Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Dan Bigfootzerian Parties In My Butthole With His Billionaire Lifestyle by Chuck Tingle Reading Parrot - Read. Review. Repeat. „10 Bücher mit besonders langen/ausgefallenen Titeln“ sind das heutige TopTenThursday-Thema und oh, das wird bestimmt sehr lustig; da freue ich mich auch schon sehr darauf, die Beiträge der weiteren Teilnehmenden zu lesen. Lange Titel sind ja nun nicht mehr so ungewöhnlich; ich meine, spätestens „Der Hundertjährige, der aus dem Fenster stieg und verschwand“ hat Titel, die sich bestenfalls über das gesamte Cover ziehen, doch zu einer der grossen Moden der 2010er gemacht und auch auf den Auswahllisten zum „ungewöhnlichsten Buchtitel des Jahres“ finden sich sehr viele laaaaaaaaaaange Titel wie Thomas Spitzers „Wir sind glücklich, unsere Mundwinkel zeigen in die Sternennacht, wie bei Angela Merkel, wenn sie einen Handstand macht“ (Gewinner 2014). Ich habe nun ein wenig gestöbert, 100 Leute gefragt (okay, nein, das stimmt so nicht) und präsentiere euch hiermit voller Verstörung einige besonders skurrile englische Buchtitel, die nicht weniger irritierend sind als die hässlichen Buchcover, die ich Mitte Januar im Rahmen der „Montagsfrage“ abgebildet habe. Chuck Tingle: so ziemlich jeder Buchtitel. „Turned Gay By The Existential Dread That I May Actually Be A Character In A Chuck Tingle Book” klingt generell eher nach einem Statement und nur sehr, sehr wenig nach einem Buchtitel. Tatsächlich ist so aber ein Buch eben jenen Chuck Tingles betitelt! Eine tragende Rolle innert eines Tingle-Buchs kann man übrigens offensichtlich erhalten, wenn man nicht nur sehr viele Immobilien besitzt, sondern dazu auch noch den festen Glauben, der ideale republikanische Präsident der USA zu sein bzw. sein zu können. (Um es mit John Niven zu sagen: „Gott bewahre“!) Denn Tingles Titel „President Domald Loch Ness Tromp Pound’s America’s Butt“ lässt da doch sehr eindeutige Rückschlüsse auf einen gegenwärtigen Präsidentschaftskandidaten zu. Bei Chuck Tingles Werken handelt es sich übrigens um erotische Kurzgeschichten und bei Chuck Tingle um einen Autor, dessen Erzählungen sich fast allesamt durch einen besonders skurrilen Titel auszeichnen. „Dan Bigfootzerian Parties In My Butthole With His Billionaire Lifestyle“ <- wenn ihr euch fragt, wer sich denn sowas ausdenkt: Chuck Tingle! Zu meinen Chuck-Tingle-Top3-Titel zählen übrigens: 1. „Shared By The Chocolate Milk Cowboys“ 2. “Leonardo Decaprio Finally Wins His Award And It Pounds Him In The Butt” 3. (Achtung, Einhornfans!) “My Ass Is Haunted By The Gay Unicorn Colonel” Ähem, ja, guten Appetit; vielleicht tragen Tingles Chocolate Milk Cowboys ja ein Getränk zur Mahlzeit bei?! Ratgeber sind generell dankbare Abnehmer schräger Titel: Mary McHugh: „If I Get Hit By A Bus Tomorrow, Here’s How to Replace the Toilet Paper Roll: A Woman’s Instructional Guide for Men” James Lee: “Everything I Needed to Know about Women I learned by reading Twilight” Sadie Allison: “Tickle His Pickle!: Your Hands On-Guide to Penis Pleasing” Kaori Tsutaya: „Crafting With Cat Hair: Cute Handicrafts To Make With Your Cat”* (welcher Katzenbesitzer meint nun ein potentielles neues Hobby entdeckt zu haben?) Trisha Yeager: „How to Be Sexy With Bugs In Your Teeth – A motorcycling manual for women“ <- dieser überaus praktische Ratgeber für eine jede Bikerbraut ist allerdings nur noch gebraucht erhältlich. Dabei ist die Taschenbuchausgabe mit ca. 370€ noch ein echtes Schnäppchen gegenüber der gebundenen Ausgabe*, die derzeit mit knapp 9.300€ zu Buche schlagen würde. Zurück zur Belletristik: Barbara Sheridan: „Beautiful Cocksucker“ (Nein, so wie ich das in Erfahrung bringen konnte, ist das keine Parodie der „Beautiful …“-Reihe von Christina Lauren!) und zum guten Schluss verrate ich euch noch, dass. David Wong: „John Dies at the End“ Dieser Roman ist übrigens gar (unter dem gleichen) Titel verfilmt* worden; die Geschichte dreht sich um die tödliche Superdroge Sojasauce. Nein, ich habe mich nicht verschrieben; wenn ihr „Sojasauce“ gelesen habt, habt ihr euch auch nicht verlesen. How Much Did The Barenaked Ladies Get Paid For 'The Big Bang Theory' Theme Song? The Barenaked Ladies first came together back in Scarborough, Ontario in 1988 and have since become one of the most iconic bands of the 90s and 2000s! The group released their first album in 1992 and have become a certified diamond group in Canada, however, it seems as if they are not just known for their rock songs but one theme song in particular! Back in 2007, the Barenaked Ladies got together to record the theme