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GeistTV
I had the pleasure of befriending Tim Durham about eight years ago when he lived in the tony Diamond Pointe neighborhood. After an evening out on the town, I gave him a ride home. I was only 23 and had just purchased my pride and joy, a shiny, new, red Camaro Z28. Being young and naïve, I thought Tim was impressed with my awesome wheels. That is until we arrived at his home. He opened the garage, revealing a cache of exotic cars. Instantly, my Camaro’s coolness factor had slipped into the abyss of Geist, and I drove off that night with a bruised ego.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Tim Durham, he can be described as a colorful asset to normally non-flashy Geist. Despite his party-loving reputation, Tim has an air of seriousness permeating him. He has a “get down to business” attitude, an attribute that put him on the big business map. Tim is the chairman and CEO of Obsidian Enterprises, an umbrella company for many business ventures. He has resided in the area for many years, first in Diamond Pointe, and then building a 30,000-square-foot home in nearby Fortville.
Familiar local mainstays such as Chairman’s Cigars and Bella Vita are just a few of the many businesses Tim either owns or has a stake in. Tim is also responsible for single-handedly livening up the Geist landscape with his amazing parties peppered with celebrities such as rapper Ludacris, Kato Kaelin (remember him?), and Anna Nicole Smith.
Thanks to Tim, Geist is also home to a $15-million car collection, quietly housed in a two-story garage. This car showroom features black granite floors and artwork rivaling the living quarters of most homes in the area. The 10,000-square-foot garage houses “about 72 cars,” Tim estimates. He admits that at times he loses count of the cars in his possession. Naturally, this would be fitting for the owner of Car Collector Magazine — a venture he recently acquired.Joining the ranks of Clark Gable and the Duke of Windsor, Tim has become the proud owner of several Duesenberg automobiles. One formidable Duesenberg in Tim’s garage was once owned by famed publisher William Randolph Hearst. “It was actually made in Indiana,” remarks Tim. “As far as old cars, Duesenberg’s are one of my favorites.”
One very interesting car in Tim’s possession is a 1908 Cadillac. “When they first started making cars, it didn’t occur to them to put in a backseat, a windshield or a top,” said Tim, describing early manufacturers’ minimalist approach. Later, the windshield was added so the driver didn’t have to don goggles while driving.
“That’s the fastest car in the world,” Tim says as he points to a streamlined, black-and-silver automobile nonchalantly parked in the driveway. This Bugatti Veyron is the most costly car in his collection, setting him back $1.8 million. Clocking in with a top speed of 253 MPH, Tim describes it as an “amazing car to drive!”
Satisfying his love of cars isn’t the only reason behind Tim’s collection. His hobby may seem frivolous, but it is also lucrative. “Almost all of the older cars have appreciated in value.” He adds, “It’s a nice hobby where you can make money.”
The impressive collection includes names like Ferrari, Bentley, Lamborghini, De Lorean, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Lotus and many more. Don’t assume Tim amasses the cars only to leave them gathering dust in his garage. Proving that they aren’t just for show, Tim enjoys driving them, both for fun and to keep them functioning properly. “They are kind of like horses; you have to keep them running,” Tim laughs.
Interesting story – but it was focused on what the man “has” not how he thinks! Once you learn the method- and basic rules a person has been tAught or was born with, then you’ll have a great story.
Could I please have an email where I could get directly to Tim Durham? I have discovered some things of financial psychology that may really appeal to him.
Many thanks, James Schildgen
I'm sorry, but who do the cars really belong to? Tim, or the investors in Ohio who lent their hard-earned savings to him?
Tim Durham cover story on IBJ:
http://www.ibj.com/durham-insider-loans-pile-up/P…
In addition to borrowing the money from the Ohio residents, Tim also borrowed tens of millions from Fortress, which resulted in a lawsuit over the broker commission–broker won $1.5M judgment and Durham hasn't paid that yet, either:
http://www.bartonesq.com/00144574.PDF+%22roger+e+barton%... target=”_blank”>http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:J1GnqKWMzxoJ…” target=”_blank”>http://www.bartonesq.com/00144574.PDF+%22roger+e+barton%...
http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2009/10/tim-du…
LOSER!!!
tim durham is a sad, sad individual that deserves nothing more than to be ridiculed for the rest of his existence, for WHICH HE SHOULD. Look him up HE IS A FRAUD. FRAUD, FAKE, LOSER. What he did was basically STEAL money from old people that "thought" they were buying bonds that payed high interest. HE RAN A PONZI SCEME! It takes a real sick person to steal from old people to not only live well, but to LIVE THE MOST EXTRAVAGANT LIFESTYLE POSSIBLE- SPENDING 15 MILLION ON CARS, 30,000 sq ft for ALL THE BAGS OF BS HE IS FULL OF, PAYING CELEBRITIES TO HANG OUT WITH HIM AS IF THEY WERE HIS "FRIENDS". Looking back now wasn't it obvious that someone that is bragging about their successful "SHELL" companies IS A COMPLETE FRAUD?? Maybe that is what sparked the investigation into this clown. There is nothing but a miserable, UN-successful person in tim durham, however one may say he is successful at being an excellent Scamming FRAUD. Sorry but people like this just make me sick they have NO IDEA what really matters they just STEAL FROM PEOPLE AND ACT LIKE THEIR IMPORTANT AND SPEND MONEY, WHEN IN REALITY THEY ARE LOSERS WITH NO FAMILY OR FRIENDS. I am NOT AGAINST WEALTHY…I happen to be in an upper bracket and I am sick of people like durham that make "wealthy" people look like the WORST people in the world. Every group has it's bad apples, but I would like to point out that DURHAM WAS NEVER PART OF THE GROUP AND NEVER WILL BE. I worked very hard to get where I am, and honestly I loved every second of it because I have a true passion for what I do. Money doesn't matter, I look at it as a way to enhance time I spend with family and friends and give help to people I know and people I don't know when in need. Put it this way, if it was between my family and all my money and everything I own, I would not be writing this right now; I would be outside somewhere building a house for my family by myself.
Did you see the latest on mckainviewpoint.com–his sidekick Scott is now claiming he has Mennonites in his family! How ridiculous, especially given it's out in the public now that he stopped paying his mortgage shortly after the FBI raided Obsidian (the company he claimed to have co-founded and served as Vice-Chairman of) and Fair Finance. That follows a post where he allegedly blasts or infers one of the whistlblowers ase being a fatal attraction. Yeah, fatal attraction after you are caught reaping tons of cash from stolen money from elderly people. Big guys, huh.
All of the guys associated with Durham ( with the exception of the fine government attorneys and trustee chasing down the assets) are liars, mooches and total losers in my opinion. The fact that many of them are now claiming they don't owe a penny back tells you there is no shame in the Durham hall of fame.