X-Message-Number: 13200
From: 
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2000 21:22:08 EST
Subject: Frigidaire, trusts, family

Marty Kardon (#13189) offers remarks regarding (1) what happens if large 
corporations take over the cryonics business, (2) setting aside trusts for 
personal use at/after revival, and (3) relying on descendants to 
revive/rehabilitate you.

To repeat my own views:

(1) I once speculated that Frigidaire might one day be the kingpin of the 
cryonics business. In any event, the emergence or dominance of big business 
could only be a good thing, since it would reflect (hardly presage) the 
coming of age of cryonics. 

The CI contract allows us to transfer responsibility for our patients to such 
a company, or to another organization, if our directors decide that is in the 
best interests of the patients. But the mere fact that a large company comes 
into the field does not automatically make it advisable, let alone necessary, 
to transfer patients. Even if CI should one day be overshadowed by large 
companies, and stop growing, we could still very easily continue to care for 
our existing patients. 

(2) Anyone who chooses to do so can set up a private trust, in a state or 
other jurisdiction that does not have a rule against perpetuities, for 
personal use at/after revival. However, no one knows what future changes the 
law may bring, and professional trust managers are unlikely to do well by 
you, either financially or in judgment respecting revival/rehabilitation. 
Some of us prefer to leave our estates to CI, even though that money will not 
be earmarked for us personally. Although a full discussion would be a long 
story, we think we have good reason for confidence that CI funds will 
eventually be equal to any patient requirements.

(3) Many of us, in CI and other organizations, think of our members as 
family. Certainly I feel closer to many of our members than to most of my 
blood relatives. In any case, there will inevitably be at least some patients 
with relatives/descendants who are also members, and these will help form the 
corps of watchdogs and overseers.

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
http://www.cryonics.org

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