Ok guys, I was reading the news today about T.B. Pickens and it really got my mind moving. This is sort of for fun but with some exposure and people who know the man, perhaps it could become a reality. We all know that the man has more money than he could ever spend. His gifts to OSU have been extravagant to say the least. His love for OSU shines and many people are aware of it but not it's still not a nationally known thing.

I was thinking, to literally ensure his legacy and be remembered for many years to come, why not make OKC the headquarters of one of his companies. He could become an even bigger hero to so many people and give his beloved University a thriving company to work for in its own state. TB is from Oklahoma, I am sure he has a love for this state so why not. Why not show Texas and the nation that he believes in his home state as becoming an economic power? Build an impressive tower or two and start a complex downtown that millions will drive by and see. They can ooh and awe over this amazing new buildings called the "Picken Towers" glistening the skyline! I can't think of a more amazing gift and opportunity for so many native Oklahomans than something like this.

Heck, he can even buy that crappy old Cotton Mill and make that his corporate headquarters! So, any OSU alums or people who know BP, make the pitch and lets his legacy in OK really shine and improve his company and our economy even more- he would be legendary. Can someone come up with some mock renderings if something like this were to happen for example on the Cotton Mill site or some other location and get a visual on how that would make the skyline look as well as surrounding areas like Bricktown/River?

My dad just went to his ranch out in the Texas Panhandle. Very beautiful. Oasis on the plains!

He'll be 86 years old in four months. You'd think that if he wanted to build or locate something in OKC he would have done it by now.

He won't move from Texas.

He doesn't have near the money you think he does

Que the pitchforks in advance....

Boone Pickens is a rich donor, nothing more nothing less. Don't get me wrong I think its great what he's done at OSU. But he has long since abandoned Oklahoma. And frankly, he still rubs a lot of old timers around here the wrong way with his corporate raids in the 80's.

Here is a question everyone should ask themselves: how many employees at BP Capital are OSU alumni, the school he holds so dear? The answer is zero. Most are SMU MBA robots. That should tell you what he thinks about Oklahoma's business prowess.

Que the pitchforks in advance....

Boone Pickens is a rich donor, nothing more nothing less. Don't get me wrong I think its great what he's done at OSU. But he has long since abandoned Oklahoma. And frankly, he still rubs a lot of old timers around here the wrong way with his corporate raids in the 80's.

Here is a question everyone should ask themselves: how many employees at BP Capital are OSU alumni, the school he holds so dear? The answer is zero. Most are SMU MBA robots. That should tell you what he thinks about Oklahoma's business prowess.

Well a little more. He's also a known philanthropist who donates to many causes besides OSU athletics. That being said he very clearly, for whatever reason, could care less about Oklahoma business.

He doesn't have near the money you think he does

Neither do you (or I lol)

Maybe he could donate to the Central Park instead.

I think it's safe to say that no matter what we think he "could" donate to, it's not going to happen. Oklahoma City isn't even a blip on his radar...

I think it's safe to say that no matter what we think he "could" donate to, it's not going to happen. Oklahoma City isn't even a blip on his radar...

Maybe the City could sell naming rights. T. Boone would be all over that. How does Pickens City grab you? Do you think a $billion could make that happen?

Maybe the City could sell naming rights. T. Boone would be all over that. How does Pickens City grab you? Do you think a $billion could make that happen?

With this net worth, that's not likely to ever happen.

T. Boone Pickens - Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/profile/t-boone-pickens/)

With this net worth, that's not likely to ever happen.

T. Boone Pickens - Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/profile/t-boone-pickens/)

Holy Cow - in the midst of an oil boom he managed to lose 2/3 of his wealth. I guess those windmill farms didn't pan out.

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/emdh45hkkg/t-boone-pickens-3/

This isn't happening. Case closed. Discussion over.

This isn't happening. Case closed. Discussion over.

True. This thread should be locked for "absurdity".

T Bone is too busy trying to buy OSU a national title before he dies. He ain't got time to worry bout locating a business in OKC.

This is sort of for fun


This isn't happening. Case closed. Discussion over.


True. This thread should be locked for "absurdity".

so... looks like the guy created a thread for fun speculation. no need to crap all over it. -M

so... looks like the guy created a thread for fun speculation. no need to crap all over it. -M

Speculation is fun if there's a remote possibility. No reason to bring something to light that will never happen. Just my honest opinion.

Speculation is fun if there's a remote possibility. No reason to bring something to light that will never happen. Just my honest opinion.

I like speculating on things that will never ever happen or if they do happen, I'll be long gone. It's fun to imagine the most insane things & then ask yourself 'will that ever happen?" & usually the answer will be "no", unless we're talking about Dubai.

and this is neither than nor Dubai, lol.

If he did decide to build a Pickens Tower in DT OKC, it certainly would stand out more vs. Dallas / Houston. He could even have an OSU on the side and really make a statement about the Next Generation Energy(s).

and this is neither than nor Dubai, lol.

Nope, but it's still fun for people like me who like to imagine things that are very unlikely simply to get the imagination flowing. I like being outside the box.

Instead of Pickens Tower maybe he could build Pickens Turbine on an island in the Oklahoma River to promote his wind energy business.

Grouse Mountain - The Peak of Vancouver (http://www.grousemountain.com/eye-of-the-wind)

http://www.joconl.com/images/archivesid/36416/100.jpg

3kIoj-BJ1kQ

Off-topic, but that observation deck is brilliant. I've thought many times when driving past a wind farm that I would like to visit the top of one, to the point of contacting a former employee of mine who works on them to see if he could wrangle me a visit.

Those places actually quietly attract tourism to begin with (a few years ago there was a Texas-Oklahoma effort to market a driving tour of them), plus people who just enjoy driving among the windmills (I've done this a few times on a motorcycle) AND they are generally located near major highways, where people could easily be talked into stopping off to enjoy the view. Throw in an interpretive center and you create a (probably self-sustaining) public education/marketing component that is at worst a tiny blip on the overall budget of the entire project.

There are some as of yet unsubstantiated rumors of a Trousers Tower.