Reginald Howell
Gunnar Heilbronner (a.k.a. Reginald Howell)
Any idiot can waste his life trying to be the best at any given thing. It's far more fulfilling to be the most profitable - at everything.
Reginald Howell, Founder and CEO of Hegemony International
R
eginald Howell is the founder and CEO of
Hegemony International. He is (easily) the richest man in the world and, as the guiding hand behind Earth's greatest megacorporation, he's a globally-recognized celebrity. He is equal parts revered and despised, partially due to the enmity engendered by Hegemony's dominance, but also attributed to his controversial stance on public issues and his shady past. He's also acknowledged as the oldest living human on the planet.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
H
owell is a towering man, broadly built with perfect posture. Although he's rarely characterized as a bully, his personage can intimidate those in his presence and he's not above conducting himself in a way that accentuates that intimidation.
Mysterious Youthfulness
Although he's officially 144 years old, he presents as someone who's only in his early 60s - albeit, a very fit man in his 60s. His ongoing "preservation" is a source of endless speculation and conspiracy theories outside the corporation.
Conspiracy Theories
Despite all of Hegemony's revolutionary technical and medical advancements, they've never marketed any product that's known to preserve youth or extend the natural human lifespan. But Howell is exceptionally old - and yet he appears outwardly to be a much younger man. This is unprecedented even within the company's ranks, as there are no other employees who've exhibited this extraordinary ability to cheat death and maintain a consistent state of health.
If that's the original Reginald Howell, I'm Ghengis Khan.
Mehemmet Alim, Chairman of the U.N. General Assembly
His apparent ability to defeat aging has spawned several theories amongst observers:
-
Hegemony International possesses some unreleased and unacknowledged breakthrough that allows for a greatly-extended lifespan.
Although this theory would seem to be inline with the company's numerous advancements in the field of bio-engineering, it's also discounted because, if the company possessed such a breakthrough, it's hard to believe that other employees, or members of Howell's inner circle, wouldn't have displayed the same remarkable ability. It's also dubious that Howell, a man innately driven by profit, wouldn't have already turned such a revolutionary discovery into a massive source of additional revenue. -
The man we see today as Reginal Howell is, in fact, a replacement.
Under this theory, lookalikes have been groomed throughout the years to take his place whenever the current "Reginald Howell" dies. Opponents of this theory point out that, through decades of photographs and archival footage, it's nearly impossible to identify any physical difference between the Reginald Howell of today, and the one that was leading the company in any prior decade. -
Reginald Howell has been cloned.
Hegemony International has possessed reliable human cloning technology for decades. In fact, all of the company's middle management (M&Ms) are clones. The only way to properly discount this theory would be to catch the current Reginald Howell in the presence of one of his clones - but such evidence has never been found. -
The current Reginald Howell is an android.
It's difficult to entirely discount this theory. Hegemony has been working for years on a series of ever-more-advanced androids. They are even used extensively within the company (as HERs). However, all known Hegemony androids still display noticeable quirks. Those quirks are awkward enough that they've never been deployed in public. If Hegemony has perfected android technology to the point where they're indistinguishable from humans (and indeed, could fully impersonate a globally-recognized icon), then it's doubtful that they wouldn't have upgraded their own internal androids and taken aggressive steps to market them for commercial benefit.
Apparel & Accessories
H
owell always dresses in exceedingly-casual attire. No other Hegemony employees are afforded this luxury. But he makes a garish point to wear whatever he wants, whenever he wants, regardless of the company he's keeping. He's been known to wear swim trunks when meeting heads of state. He commonly wears old concert t-shirts in corporate meetings. If the climate allows it, he's rarely seen in pants.
I wasn't really bothered when he showed up in swim trunks and a t-shirt. But when he began clipping his toe nails and leaving them on my desk, I finally decided to cut the meeting short.
