Padraig O'Niell

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Padraig O'Niell
ResidenceO'Neill Station, Earth-Luna L5
NationalityFenspace Convention
EthnicityIrish

Formerly the Second richest man in Ireland (After Seán Quinn), possibly Second richest in Fenspace (After Noah Scott), Second known individual from Ireland to make it to space (After Liam Corcoran), owner of the Second 'Dedicated Private residence' space station in L5 to be constructed (After Kickassia) and owner of the second privately owned Space Shuttle in Fenspace.[1]

Padraig O'Niell is a man used to being Second. And he Hates it.

Padraig made his multiple millions during the heady days of the Celtic Tiger in the Republic of Ireland. He was one of the posterchildren of the economic boom with a world-spanning property portfolio managed through his former corporate persona, Eirstar. Padraig rubbed shoulders with the elite of power in the Fianna Fáil tent at the Galway races, being conspicuously involved in the 2007 election campaigns that returned the Ahern government to power.

He made his millions buying farmland cheaply, which would later be rezoned for housing and commercial development.

Padraig understood the potential of handwavium, and as the potential to expand his personal empire to space.

Unfortunately, reality had other ideas.

The crash of 2008 hit him hard, with the value of the majority of his holdings collapsing. Still, ever the opportunist, and with the insider information that made him aware of how bad the impending crash really would be, he saw an out. O'Neill was one of a group of property developers and bankers who advised the government throughout the summer of 2008 that the banking sector was properly capitalised, while simultaneously building up the fund to fund construction of his orbiting home by selling off his stake in numerous banks and development companies, hoping to get out of dodge before the shit finally hit the fan.[2]

The majority of his personal wealth went into the construction, fitting out and launch of the eponymous station. Frustratingly for him, he was beaten to orbit by Kickassia by just over a week. At one stage wealthier than Noah Scott, he slipped into second place as construction costs of O'Neill ballooned, then fell further behind as Stellvia Trading began to take off. Padráig made an investment in the struggling startup Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles, eventually increasing his stake to a controlling interest as he brought it to prosperity.

He quickly gained a reputation for 'Keeping up with the Joneses', with the CHOAM and the remains of his mundane holdings, including a multi-million Euro a year pension, being able to fund his lavish lifestyle with ease. He is notorious for being conspicuous with his expenditure of wealth and with the appearance of success, a still acts very much like the Celtic Tiger he sees himself as.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Eirstar was declared bankrupt with its holdings either sold off or folded into NAMA in mid-2010. In a fit of irony, many of the ghost-estates sold off in the great land-sale of 2015 were constructed on land once owned by O'Neill, with some being purchased for less than a tenth of the price he sold them for at the peak of the boom.[3]

In general, he's a charming, likable, agreeable fellow when he thinks he can sell you something, or there's money to be made from you.... or is just plain on your side. He's been described by some as 'an Irish Austin Powers,' a description he doesn't exactly shoot down either. His 'Angels'[4] appear to genuinely like him, though how much of that is his persona, how much of it is the lifestyle, and how much of that is his money, is anybody's guess.

On the other hands, he's burned a lot of people to make his money and contributed to the ruin of a national economy, then split when it looked like it was all going to fall down.

He is not popular with Fen of Irish extraction. Not at all. Most refuse to work with him. Arguably, there is a reason why his home is so well defended.

Attributes

  • Gifted Gabber: A real charmer, and with what appears to be an 'eager to please' salesman's person.
  • I am the 1%: Filthy stinking rich, and damned proud of it.
  • Anything you can buy....: Has an ongoing one-sided' rivalry with Noah Scott. Space Shuttle, Solomon Space Agency, CHOAM... station full of 'Angels'.
  • And I'll pay any price: Willing to spend money excessively to avoid being seen as behind the times, or inferior to anyone else. Likes to appear obviously rich.
  • It's not personal, it's just business: Not above using 'underhanded' tactics to make money. Nothing illegal as such, but it probably should be. [5]
  • It's business, not rocket science: Genuinely good at what he does, however.[6]
  • This round's on me! Not above meeting potential business partners in a pub/bar first, 'to get a feel for them'. Is conspicuous about buying drinks. Less conspicuous about drinking himself. [7]

Notes

  1. At least, as he sees it.
  2. Proving this in court, on the other is almost impossible.
  3. The sales that gall him the most are the ones made to Stellvia Corporation, who turned around and sold them at cost to the Fenspace Convention for transportation to Mars and Ganymede.
  4. For 'Angels', read 'lovely, competent young women'. Padráig is surrounded by the biological sort, though, not the AI sort that make up so many of Noah's inner circle.
  5. And probably will become illegal when someone finds out how it happened
  6. He did managed to turn the CHOAM into a stable, profitable business, after all.
  7. Including introducing Vulpine Fury to his 'First Pint' while negotiating a deal that eventually fell through.