song to what would become one of the most-watched shows on television, "The Big Bang Theory"! While many fans don't know this fun fact about the Canadian rock band, it appears as if the group not only recorded the song but they wrote it too! While the show wasn't as big a phenomenon as it turned into back then, the band still walked away with a pretty paycheck. Here's how much the Barenaked Ladies made from "The Big Bang Theory" theme song! A Big And Bangin' Theme Song. "The Big Bang Theory" was without a doubt one of the most popular shows on television, and they sure had one of the most iconic theme songs! While theme songs from shows such as "Cheers", "Friends", or "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" have certainly stuck over time, "The Big Bang Theory" is certainly joining the ranks. The theme song was written and recorded by the Barenaked Ladies. The Canadian rock group, which is made up of members Ed Robertson, Kevin Hearn, Jim Creeggan, Tyler Stewart, Andy Creeggan and formerly, Steven Page, recorded the song back in 2007 and made a whopping $1 million! While the exact number is an estimate from the band's former member, Steven Page, it seems as if this is very plausible! Considering the band wrote the song, they own the rights, which gains them access to royalties, so a number like that almost seems like it isn't' enough. Most artists who commission work for television shows or commercials will often be given the song, however, in the Barenaked Ladies case, they had more of a chance to play around with their contracts in order to secure print, performance and synchro rights to the song, meaning they will be making money off of it for quite some time. This topic came back up in 2015 when it was revealed that former band frontman, Steven Page, who left the group in 2009, sued the band for never having received a single penny from the theme song. Page claims that he was entitled to 20 percent of all profit made off of "The Big Bang Theory", however, he has not received anything. According to Steven, the only member of the group who has, in fact, received compensation from royalties is Ed Roberston. It was during his legal pursuit that Steven Page revealed he believed the amount to have been made from their song is in "excess of $1 million". If he's truly entitled to 20 percent, that means Page was being left out of a $200,000 deal. So, it is safe to say that we certainly understand his frustration! 9 Super-hot wives of Billionaires – that make the common man hate himself more! This super hot Bombshell from Slovenia, Melania Knauss has been the topic of the town ever since her hubby and the USA President-elect Donald Trump won the elections. A model since she was 16, Melania met Mr. Trump in Sept. 1998 at a Fashion week party. Although Mr. Trump has been waging a relentless war against the immigrants in the States (at least in his campaigns ), this one immigrant has managed to seal her spot. 2. Talulah Riley. Age : 31 / Nationality: British. Married: Elon Musk (45) 2010–2012 & 2013–2016. Talulah Riley is a British actress from the United Kingdom noted for movies such as Inception, The Summer House and White Frog along with TV appearances in shows as Doctor Who, Poirot, Marple etc. Elon Musk, Co-founder of Tesla & Paypal, founder of SpaceX, and Talulah started dating in 2008 and two years later on 25th Sept. 2010 tied the knot. But soon after, just four years later filed for a divorce, again in the year 2013 are said to have patched things up in 2013 and eventually broke up in Oct. 2016. If rumors are to be believed, reconciliation is on the cards. 3. Salma Hayek. Age: 50 / Nationality: Mexican, American. Married: François-Henri Pinault on 14th Feb 2009. She is one woman you can find in each and every "The most beautiful women" list. Salma Hayek is a noted Mexican – American film actress, producer and former model. She is well known for movies like Bandidas, Wild Wild West, Frida, Grown ups 1 & 2 and so on. On March 7th 2009, she confirmed her engagement and her pregnancy with French Billionaire François-Henri Pinault, CEO of Kering. 4. Kristy Hinze. Age : 37 / Nationality: Australian. Married: James H. Clark (72) on 22nd Mar 2009. Kristy, a renowned model from Australia, came into the limelight through the 10th season of America's Next Top Model. She went on to be the host & judge of another popular Australian fashion series Project Runway Australia in the first two seasons. She, later on, married James H. Clark, founder of Silicon Graphics and Netscape. 