When climate change and politics aren't interesting enough, nothing gets viewers like a reclusive Billionaire pulling a Willy Wonka. If you were born after 1980, odds are you have no idea who Dr. Augustus Emerson is. Unless you've taken a psychology course, you have probably heard of Dr. Augustus Emerson.

The renowned psychologist from Wisconsin married Claire Emerson, the last heir of the Emerson family fortune, on July 16th, 1959. A week into his marriage to Claire, Claire passed away in her family home in Massachusetts. The cause of death was concluded to be a seizure. It should be noted that epilepsy ran in the Emerson family and killed multiple family members, including her father, Franklin Emerson, who will forever be known as the man who bought the world with oil.

Augustus poured his grief and new fortune into funding revolutionary psychological experiments and became the leading voice for behavioral psychology during the 60s and 70s. Dr. Emerson's generosity doesn't stop there; in honor of his late wife, he has created some of the world's most prominent non-profit organizations. In 1962, he started the Claire Emerson Foundation, which raises money for epilepsy research. In 1976 Emerson created Bundles of Joy, the first-ever Fertility clinic carrying out Claire's lifelong dream of helping women become mothers.

After twenty years as a public figure, publishing multiple best-selling psychology books and memoirs, Augustus reportedly felt burnt out. In 1979 Dr. Augustus Emerson bought an island somewhere in the Indian Ocean and hasn't been seen publicly since. Dr. Emerson's donations have been responsible for making medications that make epilepsy a liveable condition and have helped over 10 million women have children. On top of that, he has continued to fund psychological research and multiple social experiments.

More recently, Dr. Emerson bought the QRS entertainment company, which airs various shows that deal with causes Emerson has dedicated his life to. Through sitcoms about OBGYNs, Neurologist-led medical dramas, and documentaries surrounding his in-laws, Emerson has reached an entirely new generation. Not to mention creating the most successful television programs of the 90s. All from the comfort of his luxurious island.

His most recent business venture is a reality competition show; since the turn of the century, reality competition shows have become a favorite pastime for the entire nation. With a single episode raking in over 7 million views, Emerson's new show will surely be a smash hit. Rumor has it that Dr. Emerson's show will be a giant social experiment, which is very on-brand for him. But Dr. Emerson is taking it a step further; he is making this new show an interactive experiment. Typically people apply to these shows, but Emerson is making even the application process a competition.

Hiding ten plane tickets around the world. Sending the world into an anarchistic scavenger hunt for a chance to win a whopping $50 million prize. A representative from Emerson's estate publicly stated that

“Emerson's life was changed when Claire Emerson chose him, deeming him worthy of not only her but her family's fortune. Dr. Emerson wants to pay that forward.”

Yet, another way Emerson honored his late wife.

The public knows virtually nothing of the competition besides the prize and its approximate location. Dr. Emerson's representative detailed that

“Dr. Emerson wishes to keep every aspect of the competition a secret until all the episodes have been taped, edited and the winner has had time to adjust to their prize. Every lucky ticket holder is to keep this information to themselves, or risk being disqualified from the competition. If someone is disqualified, there will be no replacements. The public will only be made aware when all ten tickets have been claimed. Hidden amongst these plane tickets are undercover employees of Emerson's whose sole job is to discreetly escort the ticket holders to the competition. The tickets will be enclosed in an envelope with the iconic Black Emerson seal. All participant's absences from friends, family, and employers will be taken care of by EmersonCo.

The representative concluded his statement with a warning to the public,

"As a reminder, if you find one and make a scene, you will be disqualified and lose your chance of winning 50 million dollars. Thank you."

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I turned off the tv, pulled the lever of my recliner, sped, walked straight to the phone, and called my girlfriend, Blue. She couldn’t believe how much money was up for grabs. Then I heard the stampedes of people running through the streets outside my apartment window. It was like Black Friday, but if Black Friday was on crack. So loud that she could barely hear me say.

“50 million dollars, sign me up”.

And that’s when the hunt that would eventually hunt me down and kill me began