Carlos San Jose: Secret Society

Classified

 Carlos San Jose was the epitome of class & luxury.

He had this grand aura and walks like a prince. Usually dressed in a black or blue tuxedo.  Employees from one of his big mansions located in Hyde Park, New York were accustomed to feeling his presence,  and his signature chuckle that echoes throughout the room. A huge personality.  

Everything about him screamed " ostentatious", yet unlike rich trillionaire counterparts, he displayed sense and sensibility in all his undertakings. Careful not to get mixed with the usual crowd. Avoiding the media, and declining any chance for an interview. He was rich, a trillionaire who doesn't need the limelight. He abhorred it and lived on the principle of never advertising your wealth. Forbes planned to list him so many times, for the past 10 years, and he manages to always pay someone to stop articles from getting published, by hook or by crook!

Carlos San Jose is what you would call the " Super Ultra Rich" who prefer to lurk in the shadows, away from chest-beating lists that would put them directly into the media glare. Hardly any article is written about him online, if there was any it would be pulled out immediately. But to the immensely wealthy- those who have $300billion or more- Carlos San Jose need not introduce himself. 

The ultimate goal was to stay as low-key and private as possible. To live up to the moral code of remaining " Highly Classified".

His mansion in New York was just one of many. But this is where we built so many memories. Conversations about history, politics, history of the Archangel Michael in particular. It was the mansion that was stuck in my mind the most. 

The interiors are archetypes of renaissance European architecture. Filled with antiques, and fine period reproductions representing various historical styles. It was the biggest mansion in the area that didn't get destroyed by wars and political unrest. The San Jose mansion depicted the grandeur of its own master. With manicured lawns, formal gardens, woodlands, and numerous auxiliary buildings. Reminiscent of the  Gilded Age, with an imposing inner-city mansion design and sprawling country estate that is away from the prying eyes. 

It was said, that Marie Antoinette the last queen of England was able to set foot on the mansion. Although Wikipedia and other historical records from public offices tried to pinpoint the exact age when the mansion was built. Its history remains elusive, like that of its owner. And many high-profile individuals like diplomats, prime ministers, and writers are somehow advised not to discuss the details of events/ parties that are held inside the San Jose mansion. 

The estate has 88 bedrooms, 49 bathrooms, and 78 fireplaces. Carlos San Jose prefers to stay in the third-floor apartment, with a room oddly numbered by.00021. 

But most of his time was spent inside his personal library which was filled with First Edition book collections. His favorite was a book covered in royal silk titled " The Count of Monte Cristo", which he kept near his ornate oak study table. 

The memory of this Count of Monte Cristo book was so vivid. It was first published in Paris, with 18 volumes. A hardcover edition was signed by Alexander Dumas himself, who is still alive would be around 200 years old. One nosy footman who got fired a month after I got there, whispered to me that Alexandar Dumas personally handed this book to Carlos San Jose himself. But how can that be? Carlos San Jose looks just like he is only in his early 20's. 

If there was ever a time that I doubted his trillionaire status, it was this book that changed it all. Checking on Google I found out that this first edition book he simply displays on his work table is worth $125,000. 

But this was just one of the many signs that made me realize that Carlos San Jose was the real deal. When I first met him inside a coffee shop named Pretoria in Dunch City while wearing my comfy purple shirt and denim on a rainy and windy 4 pm afternoon, it didn't dawn on me how much power and influence he had. This man conversed with me with calm and ease. Talked to me so casually, and didn't have any private security following him. Carlos San Jose didn't feel the need to make me believe he was all that. Wearing a grey trench coat, a white shirt underneath, and black jeans who would have thought that he had this much access to finances and power?