5. Oleksandra Nikolayenko-Ruffin. Age : 34 / Nationality: Ukrainian. Married: Phil Ruffin (80) on 6th Jan. 2008. Olek… well let's call her Olek. Olek is a multiple beauty pageant winner with the “Miss Odessa”, “Miss Ukraine South”, “Miss Ukraine”, “Miss Student”, “Miss Tourism-Europe”, “First vice-Miss Tourism-Planet”, “Miss American Dream” and “Miss Tourism International” and the 2004 "Miss Ukraine" titles. She married the casino, real estate and Oil Industry Mogul Phil Ruffin (72 then) at the age of 26. 6. Claudia Barilla. Age : 37 / Nationality: Canadian. Married: Guy Laliberté (57) Claudia Barilla who started modeling at the tender age of 17, is quite known in certain parts of Canada for her modeling prowess but mostly because she is the wife of self-made Canadian billionaire, entrepreneur, poker player, space tourist & co-founder of Cirque du Soleil. Not much is known except that Mr. Guy Laliberté s is one lucky man! 7. Dasha Zhukova. Age : 35 / Nationality: Russian. Married: Roman Abrmovich (50) Ms. Zukhova is neither a model nor an actress, although we think she should be both! She is an accomplished name in fashion and art industry, being the co-founder of Kova & T and the founder of GARAGE magazine. She met and married Roman Abrmovich, a businessman, investor, and politician well known as the owner of the Chelsea football club. Their marriage was said to be a hushed ceremony, being a very secretive affair! 8. Jade Foret. Age : 26 / Nationality: Belgian. Married: Arnaud Lagardère (55) on 14th May 2013. Jade Foret is a top model, based off of New York. She rose to fame at the age of 13 when her 100m x 20m backless poster was put up as a part of the advertisement for Levi's. She has appeared in 2 movies, Louis la Brocante and Traceless. She met Arnaud Lagardère, a French billionaire who is the General and Managing Partner at Lagardère SCA. The two bonded over a "behind the scenes" of a photoshoot and hit it off instantly. She then gave birth to a baby girl in Sept. 2012 and soon after in 2013, got married. 9. Nikita Kahn. Age : 24 / Nationality: Ukranian. Married: Larry Ellison (Boyfriend, 70) Meet Nikita Kahn! Although not much is known about this young-shell (amalgam of youngster and bombshell ), we do know that she is Mr. Ellison's rumored girlfriend. You might ask "umm.. he's the founder or Oracle corp. & wasn't he like, married?". Yes, he is, to Melanie Ellison and yet here we are! Sure, Mrs. Ellison is no less beautiful, but 70-year-old Larry likes his women young! Nikita has appeared in one movie – Catch (appropriate?). The Secret Parties Billionaires Don't Want You To Know About. Billionaires — they're not just like us. No, something happens when you reach a certain level of wealth. The planes become private. The apartments become penthouses. And the parties, well, they get real epic real fast. When you have enough money to buy whatever you want and pay your way out of anything, it's amazing what kind of trouble you can get into. From opulent orgies to secret cabals running the world, billionaire parties tend to be more Eyes Wide Shut than "I'm in charge of the iPod." There's just one rule when it comes to partying with a billionaire: Don't talk about partying with a billionaire. Along with the $8,000 bottles of wine and 800-foot yachts, these folks pay top dollar for their privacy. Thankfully, a few details leak out from time to time, so let's see what we can uncover about the party lives of the uber-wealthy. Billionaire's birthday bashes are bonkers. You won't find a lot of Carvel ice cream cake at a billionaire's birthday party. Heck, Jay-Z and Beyonce dropped $200,000 on their daughter Blue Ivy's first birthday party, which is about $199,990 more than most people spend. Ronald Perelman likes to celebrate his on a 188-foot yacht in the warm waters of St. Barts, often flying in famous folks like Barry Manilow to sing him happy birthday. Retail tycoon Philip Green once surprised 100 of his friends with a last-minute trip to the Maldives for his 55th. And that's nothing compared to Jho Low, the controversial Malaysian billionaire who turned his 31st birthday into the biggest bash Las Vegas had ever seen, even though no one was quite sure who he was. An arms dealer? A political power player? In the end, it didn't matter. He was rich. The unassuming businessman built what looked like an aircraft hangar on a vacant plot of land and then filled it up with some of the world's biggest stars. Leonardo DiCaprio, Kanye West, and Kim Kardashian were there, along with a Ferris wheel, carousel, circus trampoline, and cigar lounge. Jamie Foxx hosted, with performances from