Why would someone donate to the Sailor Gutzler Fund?

[Hugo Drax]

I don't get it, why panhandle on the internet. High net worth people don't need handouts when something bad happens to a family member. They just deal with it.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...illed-baord-except-seven-year-old-cousin.html

He said the fund, 'for the benefit of Sailor Gutzler'. is active at sailorgutzlerfund.com.

But the business they own Gutzler Furniture generates 2.2 million a year in revenue. So why would they need to ask for money on the internet to help the 7 year old survivor? What would this money be needed for?

 

[DesiPower]

I was reading the article earlier today and had the same thought. There is money in the bank, but a 7 year old wont be able to use it right away? But they again the same would happen to the fund too, won't it?

 

[Hugo Drax]

I was reading the article earlier today and had the same thought. There is money in the bank, but a 7 year old wont be able to use it right away? But they again the same would happen to the fund too, won't it?

The whole thing is odd. They were pretty wealthy and owned their own aircraft which was registered to a separate entity owned by the family.

The whole thing is fishy, its like if Bill gates and Melinda died in a plane accident and then a Website is set up for donations for the surviving kid to help the kid afford food and medical care.

Weird I wonder who is running this fund and it seems the Media is not doing any due diligence or investigative reporting to figure out what exactly is going on.

The Piper they owned costs 799,000 USD base price.


http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=172646

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N81291

 

[BoberFett]

I don't know about all that, but for a 7 year old that kid sounds like a trooper.

 

[Mai72]

My dad said the same thing. This is a wealthy family. Also, I'm sure they had life insurance that will take care of the little girl.

That 7 year old girl is absolutely amazing.

 

[PastTense]

All kinds of people--from the poor to high income types live beyond their means. Nicolas Cage is well paid but look what happened to him:
http://www.celebritynetworth.com/ar...e-blow-through-an-150-million-dollar-fortune/

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Gutzler Furniture generates 2.2 million a year in revenue.

What exactly do you think the NET is on 2.2 million gross?!

You see a 2.2 million dollars, but what you don't see is that you are doing well if you can run the business and have 0.2 of those million left over at the end of the year. A quick review of furniture stores says they net about 2%-5%. And now whoever runs the estate (if you can call it that) is going to have to find an executive to replace Gerald Guzler that won't 1) run the company into the ground 2) cost the entirety of the net revenues. The 20 year present value of margins on this company with a 12% discount for risk is like 300-800k. He MIGHT have been able to sell the business for a million, but more than likely half of that.

He wasn't a wealthy business owner, he was a guy who happened to create a job for himself.

It's not like the little girl is Paris Hilton.

 

[Hugo Drax]

What exactly do you think the NET is on 2.2 million gross?!

You see a 2.2 million dollars, but what you don't see is that you are doing well if you can run the business and have 0.2 of those million left over at the end of the year. A quick review of furniture stores says they net about 2%-5%. And now whoever runs the estate (if you can call it that) is going to have to find an executive to replace Gerald Guzler that won't 1) run the company into the ground 2) cost the entirety of the net revenues. The 20 year present value of margins on this company with a 12% discount for risk is like 300-800k. He MIGHT have been able to sell the business for a million, but more than likely half of that.

He wasn't a wealthy business owner, he was a guy who happened to create a job for himself.

It's not like the little girl is Paris Hilton.

His business according to the info I got made a revenue between 2.2-5 million a year.

They were able to afford an 800K Aircraft along with the cost of its maintenance and the cost of Avgas etc.

Not saying they are super rich but you would think they must have savings and investments in addition to life insurance etc.. And Nashville is not exactly a high cost of living town. like Manhattan or Miami etc..

I find the whole thing quite odd that just a few days later they are asking for funds. To fund what? food on the table?

I dont understand, and the website is lacking in details on what this money is going to be used for or the financial situation is of the family.


The store is open today so its still generating revenue. It just seems no one wants to ask the tough questions or dig a little deeper into that side of the story.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

the website is lacking in details on what this money is going to be used for or the financial situation is of the family.

I agree. This should be spelled out. But keep in mind a lot of 'entrepreneurs' are invincible, irrational, and irresponsible.

His business according to the info I got made a revenue between 2.2-5 million a year.

The info that I linked to said GROSE revenue of 2.2. But the furniture biz often has a margin of 2%-5%. Best case is 5,000,000 * .05 = 250k; more average case 2,200,000 * .02 = 44k. Personally I'd WAY rather have a lower pay each year than 140k a year +/- 100k!

Now that's after the cost of paying the big-chese; but since capital gains are < income tax rates and these businesses tend to be corps, it's unlikely those margins account for very high direct pay. (my guess is about 70k).

MY guess is the big guy really got off on flying the kids around and so he spent somewhere between 20% and 100% of company's marginal profits in any given year renting that air craft.

A LOT of people prefer to have some sort of trapping of wealth than build actual wealth.

 

[KeithP]

MY guess is the big guy really got off on flying the kids around and so he spent somewhere between 20% and 100% of company's marginal profits in any given year renting that air craft.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/girl-7-who-walked-away-plane-crash-had-survival-skills-n279016

Sailor's father, Marty Gutzler, had been flying since he was 16, logging about 4,000 hours, and taught as a flight instructor, family said. He had made that same trip from Florida to Illinois "many, many times," a family friend told NBC News.

When facts are available, guessing probably isn't a good idea.

-KeithP

 

[highland145]

When facts are available, guessing probably isn't a good idea.

