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Shopping Spree! Putting the Caps’ Franchise Value into Perspective

$250 Million in cash, seized from a cartel in Mexico (image via popular-pics.com)

Looking to invest $250 million dollars?  That could get you a hypothetical copy of the Washington Capitals, a massive blue diamond currently in care of the Smithsonian, an MLB first baseman, or a former-US presidential candidate.

So, where did that $250 million number come from?  Forbes Magazine just released their annual ranking of NHL teams by value.  In a result that should surprise no one, the underachieving Toronto Maple Leafs took the top spot, with a value of $1 billion.  Our beloved Capitals finished in the very respectable eleventh place slot, with a franchise value of – you guessed it – $250 million.

After reading the article, I found myself wondering, “What else is worth $250 million? That’s just an absurd amount of money!” So I did some research, and this is what I found:

1. Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney (image via politico.com)

Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney is worth a reported $250 million dollars.

2. Albert Pujols’ Contract

Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols (image via bleacherreport.com)

Nearly one year ago, first baseman Albert Pujols inked a ten year deal with the Los Angeles Angels worth $250 million.

3. The Hope Diamond

the Hope Diamond
The Hope Diamond (image via the Smithsonian Institute)

The Hope Diamond is a 45.52 carat diamond dating back to the 1600s and the original owner was King Louis XIV of France. The Hope Diamond’s estimated value is $250 million.

4.  5 Tons of Cocaine (Legality Optional)

It takes between 4 and 5 tons of cocaine to reach a street value of $250 Million (Photo Credit: JLM Photography)

In July, it was reported that four to five tons of Cocaine had been intercepted while passing through Mayport, in Jacksonville, FL.  The estimated street value was $250 Million.

5. Paul Cezannne’s “The Card Players”

Cezanne's "The Card Players"
Paul Cezanne’s “The Card Players” (image via latimes.com)

This relatively simple looking (at least to my untrained eye) painting by artist Paul Cezanne was purchased for $250 million by the royal family of Qatar in 2011. It broke the previous record of $140 million as the highest price ever paid for a single work of art.

6. The Rising Sun

The Rising Sun, a yacht
The Rising Sun (image via luxist,com)

The Rising Sun was built in 2004 at a cost of $250 million by Lurssen Yachts. The yacht is currently owned by David Geffen, a billionaire music and movie magnate.

Caveat Emptor:

This post does beg a warning to the reader: We’re pretty sure that the Hope Diamond and the Cezanne aren’t subject to work stoppages and labour disputes.  We can’t guarantee the same is true about the yacht, as it requires a crew to operate it.  And we here at Caps Outsider are certainly not encouraging our readers to dabble in the dark side of the law.  We’re merely proving a bit of context to that abstractly massive price tag dangling from Slapshot’s neck.

Moral of the Story: If you’re looking for somewhere to drop that quarter of a billion dollars, it looks like art might just be the more stable investment at the moment…

M. Richter contributed to this article.

Samantha Bass

I am a William & Mary student with a love for animal print, hockey, dogs, and, of course, the Washington Capitals!

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