Where does Eggman get his funds from?

[Hazuki Heartwood]

Dr. Eggman is constantly building huge armies of robots and bases, as well as other things. But he has to get his materials from somewhere, right? So where do you think he gets them? Does he steal them, purchase them, mine them or what? I think purchasing is the most likely option, with a lot of stealing afterward. If Dr. Eggman obtained enough money to buy parts for the first batch of robots, then he could probably steal all the rest of his supplies for the rest of the series. The first few bucks he got he may have inherited from his grandfather who seemed quite wealthy, or perhaps he has successful stocks. But then again, wouldn't all that stealing attract attention from people such as G.U.N. and Sonic and his friends?

Discuss.

[Carbo]

Rings for funds obviously.

They're all over the place.

And recycling stuff maybe.

[Gatestormer]

Rings for funds obviously.

They're all over the place.

And recycling stuff maybe.

He does seem to posses a whole lot of rings, considering it's extremely likely he used them as a power source for his robots in Unleashed.

[-Mark-]

I can't remember, but at some point (maybe Sonic Battle?) wasn't it suggested that Eggman actually has a legitimate business where he sells robots for security purposes etc?

Again, I suppose exactly how canon Battle is to the rest of the games is slightly questionable (last I checked, some people didn't accept it?), but still.

Of course, I can't imagine him maintaining a legitimate business for very long, in any case.

[Gatestormer]

I'm back again

I can't remember, but at some point (maybe Sonic Battle?) wasn't it suggested that Eggman actually has a legitimate business where he sells robots for security purposes etc?

That's actually a good point, we can't forget MeteoTech, I would imagine that would bring in a lot of income. His IQ of 300 would make any robots he gives to the world far more advanced than any other consumer product out there which should keep him safely on top of the market...despite him being an evil genius as a hobby.

Edited November 30, 2009 by ENVY16

[Blue Blood]

There's MeteoTech in Riders ZG, Eggman corp in both Riders games and the other security bots he sells in Battle.

I doubt that would cover everything he needs, but we sure as hell know he mustn't have a social life.

[Vertekins]

he's got an ocean of oil. I think that's a profitable line of enquiry.

Or considering he has/had a world renowned genius as a grandfather, he might have inherited grandpappy's millions from his acclaim.

Edited November 30, 2009 by Verte

[KittyNakajima]

I always imagined that the man held profitable stocks in market goods such as eggs and egg by-products. I always figured that was the case because I assumed him using any of his robotics for legitimate purposes as previously mentioned by some posters might have gotten some or all of the assets seized by G.U.N. given how he tries to terrorize the world with his technology. Kind of like how police seize funds that were obtained through illegal means such as money laundering or drug/weapon sales, but in a more epic way given how Eggman is sort of on par with a terrorist. o_O

Edited November 30, 2009 by KittyNakajima

[-Mark-]

Also, if you consider most of his work is done by robots who don't require wages (Iand can probably recycle broken machinery), it's a bit more feasible.

[Octarine]

I honestly tended to see him as being mostly self-sufficient... if you can build an army of robots, there's no reason you can't build a mining crew and a refinery. Not that he should need many more materials anyway; I'm sure he's been melting down his destroyed machines for scrap for years now. The Death Egg alone is probably a whole army's worth of metal.

Most of his other needs could probably be covered by SCIENCE and the proliferation of magical artifacts that can be tapped for power in Sonic's world. I'm sure he needs money for some things, but that's probably all dealt with by MeteoTech and whatever other side businesses he has.

Edited November 30, 2009 by Octarine

[-Mark-]

*waits for Dr. Mechano to make a big post about Eggman's various moneymaking activities in the Sonic X comic*

[Vertekins]

Isn't it mentioned in Sonic Heroes' Grand Metropolis stage that Eggman is trading the red liquid used as a fuel source for high prices?

I just think the old codger has loads of resources and profits from a new one when he's busted on an old one.