Britney Spears, Q-Tip, and Chris Brown. To end the night, a giant fireworks show exploded over the Nevada desert. Robin Leach, the renowned connoisseur of the rich and famous, recalled of the evening, "We're used to extravagant parties in Las Vegas, but this was the ultimate party. I've never been to one like it." One billionaire's secret shag lair. For most of us, our secret shag lair involves using incognito mode, but billionaires have enough money to turn their whole life into incognito mode when the mood strikes. Take Henry Nicholas, the founder of the tech company Broadcom, who turned a warehouse in Laguna Niguel, California into a neverending adult romp. The personal pleasure pad was reportedly stocked to the brim with cocaine, meth, and ecstasy, along with cutting- edge technology, making it the ultimate spot to hang with his friends and a neverending rotation of ladies of the night. And when that wasn't good enough, he allegedly hired a construction team to covertly connect the place to his home through underground passageways. This shouldn't come as a shock to the folks who know anything about Nicholas, who used to secretly spike his colleagues' drinks with ecstasy and who once smoked so much marijuana on his private plane that the pilot was forced to "put on an oxygen mask." Unfortunately, at least for Nicholas, it all came tumbling down when he was arrested for his Caligula-like lifestyle, along with a laundry list of securities frauds. He was acquitted of all charges, but it's not a great look. The secret side of Cannes. The Cannes Film Festival is a lot of things, from a glamorous party to an over-the-top trade convention. Hollywood heavyweights cut deals between parties and schmooze with their favorite movie stars. But for the working girls who fly in, it's the "biggest payday of the year." According to Lebanese businessman Elie Nahas, who was busted for running a prostitution ring at the festival in 2007, the only thing you'll see more of than the movies is the sex. According to him, thousands of women flocks to the fest every year, from high-end call girls charging $4,000 a trick to streetwalkers plying their trade for 50 bucks. But find the right john, and you can hit it big. Some of the women have been known to make $40,000 a night. As Nahas described it to the Hollywood Reporter , "Every year during the festival there are 30 or 40 luxury yachts in the bay at Cannes, and every boat belongs to a very rich person. Every boat has about 10 girls on it; they are usually models. . It's drugs and drink and beautiful women. Go out on one and you'll see. The girls are all waiting for their envelopes at the end of the night. It's been going on there for 60 years." Bilderberg plots a New World Order . maybe? Are members of the Bilderberg Group, an annual gathering of the richest and most powerful men in the world, really the puppet masters of our planet? Are these titans of industry and business really the rumored lizard people, secretly pulling the strings of the human race? Is Alex Jones, the noted conspiracy theorist and crazy person, right when he says, "We know you are ruthless. We know you are evil. We respect your dark power." Well, according to English politician and Bilderberg member Denis Healey, um, maybe? "To say we were striving for a one-world government is exaggerated, but not wholly unfair," he told author Jon Ronson for his book Them , leaving the rest of the world wondering what exactly goes on behind the closed doors of this extremely exclusive club for the crazy rich. The party itself was founded in 1954 by a group of North American and European power players, as, according to the Independent, an "endorsement of Western free market capitalism over the years." Former attendees include Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Princes Charles and Philip, Bill Clinton, and Bill Gates, who may or may not be lizard people. A Wall Street bacchanal. "Good evening, Exalted High Council, former Grand Swipes, Grand Swipes-in-waiting, fellow Wall Street Kappas. and worthless neophytes!" And so began the 2012 Kappa Beta Phi dinner, a secret gathering of Wall Street royalty. Designed as an ultra-exclusive financial community fraternity at the dawn of the Great Depression, it serves as a "sort of one-percenters Friars Club," according to New York Magazine . The party is a chance for some of the richest men in the world to shut the doors and let loose. It may be the only place you can see literal billionaires perform sexist and homophobic skits, dress up as dirty liberals, and sing lame song parodies about