Someone's got to be the one to preserve these pieces of history. It is kind of obscene wealth, but it's also kind of a public service. In 30 years when he's gone, a lot of rare and fascinating cars will still exist preserved and restored in pristine condition because of him.

Yeah I grew up a few blocks away from this car place called "Memory Lane" which is full of cars like these, and I love seeing them driven around, even though I hate to drive.

Then again I see Citroen and immediately think of Vodka, which is probably what I'd spend my millions on.

restoring old cars is at least a way to get some money back out of rich people, as it tends to cost a ton of money to do so and it goes to middle class fabricators/mechanics/painters.

also keeps some obscure trade crafters in business.

I can't help but think that in 20 - 30 years this collection will form the core of the "Leno Museum of Automotive History".

Yeah, seriously...if he doesn't get some 1%er tax breaks soon, he might just have to not increase the rate at which he buys up expensive cars.

Nobody really likes his stuff but nobody is really offended by it either. Its blandly inoffensive, and thats the kind of stuff that has mass appeal and that networks will back as a stable investment.

Despite your upbringing EH, I see you still cling to the foolish notion that talent and ability actually correlate to financial success. How odd.

Leno's early stand up stuff on Carson is pretty funny actually, like a proto Seinfeld. It's very "everyman" but then again that's how Jimmy Fallon got the job too. Except Fallon was never funny at all!

Oscar - oh, they correlate (particularly in the entertainment industry), but only up to a point. Hence my hypothesis: Illuminati high priest.

There could be other factors at work, of course! Leno could have a rich dad (Trump, the Kardassians), close family connections to the international financial industry (Jon Stewart), or maybe just a willingness to supply his fellow old-media oligarchs with underage sex slaves (Jared Fogel, Jimmy Savile, Dan Schneider). So far as I can tell, though, Leno enjoys none of these gifts.

If it's not talent, and it's not sex slavery, then what else could it be?

I guess Mr Purple Cat's hypothesis could be true, but then again, nobody's ever been offended by the lady who draws "Love Is...", and yet I don't see HER buying a half-billion dollars worth of vintage global-warming factories.

.. also probly he has shrewdly managed his career + been lucky.

You don't have to be funny to be a late night host, you just have to be likable. The audiences watch out of habit, and want to spend their TV time with someone they like. If you watch late night network stuff for real laughs, you're in it for the wrong reason.

this car is actually really cool, the only dealbreaker for me is that bizarre button-brake pedal. I like to feel the road, I really dislike the idea of a car deciding how hard and when to stop for me.