."
The Five-Flag Hypothesis
For example, a passport from a country that does not attempt to tax or regulate you once you leave is the first flag. Hill claims that, with the exception of US passports, any passport will do for this purpose. They require their citizens to renounce and obtain a new one. Why? Only the United States of America taxes the global income of nonresidents. It is also unique among countries that use criminal penalties for actions committed by its citizens while overseas as a means of monitoring their morality and behavior. Some examples of this include visiting restricted areas, engaging in small-scale bribery, or engaging in prohibited sexual relations.
One additional book backs up every "Flag" that Hill has. One example is: According to Hill's best-selling book, every PT should have a passport that allows them to travel visa-free and doesn't eat into their income too much. Extending over four hundred pages, the PASSPORT REPORT delves into the possibilities "in over 125 countries and political subdivisions."
Second, there's the Tax Haven Legal Residence, which Hill claims every multimillionaire should have. Scope expands on this idea with a plethora of regional reports covering locations including Switzerland, Andorra, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Campione, Liechtenstein, and Monaco. Because of the absence of income taxes in these tax havens, relocating there effectively doubles one's income.
The third flag is Playgrounds. Where can a cynical tycoon find a pleasant environment and delicious gourmet cuisine? Where does he find the opportunity to be forced into the company of attractive young women (temporary spouses) if he so desires? Who would be happy to give him the impression of affection, if not the real thing, for a little money. Hill handled this facet of the millionaire's predicament admirably in her contentious book, Sex Havens For Tax Fiends. The report was removed from the publisher's list two years ago due to legal issues caused by British censorship and obscenity laws, notwithstanding its immense popularity.
As for the fourth flag, it represents the nations and organizations where the millionaire puts his money to work for him, ensuring the highest possible profits while shielding it from legal action, government seizure, wealth taxes, and any other financial woes or dangers. This issue is finally resolved in the most recent Hill/Trevellian book, The Invisible Investor, published in 1997, with the subtitle, "Get Your Money Out of the Country Before Your Country Gets the Money Out of You." Here we go to the "offshore" realm and meet the service providers that inhabit it. The Cayman Islands, Panama, Bermuda, and the Bahamas are among the places investigated for their role as financial havens.
The final and fifth indicator is this: Where Can I Find Gainful Employment And Maintain An Active Business? An option that has been suggested for citizens of the United States is to form a company overseas, with the headquarters, administration, and invoicing handled remotely. Then, while keeping an eye on the vital American market, sell your items globally. Also published in 1997 is PTO: Portable Trades & Occupations, which readers can refer to if they don't have enough savings to retire comfortably. The central premise is to provide out a plethora of options for everyone looking to make "serious money" abroad, regardless of their immigration status. Some examples of these strategies include event promotion, consulting, seminar teaching, public speaking, and creative endeavors like writing and self-publishing. Hill is expected to have some knowledge regarding that!
Is Hill Real?
An someone known as Hill would often make cameo appearances at Scope's lectures while dressed in a variety of disguises and wigs. Countless years have passed since he vanished. Rumors circulated that the original Hill had passed away, retired, or kept a low profile in the Far East. It appears that Hill recently departed due to a disagreement with Scope.
It is believed that Hill's signature wit and direct style are missing from a few of his books published in the 1990s. Even though Scope has been tight-lipped about what became of Original Hill, they have been reissuing and selling an increasing number of his older titles. Every year, new and improved editions hit the market. If the original Hill ever existed, all we know is that it's been ten years since he published a new book.
TREVELLIAN: A DESERVING HILL SURVIVOR?
Peter Trevellian, who was Hill's editor and friend for a while, has just published two books under his own name: PTO and Invisible Investor. The reports round out Hill's initial plan: "To present a coherent philosophy for productive, successful people, together with specific, highly detailed plans for achieving their goals." (The Complete Set, 2014). Scope, Hill, and Trevellian have definitely carved out a lucrative niche for themselves by doing this.
(Expat World Newsletter article found at www.expatworld.net)
Wow, that's funny!

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