how rich they are. As Kevin Roose, author of Young Money , put it, "Here were executives who had strong ideas about politics, society, and the work of their colleagues, but who would never have the courage to voice those opinions in a public setting. Their cowardice had reduced them to sniping at their perceived enemies in the form of satirical songs and sketches, among only those people who had been handpicked to share their view of the world." When said author was discovered having snuck into the 2012 festivities, none other than Wilbur Ross, the exceedingly elderly Secretary of Commerce at the time of writing, acted as a bouncer and got the help of powerful executive Alexandra Lebenthal (above) to drag him out. This black tie dinner isn't for prying eyes, considering these are the men who wrecked the global economy in 2008 essentially having a laugh about it. Burning Man for the rich. Burning Man may be full of trust fund kids and millionaires, but it's always gone out of its way to shun showy signs of its own wealth. Not so for Further Future, the offshoot festival designed for and by the uber-wealthy. If you've always wanted to be a Burner but also have access to top notch lavender lattes, this is the spot for you. It's website lists "unabashed luxury" as one of its primary goals, and its guests won't be disappointed. Beyond the VIP fencing sit Airstreams and "Lunar Palaces" going for thousands of dollars a night, often fully staffed with personal valets and private chefs. If that's not good enough, Nobu offers $250-a-seat dinners, or you can just take part in something called a "smudging aura cleansing." Saline and vitamin transfusion are available, and there's a beer and foie gras torchon tasting, because of course there is. Dressed in the "steampunk futurism" style that's the official aesthetic of the festival, entrepreneurs and tech billionaires mingle, cutting deals between wellness panels. "It's the Burning Man 1 percent," said Charles, a documentary filmmaker who made the trek. So let the Burners eat cake; this is where the powerful come to play. The Rothschilds' exclusive Illuminati Ball. You wouldn't think an event designed as the party of the year would have something to hide, but if you listen to certain conspiracy theorists, Marie- Hélène de Rothschild's "Surrealist Ball" was not all that it seemed. The shindig was held at Château de Ferrières on December 12, 1972, complete with a who's who of the rich and famous, including Audrey Hepburn, Salvador Dali, and supermodel Marisa Berenson, star of Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon . Perhaps it's no coincidence that this party has been listed as one of the inspirations for Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. From the invitations being written backward to the occult iconography — like a mock human sacrifice used as a table centerpiece — this party was either winking at Illuminati iconography or in the full thrall of it. Guests were welcomed to the party by being forced to puzzle through a maze. The host, Marie-Hélène, dressed in a full stag's head with golden horns. Many of the other guest wore elaborate masks and headdresses, like Hepburn, who had a full bird's cage atop her head. The estate itself was lit up in orange to mimic hellfire. You know, as parties tend to do. Who knows what was happening behind closed doors that night, but if the pictures are to be believed, it was one heck of a party. Saudi Royalty break Islamic laws in private. As the great Mel Brooks once said, it's good to be the king. In Saudi Arabia, it's good to be one of the kingdom's 10,000 princes, flush with cash and a lack of concern for their family's oppressive rules. Why else would a deeply religious theocracy and a feared religious police force look the other way as its royal class hosts decadent parties, breaking every law in the books? Take Prince Faisal, a second-tier "Cadet" prince, as far from the throne as you can get, who still enjoys all the perks and privileges of princehood. His epic 2009 Halloween party, one we only learned about thanks to a leaked diplomatic cable, is still the talk of the town. "Alcohol, though strictly prohibited by Saudi law and custom, was plentiful at the party's well-stocked bar, well-patronized by Halloween revelers. . It was also learned through word-of-mouth that a number of the guests were in fact 'working girls,' not uncommon for such parties." The U.S. partygoers also reported, "though not witnessed directly at this event, cocaine and hashish use is common in these social circles." A guest list determined