Is Bulma a Trillionaire?
Hi guys, it's the DB Analyst here. Applying real world logic (I think) in the Dragonball world. I'm sure you are well aware that Bulma is rich...as in filthy, outrageous, way richer than the richest person in the world kind of rich. But is that really so?
We've seen Bulma attend quite a few of the World Martial Arts Tournaments...and no one, not a single person EVER took notice that the Bulma Brief is there. Can you imagine if a Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates was to just show up at an event like this? Let's just say...people would know. It doesn't necessarily mean that people would be all over her but her shouting fits (especially during the Tournament her son was in) would have had people talking. Typically, when the rich and famous are out and about, they're just sitting and chatting...probably not yelling at a naughty child or upping the ante towards a fat stranger to see who's child is the better fighter. But...I am thinking that maybe she isn't that well-known after all. People probably would know her father; he is the founder of the Capsule Corporation and the one the company is forever synonymous with even if she was to take over. And I'm sure that she's happy about that – I get the feeling she would not be in favour of all that hype but that's just me. But how rich is she?
I'm not so sure why people seem to think that she's literally the world's richest woman. OK, I get it, that has been stated a few times but I'm comparing her wealth to our world. I don't think she is anywhere near a trillion dollars or more realistically, the guy who owns Amazon. He might get there one day but still she's definitely not raking in as much as he is now. In fact, I wouldn't even put her in the top ten list. Perhaps, Capsule Corporation has a net worth to make it in the top 20 but even then the CEOs typically take home 1/4 of the share. I'm guessing that this role is divided between her and her dad, they seem like a tag team duo. According to how the money is split, this may actually lower her rank. But here's why I think that they are not #1.
First off, let's look into the capsules which is their stand out product. Capsules are super cool and nifty gadgets – they are great to store any and everything in much smaller BUT the thing is...they're pretty expensive. Think about it – these things are not as ubiquitous as a Google, Apple or Amazon, right? You rarely see anyone in the Dragonball world with these things, otherwise you would be seeing CC on everything. I'm sure that you wouldn't find their logo on a single thing in the average man's house and that includes people like Master Roshi and Chi-Chi (we've seen a snippet of their homes and not a trace of Capsule anywhere). Maybe the only person to own anything Capsule Corp is Hercules (because he can afford it) and for anyone else it would have been a gift.
To be honest, the price tag for a capsule is pretty darn hefty – I'm thinking a few million a pop. Let me explain. You are paying not only for the item but the patented technology – for example, you are buying an entire house, fully furnished with food, running water, electricity AND the technology. Just buying a regular, empty house could cost a fortune. Even if you were to be bringing in the item you want to be stored, you still need to pay for the technology. And on top of that, this thing is a lifetime purchase – all you have to do is press a button, how would you even destroy it? The only worry is if you lose it or damage whatever you are containing but that's all at you. Besides, there are sizeable cases to suit capsules of all shapes and sizes. There is even a packaged deal that has them numbered off for you so you can easily identify what you are going for. I'm taking it a step further and would say that there are added features like tracking and alerts in case it may be caught in a fire or flood. Heck, they probably have something to protect it from all of these things already built into it. I'm guessing that a possible target audience may be the wanderlust travellers – after all, at a moment's notice no matter where you are, you've got the vehicle or tool to get you anywhere. From desert to ocean, you can cover it all! Or maybe a better slogan would be...Capsule Corp - Go anywhere with everything. It would even save you on a luggage fee (but who's spending $1M to save on $100?)
Moreover, all their products are lifetime purchases. Their technology is always highly specialized – I'm sure they can create the perfect headphones but that's just not their thing. They're more into robots, rockets and weapons. Their computers are probably not your regular one to surf the web or gaming but high-tech gear that could do things like out of a sci-fi movie. These things are great for people who need to handle a lot of important projects – hospitals, businesses and even countries.
Overall, it seems that Bulma and her father seem to have a great love for their work and could get lost in it for hours on end. Sky-high prices, niche products perfected to a tee – if they wanted to, they probably would make that trillion by serving to the masses. Perhaps, they may have a small market to cater to making repairs – after all, they can solve almost anything in days or even minutes. So yeah, I agree that Bulma's rich...just not a trillionaire kind of rich. What do you think?