-KeithP

What fun are facts? Guessing is almost as much fun as jumping to conclusions.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/girl-7-who-walked-away-plane-crash-had-survival-skills-n279016


When facts are available, guessing probably isn't a good idea.

-KeithP

I'm not following what part of what you quoted explains how the costs of the aircraft were not a significant part of the net margins of this business.

Which was my point: the little girl isn't so rich that it makes no sense to help her out.

Which was the OP's point

High net worth people don't need handouts when something bad happens to a family member. They just deal with it.

To the precise point, I see that the air-craft cost 800k NOT as a sign that they are well to do, but as a sign that they prefer the trappings of wealth over being actually wealthy.

 

[Dirigible]

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/girl-7-who-walked-away-plane-crash-had-survival-skills-n279016


When facts are available, guessing probably isn't a good idea.

-KeithP

I'm far too lazy to click on your link. But your quote says he was an experienced pilot. I don't see anything that contradicts the guess that he was spending a huge amount of the companies profits on flying.

It also seems to confirm the guess that he really enjoyed flying the kids around, since he has apparently been flying many many years.


Or did you mean there are other facts that contradict Dixy's guesses?

 

[Dirigible]

Curse you, Dixy!

How did it take me 3 minutes longer to post?

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Curse you, Dixy!

How did it take me 3 minutes longer to post?

I got a 5 min head start!

Also I post fast and then edit until i'm happy with the post.

 

[OutHouse]

They were able to afford an 800K Aircraft along with the cost of its maintenance and the cost of Avgas etc

Why are you guys focusing on the airplane? he did not own the plane he was just renting/borrowing it. Dr Alan Froehling, a neuromusucular orthopedic from Mt Vernon, Illinois. owned the plane, not Mr Gutzler.

The FAA list two planes owned by Dr Froehling, one of them is a 180, but all the news sources are saying the piper was a 200.

2962E 17271388 CESSNA
172N FROEHLING ALAN L

49AT 44-8107041 PIPER
PA-44-180T FROEHLING ALAN L

 

[zubiedoobydoo]

I have been following this story closely and it just SADDENS me to see people out on a forum criticizing and speculating about this situation. Can you all please have respect for this family? These posts are searchable on the internet and that is how I stumbled across this post. The airplane (according to one article) was owned by an Illinois doctor. This family is nowhere CLOSE to equivalent in wealth to Bill Gates, that was just a sad comparison! You have NO idea what kind of debt these people may have, NO IDEA what is in the bank, and really no right to speculate about those things! As with any estate, there are expenses to pay off with the assets. If you check the Facebook posts of the parents, it clearly shows they lived in an average home in an average neighborhood. I am sure they made a good living, but the fact is, the deceased father is NOT running that store right now and therefore NOT bringing in income to Sailor now with her parents gone. Thank you to the guys who pointed out that revenue is NOT the same as profit and certainly not the same as income. Sheesh! I plan on giving money to this little girl's fund (it is sanctioned by the home town Illinois office that created it and referred to by the funeral home...) and it NEVER occurred to me that somehow they were "too wealthy to deserve this". Having said that, there are some fake funds out there and the family has recognized it and is shutting the fake ones down. Please try to not be so judgmental of people when you do not have all the facts and details! This family could be barely in the black and you do not know how many people have a stake in the family business. There could be many.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

that chick can get a job like everyone else

 

[compuwiz1]

Praying for Sailor. This girl has to deal with way more than anyone her age should have to go through. Insurance claims can take years to settle. A large business does not necessarily make a huge net personal income, as has been stated. I know some people who have large businesses, with millions in revenue, but when the money falls to the bottom line, they are just broke at a different level.

 

[mrjminer]

What fun are facts? Guessing is almost as much fun as jumping to conclusions.

Hm... sounds like profit could be made turning this extremely fun activity into a giant floor mat.

 

[JEDIYoda]

that chick can get a job like everyone else

working with you at McDonalds???

 

[Mai72]

All kinds of people--from the poor to high income types live beyond their means. Nicolas Cage is well paid but look what happened to him:
http://www.celebritynetworth.com/ar...e-blow-through-an-150-million-dollar-fortune/

YOLO?

 

[zinfamous]

Why?

Because Sailor is the sole survivor and humanity's only hope to defeat the Reaper invasion!

D:

 

[jagec]

I have been following this story closely and it just SADDENS me to see people out on a forum criticizing and speculating about this situation. Can you all please have respect for this family?

I don't see disrepect, just people pointing out that there are more worthy causes to donate your money to.

This family is nowhere CLOSE to equivalent in wealth to Bill Gates, that was just a sad comparison!

Yes, that was hyperbole. But the point is that the family has access to resources that many others do not, and as such it is a little crass to ask random strangers for money.

You have NO idea what kind of debt these people may have, NO IDEA what is in the bank, and really no right to speculate about those things!

Actually, if you're asking me for money, I'm perfectly within my rights to attempt to figure out whether it is a worthy cause. And the fact that I don't know about their assets and debts is really part of the problem...if a seemingly-wealthy person is suddenly in need of money, they can't expect me to open up my wallet unless they first explain what happened to their other resources.

As with any estate, there are expenses to pay off with the assets. If you check the Facebook posts of the parents, it clearly shows they lived in an average home in an average neighborhood. I am sure they made a good living...

Who is speculating on their finances now?

 

[highland145]

Don't run off the new guy.