who made it inside the exclusive affair, but once there "the scene resembled a nightclub anywhere outside the kingdom: plentiful alcohol, young couples dancing, a DJ at the turntables and everyone in costume." Good thing Saudi Arabia just lifted its ban on female drivers, so next time he can invite even more single ladies. The Bohemian Grove secret society soiree. According to a spokesperson for Bohemian Grove, the mysterious annual retreat of political power players, the club is nothing more than a chance to "share a passion for the outdoors, music, and theater." Then again, this is where the early planning for the Manhattan Project took place, so it might not be all fresh air and camp songs. Bill Clinton once described it as "where all those rich Republicans go up and stand naked against redwood trees," but no outsiders really know for certain. In 2000, an intrepid reporter named Alex Jones (yes, the crazy one) did manage to sneak a video camera inside and record some sort of bizarre pagan rituals. It involved the organization's members dressing up in ornate costumes, burning a coffin in effigy before a 40-foot owl statue. You know, typical camp stuff. Spy magazine reporter Philip Weiss also managed to sneak in back in 1989, reporting on the handful of rules he encountered. Basically, don't do business, don't pee on the trees, and always be drunk. Only the last rule was strictly enforced. Inside the campgrounds, he found powerful men making powerful decisions over copious amounts of alcohol. Reagan reportedly agreed not to primary Richard Nixon as the two mingled back in the summer of 1968. The women were the show at private London event. "Welcome to the most un-PC event of the year." So opined Jonny Gould, the host of the 2018 President Club Charity Dinner, in what may actually be an understatement. Supposedly a fundraiser for a variety of English charities, the real purpose of this men's-only gathering seems to be a bit more nefarious. British power players from the worlds of finance, politics, and business gather every year to throw their money around, imbibe, and leer at the scantily clad hostesses. In fact, that seems to be the main purpose of the party. Hostesses are hired based on their looks and then ordered to wear black underwear to better match the skimpy outfits they're given upon arrival. Once their phones are confiscated they're given drinks to loosen them up and then paraded out for the men to gawk at — or grope, as many of the women reported to the Financial Times. Hands are slipped up skirts. Bottoms pinched. Drunken men dive in for kisses, and ask women if they're actually prostitutes. The bathrooms are even monitored and the women are timed to make sure they don't just go and hide. Keep in mind, this is a charity event, with prizes including lunch with former London Mayor Boris Johnson. The proceeds, some £20 million over three decades, go to places like a prominent children's hospital. Or it was a charity event — in the wake of the Times report, future iterations have been canceled. Sean Parker's Lord of the Rings wedding wrecked the Redwoods. When you're a billionaire, you don't take no for an answer, especially not when it comes to your wedding. That's how Sean Parker, the famous creator of Napster, found himself in the middle of the redwood forest back in 2013, celebrating the most lavish, over-the-top wedding this country's ever seen. No expense was spared. Over months, crews built "an artificial pond, a bridge, rock staircases, the faux ruins of a stone castle, and a 20-foot-tall wrought iron gate forged with the couple's initials." The costume designer for the Lord of the Rings movies created Tolkien-themed outfits for all 364 guests, including Sean Lennon, Emma Watson, and current California Governor Gavin Newsom. Bunnies were handed out to cuddle with. Animal furs draped on chairs and full beds. Pigs were roasted on a spit, and Sting sang in front of a 9-foot-tall wedding cake. It was said to cost between $5 million and $10 million. But then the bad press set in, and the legal issues started. One website called it an "eco-wrecking wedding," and Parker was forced to write a mea culpa. The wedding was hosted at a campground/spa/inn, and the resort's owners had failed to apply for the appropriate permits. But billionaires don't get in real trouble, not for long at least. Parker paid a fine and agreed to design an app for California as restitution. Must be nice to be able to buy your way out of trouble. For once, big money loses out to the little guy. If Bill DeBlasio becomes New York City’s next mayor, he