The Tyrant Billionaire

To be honest, some cabinet ministers didn't even know the name "Cayman Islands." After all, the British Empire had once held so many colonies—over fifty countries and more than 30 million square kilometers of land—that it was hard to remember the names of all the small islands.

But now that someone was interested in buying, the value of the island suddenly became apparent.

They could let it sit and rot, but if someone wanted to buy, they would have to pay a high price.

None of the cabinet members opposed the outcome of the discussions between the Prime Minister and the Crown Princess. If Hardy took British citizenship, was granted a title, made governor, and bought the island, all of it would be perfectly legal.

Of course, it depended on whether Hardy was willing to take British citizenship.

After all, he was a wealthy American.

They also had to consider the political implications.

Finally, there was the matter of the price. The cabinet members focused heavily on this issue—everything has a price; it all depends on how much you're willing to pay.

Hardy received an invitation from the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, asking him to visit the minister's estate. Hardy knew this likely meant that the matter was progressing.

"Minister Lambert, it's good to see you again," Hardy said with a smile as he shook the Chancellor's hand.

"We greatly welcome entrepreneurs like you, Mr. Hardy, to visit Britain more often and invest in our country. I understand you've made substantial investments in Hong Kong, which pleases us greatly. If you encounter any issues in Hong Kong, you can always come to us for help. We'll assist you with whatever you need."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they got down to business.

"Mr. Hardy, are you interested in purchasing the Cayman Islands?" Minister Lambert asked.

Hardy smiled.

"Yes, the scenery there is quite beautiful. If possible, I'd like to turn it into a tourist destination for Americans," Hardy said.

The word "casino" was still too sensitive to be mentioned openly, so it was better to promote it as a tourist destination.

"After some deliberation, we believe we can agree to your request, but we do have a few conditions you must meet," Minister Lambert said.

"Please, go ahead."

"After our discussions, we are willing to sell you the island and grant it autonomy as you requested, but you must agree that it will never leave the Commonwealth."

Hardy nodded at this condition.

He wasn't stupid.

Independence for such a small island would be meaningless. With autonomy, the island would remain nominally British, but in practice, it would have all the powers of an independent nation.

It would have its own government, its administration would be independent of British control, and it could create its own laws, set its own taxes, and determine its own trade and foreign policies. It could even have its own military. The only thing it couldn't do was declare war arbitrarily. In every other way, it would be free.

And flying the British flag would bring many benefits. People might not know what the Cayman Islands are, but they certainly know Britain. If anyone tried to bully the island, it would be as if they were declaring war on Britain.

Even though Britain was weaker now, it was still one of the future permanent members of the UN Security Council and a global power. Using the British name would be good for business.

"No problem. I agree to that condition," Hardy said.

"Mr. Hardy, in order to obtain control of the Cayman Islands, you must become a British citizen. Our proposal is that you acquire British nationality, receive a title from His Majesty the King, and be granted the Cayman Islands. At the same time, you would be appointed Governor of the Cayman Islands, making the arrangement legally sound."

Upon hearing the requirement to switch to British citizenship, Hardy was displeased.

This essentially meant giving up what he considered the best nationality in the world just to satisfy British pride, and that wasn't even the worst of it.

The U.S. citizens were equally proud, if not more so, than the British in some respects. Switching nationalities would definitely displease them, and the Hardy group could face a strong boycott of its products, with inevitable huge losses for a long time. And that's only the reaction from the citizens.
Find more to read at empire

On the political and military sides, Hardy could end up losing half of the connections he had built. So, while this may have seemed like a simple term, in fact, it was the harshest and most unacceptable one to Hardy.

"At best, I can consider dual citizenship," Hardy said.

"I understand. The main issue is that foreigners can't hold formal peerage titles—they can only be granted honorary ones. Honorary titles don't include land grants, which is why you would need to become a British citizen," Minister Lambert explained.

Hardy thought for a moment. He wasn't sure if dual citizenship would have any negative effects on him, especially economically. If it brought too many complications, he wouldn't agree to it.

"As for the citizenship issue, I'll need to discuss it with my team. The Hardy Group isn't just me alone—it involves many interests. Also, what price are you offering for the Cayman Islands?" Hardy asked, bringing up the issue of cost.

Minister Lambert smiled. "As I mentioned earlier, it's not a sale; it's a royal grant."

That line reminded Hardy of religious offerings or gifts—something you don't buy, you request.

This, too, wasn't a purchase—it was a gift from the king.

But Hardy knew that sometimes such arrangements could be more expensive than a simple purchase.

"So, what are the terms, Minister Lambert?" Hardy inquired.

"The government hopes that Wells Fargo Bank will extend a $100 million loan to the UK, and that you will purchase $100 million worth of five year government bonds," Lambert replied.

Hardy thought to himself.

It would have been cheaper to just buy the island. If he were to buy it outright, the normal price would probably be around $10-20 million.