João Medeiros Pedroso, Brazilian Minister of Defense
Arrogantly Casual
His aggressively informal attire is generally acknowledged as a calculated power move. He wears whatever he chooses because, well... he can. There are many photos of him attending meetings, amongst the world's pre-eminent power brokers, where he's in shorts and flip-flops and everyone else is in stodgy formal attire. He's been received by the Pope while he's wearing a bathrobe. He's been a frequent guest at the White House while dressed in ripped-up jeans and Birkenstock sandals.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
owell's official bio states that he was born in 1926, in Kingston, Jamaica. Abandoned at a frightfully young age, he raised himself, surviving day-by-day on the mean city streets. While he worked a series of demeaning (and exploitative) jobs as an adolescent, he founded his first business in 1946. That business did not bear Hegemony's name, it went through numerous iterations and reimaginings, and it bore no resemblance to the corporate megalith we see today. Nevertheless, Hegemony traces its lineage to this original one-man startup.
Nazi Origins
Historians paint a far different version of Howell's past. Through extensive historical research, he's believed to have been born Gunnar Heilbronner, in 1926, in Berlin, Germany. A minor figure in the Nazi party, he fled Berlin to escape the city's impending capture by the Russian army, eventually settling in Kingston, Jamaica.
Regardless of whether he always lived in Kingston, or whether he fled to Jamaica to escape his Nazi origins, it is widely acknowledged that, by 1946, he was indeed living in Kingston, and from there, he established his first start-up. There are many conflicting reports as to the numerous business ventures that eventually led to the behemoth known today as Hegemony International. But however it came to pass, Howell's embryonic business attempts would eventually grow into the organization now recognized as Hegemony International.
Sexuality
O
fficially, Howell is heterosexual. Although he has never married, he's publicly acknowledged fathering eight different children with three different women. However, he's believed to have fathered at least a dozen more.
I've met Howell's new personnal assistant. His primary qualifications would seem to be... flexibility, and a sturdy pair of knees.
Laurent Jacquemoud, French celebrity entertainer
Closeted
Since 1986, he's never been seen in the company of any female escorts and he acknowledges no ongoing relationships. But he's had a series of long-term "personal assistants" - all of them male - who are constantly by his side. While he vehemently denies any romantic involvement with these "assistants", they're generally assumed to be his lovers. Even if those relationships are purely professional, it's an open secret that he now prefers the intimate company of men only.
Education
H
owell claims (and indeed, he frequently boasts) that he's never received any formal education, at any level. This is consistent with his claim of having been raised as a "street urchin" in Kingston, Jamaica. But for those who acknowledge his provenance as Gunnar Heilbronner, he's known to have received the standard education expected of all German youth in the 1930s. Regardless of his true identity, it's certain that he's acquired no form of higher education.
Employment
A
lthough he maintains that he worked a series of exploitative side jobs as a homeless adolescent in Kingston, he sees himself as only ever having one real job - the entrepreneurial job of founding Hegemony International. His long career within his own company has led him to wear many different hats. But he proudly states that he's never been on anyone else's payroll and he views his only true role as that of the company's founder and CEO.
Accomplishments & Achievements
R
egardless of what anyone thinks about self-made trillionaires, even his staunchest critics would acknowledge his shining achievement as being the most successful entrepreneur in world history. Howell himself embraces this characterization.
He makes no distinction between the achievements of Hegemony International and his own personal accomplishments. In his worldview, every single "good" that's ever emanated from within Hegemony International is, indistinguishably, his own accomplishment.
Failures & Embarrassments
G
iven his willingness to claim any of Hegemony's successes as his own successes, some may assume that he'd also take some sense of personal ownership over any of the company's failures. This assumption would be completely innaccurate.
The apology is one of the saddest tools in the arsenal of weak and rudderless men.