[Indigo Rush]

Rings for funds obviously.

They're all over the place.

And recycling stuff maybe.

*waits for Dr. Mechano to make a big post about Eggman's various moneymaking activities in the Sonic X comic*

Darn it, I was going to say both of those.

You guys are up too early.

[Agent York]

I'm going to beat the inevitable post.

Eggman when in Sonic's world doesn't seem to know the meaning of money. He acts like it's some foreign thing and spends a large part of the first few issues trying to gain money to gain materials to create schemes.

THIS suggests that Eggman actually does not understand the logic of purchasing goods with currency. In fact, it is never written anywhere besides in game mechanics that the characters legitimately purchase their stuff. In fact, how all of them act in Sonic X would suggest that none of them have heard of money. They may be like animals and they just naturally hunt and get their needs. Eggman probably gets his materials from a mine or somewhere, since it is never suggested he gets profit from anywhere else. He just needs to build metallic beasts and fortresses, he doesn't need to make a profit. Metal comes from nature, so it is likely he might just mine out what he needs instead of purchasing it, using his IQ to build and he eventually got factories and robots to do it all for him.

I mean, Sonic and crew even in the games end up in casino's, amusement parks, grand hotels, and so many other locations without even paying a dime. I think there are shops for rings in the games, but that may just be a gameplay mechanic in some games. I honestly think the idea of currency as a whole doesn't exist in Sonic's world, except when it is a gameplay mechanic as currency, and more so, I don't think Eggman pays for what he does. Neither does Tails, it seems.

I mean, you don't see Tails paying for his funds either, do you? Repairing, building... It never happens. He just builds too.

[gato]

HOLAS:

I always liked to think that "Dr.Eggman" is an evil alter ego of our good doctor, during day, he is Ivo Robotnik, a good man who owns a company that make computers... or a computer that make companies?... me'h, you know what I am talking about, he is just a excentric guy, very social an somewhat childish, and for some reason he doesn't have any human employee in his company (or COMPUTER ROOM).

But this man hides a terrible secret, wich only his most loyal employees (robots) know, he is in reality the evil super genius "Dr.Eggman", who terryfies the world wich his schemes!!1010011010!

Sonic knows about this secret but he couldn't be bothered with it, Tails also knows but he still think the doctor has some redeeming qualities like feeding and treating well his prisioners as has been shown in Unleashed, I think Tails still seems some good in Eggman since Adventure 2, Knuckels doesn't know and doesn't care, GUN (and that covers Rouge, Shadow and Omega)always keep an eye over thoose two individuals (Ivo and Eggman) but they just don't have enough proofs to start taking direct actions against Robotnik.

And since the rest of the people (and animals) in Sonic world are to knid, naive or innocent to have suspicion of the good old Ivo, they think Dr.Eggman and Robotnik are just 2 similar looking guys.

But that's just me overthinking things, probably it's just this:

Rings for funds obviously.

They're all over the place.

And recycling stuff maybe.

And this:

Eggman actually does not understand the logic of purchasing goods with currency. In fact, it is never written anywhere besides in game mechanics that the characters legitimately purchase their stuff. In fact, how all of them act in Sonic X would suggest that none of them have heard of money. They may be like animals and they just naturally hunt and get their needs. Eggman probably gets his materials from a mine or somewhere, since it is never suggested he gets profit from anywhere else. He just needs to build metallic beasts and fortresses, he doesn't need to make a profit. Metal comes from nature, so it is likely he might just mine out what he needs instead of purchasing it, using his IQ to build and he eventually got factories and robots to do it all for him.

I mean, you don't see Tails paying for his funds either, do you? Repairing, building... It never happens. He just builds too.

