X-Message-Number: 12669
From: "Robert Moore" <>
Subject: To John Rivaz:  Re: Publically traded cryonics research companies
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 09:09:31 PDT

John,

I really appreciate your posts, your website, and work you are doing for 
cryonics.  However, I had to write to disagree with your on your thoughts 
about(hypothetical)publically traded cryonics research companies.

You wrote:
>It seems to me that the most relevant reason I have read as to why 
> >cryonics research should not be funded from a publicly traded >company is 
>that shareholders and their advisors will expect a rake >off when the 
>results of that research start being sold on a >commercial basis.

John, I see two problems with this statement.  (1) Look at the Internet 
companies:  Investors in many Internet companies aren't expecting a "rake 
off" any time in near future, only revenue growth, expansion of the customer 
base, and stock appreciation.  More importantly, (2)Expecting an *eventual* 
"rake off" when you invest is how capitalism works in publically traded 
companies.  Investors won't invest otherwise.

>A possible solution is as follows: The publicly traded company makes >its 
>money from infrastructure work - cryopreservation of kidneys etc >as 
>suggested by many posters here. It has its own charitable >foundation (like 
>the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, or the >Wellcome Trust) which it 
>funds and uses for the cryonics research. >By buying and holding onto the 
>shares of the public company, >cryonicists can still support it and 
>indirectly the offshoot >foundation.

As an investor and Cryonicist, I don't like this idea, for reason (2) above. 
  Imagine two Cryopreservation Research companies, Company A with Cryonics 
as part of its mainstream reasearch effort, and Company B with a charitable 
foundation doing the research.

As an investor and cryonicist I will choose to invest in COMPANY A 
everytime!  Having a profit stake in cryonics will motivate the company 
focus some of its resources on cryonics.  Also if Company A makes 
substantial cryonics breakthroughs, its stock will enjoy substantial 
appreciation.  (Then I and other stockholders, as desired, can donate some 
of our profits to helping those who can't afford cyropreservation.)

Meanwhile, Company A's profitability and stock apprectiation will also 
attract other companies and capital to invest in new cryonics reasearch, 
resulting in new, more advanced cryonics technology and lower prices of the 
older cryonics technology.

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