Reginald Howell, Founder and CEO of Hegemony International
Blame Shifting
He's on record as stating that he's never once apologizied. To anyone. For anything. And in those rare cases where Hegemony has been called to answer for its own shortcomings, Howell is quick to lay the blame at the feet of its many employees. He's frightfully quick to jettison any staff that can be tied to corporate malfeasance, and he's just as quick to shunt responsibility and disavow any personal knowledge of such scandals.
Intellectual Characteristics
A
side from those who believe that all "self made men" must be geniuses in their own right, no one else has ever accused Howell of being particularly intelligent. (Although it should also be noted that no one is ever foolish enough to acknowlege this fact in his presence.) His meager education occasionally presents itself during periods of public speaking, or during internal meetings. He's prone to stick his foot in his mouth when trying to discuss scientific or technical subject matters, leaving his legion of spinsters to clean up the mess after-the-fact.
Business Savvy
Nevertheless, his lack of technical understanding should not be taken as a sign that he's stupid, by any definition of the word. As witnessed by his company's runaway success, he has a preternatural sense for business. He knows full-well how to delegate in those matters where his own personal knowledge is lacking. And even though he may not understand the intricate technical workings of his company's own products, he has a keen sense for market opportunities.
Morality & Philosophy
L
ike many titans of industry who preceeded him, Howell views nearly all forms of commerce as a moral good. He doesn't simply view profit as the lifeblood needed to sustain his company's operations. He sees it as a moral imperative. In keeping with such views, he sees Hegemony's continual drive for expansion as an evangelist sees missionary work.
Savior Complex
These views extend to his workforce. In his mind, he's the economic engine that feeds literally millions of his employees across the world. And even for those who are not directly employed by Hegemony, he views his company as an economical breadwinner. To be fair, the company's scope is so all-encompassing that there's a massive network of corporations that would probably cease to exist if Hegemony were to ever go out of business. And in Howell's mind, he always deserves credit for the ongoing success of Hegemony's numerous suppliers and business partners.
Taboos
H
owell makes no attempt to sugarcoat his unabashed hatred for all things Canadian, and for Canadian Royal Enterprises in particular. He openly speaks of all Canadian citizens as though they are subhuman. He actively lobbies governments and private enterprises to shun any goods or services offered by CRE. It's even believed that he's privately agitated for military action between his allied governments and Canadia, although there's no evidence that this has ever come close to fruition (assuming that it's true in the first place).
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
T
he obvious motivation that drives Howell is profit and the ego-boosting expansion of his corporate empire. But those few who are blessed to be in his inner circle see a man with more subtle - and yet, megalomaniacal - goals.
Show me a single bureaucrat who's ever accomplished one percent of what I've achieved - this year.
Reginald Howell, Founder and CEO of Hegemony International
Resentful of Authority
Howell displays a deep-seated disdain for political and social power structures. He sees the free market (and when Howell refers to the "free market', he's referring to... Hegemony International) as the only true common good. He sees politicians, regulators, and social commentators as "sand in the gears", ultimately inhibiting the efficient operation of his wealth-generating prowess.
Much of his public vitriol is aimed at Canadia. But many bureaucrats in countries that are supposedly friendly to Hegemony's operations would (privately) contend that Howell is no friend to the concept of free and democratic government rule "by the people". In this respect, his disdain for Canadia is probably more-accurately seen as a proxy - an easy target that embodies his hatred of all governments - especially those who would deign to interfere with Hegemony International's operations.
Legacy
Like many other oligarchs, he also has a keen eye on legacy. In the simplest terms, he views Hegemony's entrenched presence as a de facto extension of himself - a presence that will carry on long after his death. This is also reflected in some of the company's major initiatives. The development of advanced cloning techniques, life-like androids, and even manned expeditions to Mars can all be season, through a certain prism, as a grasp at immortality - a way to extend the human experience and ensure the species' continued survival.
Vices & Personality flaws
M
any in the independent media (a demographic that truly dwindles by the day) have leveled charges of racism against Howell. As evidence, they point to his purported Nazi origins, or his quizzical treatment of native Jamaicans. But the reality is decidedly more... nuanced.
