[ismarc]

For a helicopter, you need a hangar, a pilot, regular maintenance, insurance, fuel/oil as well as membership/pad fees if you actually want to fly anywhere besides airports. You could do a small helicopter for $200,000-$400,000 and then about $30,000-$40,000 a year in recurring costs before pilot, fuel and oil. You can expect $300-$400 per hour of flight time. If the 10 million is invested and has a return of 4% annually, the helicopter will cost 10% of the max you can pull out without depleting principle. That also doesn't include loan payments if you didn't buy the helicopter outright.

So, helicopter money is a lot higher than it looks.

[jgj]

You can become your own pilot and mechanic, buy a big plot of land and build your own hangar and helicopter museum, get a helicopter that runs on diesel, open a McDonald's franchise and use the oil to run your helicopter. I ran some numbers and this turns a profit. You can also sell helicopter tours of your helicopter museum for more $$$ and possibly be the first McDonalds to offer delivery by helicopter. With the profits you can buy a 2nd helicopter which, by my number, doubles everything!

Full disclosure: I'm a bad mather, but I'd be a great rich person

[crucialfelix]

"if it flies, floats or fornicates, in the long run its cheaper to rent it"

[jjs]

... but if it does all three, put a ring on it!