won’t just have that viral TV ad showcasing the impressive Afro of his biracial son Dante to thank—though that definitely helped. He’ll also have a less-heralded factor: The city’s groundbreaking system of public financing, which is now being touted as a national model for how to reduce the influence of money in politics in the age of Citizens United. DeBlasio, currently New York City’s Public Advocate, looks all but certain to be the Democratic nominee for mayor, and he’ll be a strong favorite in November’s general election. He’s reached that position by running a campaign focused squarely on reducing economic inequality, and his most prominent proposal is a plan to raise taxes on those making over half a million dollars to fund early-childhood education. In other words, DeBlasio isn’t exactly the candidate of Wall Street. The New York Times reported Wednesday that the city’s financial elite, worried about a DeBlasio mayoralty, is rallying around Joe Lhota, the Republican nominee. But barring a major upset, Wall Street isn’t likely to get its way—and the city’s public financing system is a big part of the reason why the influence of the financial industry has been blunted. New York City’s system has been in place since 1988, but its effect has been obscured in the last three mayoral elections because of Michael Bloomberg’s record-setting campaign spending, made possible by his multi-billion-dollar personal fortune. The system sets a limit of $4,950 on individual contributions. But the key is that it gives candidates an additional six dollars in public money for every dollar they raise from a small donor—defined as anyone giving $175 or less. That means that for candidates, small donations are worth seven times their actual value. And that in turn encourages candidates to focus their fundraising on small donors, rather than on the 1 percenters who can give the big bucks. That’s exactly what’s happened in New York. A detailed study by the Brennan Center and the Campaign Finance Institute* found that nearly nine out of ten census blocks in the city contained at least one small donor (that is, someone giving $175 or less) in city council races, which use the public financing system. By contrast, just three in ten census blocks contained a small donor in state legislative races, which don’t use the system. It also found that the neighborhoods where small donors to city council races live have lower incomes and more racial minorities than the neighborhoods where small donors to state legislative races live. The study concluded that the system “gives candidates an incentive to reach out to a broader and more diverse array of constituents to fund their campaigns,” calling the results “remarkable.” Even more important, the system actually appears to have weakened the power of moneyed interests to get their candidates of choice elected. And it’s not just in the mayor’s race. In a separate analysis shared with MSNBC, the Brennan Center found that the real-estate industry—for years perhaps the most powerful outside force in New York City politics—spent over $2 million in each of seven candidates for city council. Of those candidates, only two won their races. Supporters of the system would like to see the concept—which has also worked successfully in Los Angeles and Oakland—going national. Susan Lerner, the executive director of Common Cause New York, said her group supports the idea of using public financing as the basis of campaign finance reform for federal elections. "Public financing of elections is key to any campaign finance reform," Common Cause said last year. "The New York City model has produced more competitive elections, and allowed demographically diverse candidates to win public office despite their resources." One reason why advocates think that idea might have potential is that, unlike some other recent efforts to reduce the impact of money in politics, New York City’s system has a good shot at withstanding a legal challenge. In 2011, the Supreme Court struck down a key provision in Arizona’s public financing system that gave additional funds to publicly funded candidates who faced well-financed opponents or heavy outside spending against them. But New York City’s system doesn’t contain those provisions. Instead, it relies entirely on the simple idea of providing matching funds for small donations—a concept that the court had no problem with. * Correction : This article originally attributed the study to the Brennan Center alone. It was in fact a joint project of the Brennan Center and the Campaign Finance Institute.