Random Biases
Hegemony International actually has a stellar record of minority representation amongst their employees. Howell himself dedicates frequent time to extolling the virtues of a "well-balanced" workforce. And he's backed this up not simply by stocking the ranks of frontline workers with People-of-Color, but also by promoting women and minorities to many of the corporation's most senior and influential executive positions. Nevertheless, when he embraces any particular stereotype, he clings to it unapologetically, and he shows little concern when others call him out on this.
I have a new job for you. First, we need to buy that restaurant. I don't care what it costs. Second, you are to fire that waiter immediately. Finally, your ongoing corporate responsibility will be to ensure that waiter never has another meaningful job until he dies, destitute, in some homeless shelter.
Reginald Howell, Founder and CEO of Hegemony International
Grudges
His public persona is also hobbled by his legendary ability to hold a grudge. Whenever he feels that he's been slighted (whether that perception is accurate or not), he will throw all of his prodigious resources to the task of utterly destroying and humiliating his foes. When those foes happen to be not-male, and/or not-white, those grudges are perceived as being particularly unseemly and potentially motivated by bigoted desires. To be clear, he's fully aware of the unseemly optics that arise from these situations. And he simply doesn't care.
Social
Religious Views
H
owell maintains a public posture as being Catholic. He's had a personal audience with the Pope and he occasionally makes references to Catholic dogma in his public appearances. However, most doubt that he's a true believer. He seems to "embrace" Catholicism in the same way that the kings of old buttered up to the church as a means of placating their subjects.
Mannerisms
H
e's known as an aggressive orator. When addressing any sizable group, his hands are active with sweeping gestures - especially when speaking on topics he's passionate about. He also has a jolting, boisterous laugh that can fill an entire hall.
Hobbies & Pets
L
ittle is known of how he spends his free time - such that he really has any "free" time at all. He golfs frequently, but this is seen as more of a political activity, since he's only ever known to golf with power brokers and business partners. When he was much younger, he was known to have played both rugby and soccer. He's sometimes seen attending the games of the teams that he owns. But again, it's unsure how much he truly loves those sports, versus how much these activities serve as a means to ingratiate himself with decisionmakers.
In his primary mansion, in Kingston, Jamaica, he used to own a beloved German shepherd named Rosebud. But Rosebud passed away years ago and he doesn't seem to have acquired any new pets.
Speech
W
hile no one has ever accused Howell of being eloquent, he's strong, capable, and even affable in his discussions with others. It's been noted that he's decidedly more stern when addressing people within the corporation. But he doesn't typically speak in a manner that's demeaning or dismissive toward his employees.
In those rare moments when others have witnessed him in a truly angry state, his voice tends to betray a distinct German accent. As soon as he calms down, the accent disappears, and he seems somewhat self-conscious about such "slips". But it's been caught on video too many times to be discounted.
Wealth & Financial state
Howell was quite confounded to learn that he's welcome to buy a team, but there's no mechanism by which he can buy the entire league.
Rachael Roy, Commissioner of the NBA
H
owell is universally recognized as the richest man in the world. His combined wealth is greater than the next five individuals on the list combined. He has a fleet of private jets, another fleet of mega-yachts, and mansions in 24 different countries. He's been the owner of the Jacksonville Champions since 2049. He also owns the Premier League's Manchester United, the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, and MLB's Atlanta Braves.
Jamaica is sometimes colloquially referred to as "The Republic of Howell", although this is technically untrue. The country maintains its position as a sovereign nation. But Howell owns so much of the country's land, and has such outsized influence amongst its population, that its status as a truly "independent" nation is somewhat dubious.
Current Location
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Founder and CEO
Year of Birth
1926
144 Years old
Children
Sex
Male
Gender
Man
Presentation
Masculine
Eyes
Light brown
Hair
Raven black
Height
2.1 m
Weight
127 kg
Aligned Organization
Ruled Locations
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