Edited November 30, 2009 by imarafan

[HunterTSF]

Where does Eggman get his money? Easy! In Sonic Battle, it was revealed that Eggman makes money off of his commercialized series of guard robots, the Guard Robo. These Guard Robos are utilized by just about everybody... G.U.N., bar owners, etc. They seem to be a commercial success, seeing as just about every organization featured in-game and their dog hand one or two lying around. This monkeymaking scheme returns again in Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, in which his new Meteor Tech security organization is producing guard robots for the masses. The SCR-GP seem to have replaced the Guard Robo with their totally new sexy design, and once again, it's a commercial success.

His secondary source of income seems to be through his Extreme Gear manufacturing company, Robotnik corp. Accevice corp. seems to be his biggest competitor.

His third source is via casinos. It's revealed that he owns all of Casino Park, BINGO Highway, Neon Palace, and just about every other casino stage featured in the series. I also wouldn't put it past him to be the owner of Casinopolis and Twinkle Park, due to all of the high-tech Malevolent Architecture featured there.

[Phos]

I'm going with insurance fraud. All he has to do is insure his robots and factories for more than they're worth and collect big time when Sonic destroys them, setting him up for the next round.

Actually, his exploits seem essentially self sufficient.

[Frozen Nitrogen]

Mostly what Hunter said.

I suspect Robotnik gets most of his raw materials from robotic mining, cutting out the United Federation economy altogether; the minerals go straight from the ground, to the smelters, to the badnik plants. There have been levels like Endless Mine in S3&K, and the whole thing with MINING DRILL-BOTS that you see in Marble Garden & Lava Reef. His base in Sonic Heroes, Bullet Station, is cut into the side of a canyon, and Lava Shelter in Shadow the Hedgehog is also underground, in a mined-out volcano.

And on top of that, for those times when he might actually need cold hard cash, he's got his various businesses (presumably anonymously controlled, or GUN would probably have something to sa about it). As mentioned, there's:

1) The Guard Robo selling business in Battle

2) MeteorTech in Zero Gravity

3) Robotnik Corp. in normal Riders. Although I personally suspect this isn't Ivo's business... because as pointed out, it's a bit too blatant and GUN would probably shut it down. I'd wager this was actually a company started by Gerald, but which has no direct affiliation to the family's black sheep, Eggman.

[Agent York]

I'm going with insurance fraud. All he has to do is insure his robots and factories for more than they're worth and collect big time when Sonic destroys them, setting him up for the next round.

Actually, his exploits seem essentially self sufficient.

1. Build Robots

2. Sell Robots for more than worth

3. Hedgehog destroys Robots

4. ???

5. Profit!!!

Actually, if that was true then technically every time Eggman looses he would gain profit, but how many times would people rebuy from him... Then again I guess there's really no competition in the robot making field...

[Blue Blood]

I think it was concluded in another topic that rings (currency) are the equivalent of blood in Sonics world. Ergo, Eggman just bleeds his funds.

[Kamicciolo]

I think it was concluded in another topic that rings (currency) are the equivalent of blood in Sonics world. Ergo, Eggman just bleeds his funds.

So the population count takes a hit every time Eggman fancies lunch? And people argue that he was eviler in Satam .

But one thing I'm now wondering is if Eggman might possibly have a gambling addiction of some sort, what with with all the Casino bases that he's built and owned.

[eXtaticus]

I believe that a list is in order:

1) Manufacturing and selling Extreme-Gear (Riders and Zero Gravity).

2) Manufacturing and selling E-101 knock-offs (to various third parties, mostly for security purposes, only in Sonic Battle).

3) Selling fuel (a la Sonic Heroes).

4) Stealing the cash (which doesn't seem likely for the post-Adventure iteration of Eggman; he would probably enjoy creating more intellectually involving solution to his money problems. However, "old" Eggman - and by that I mean SATAM, AoSth, Underground ect. - would take the first chance he could get to nab some quick dough... and probably spread noxious gases just for the sake of "polluting").

5) Taxes in Robotropolis (Sonic Underground only).

6) Running Casinos, theme parks, circuses, a TV station, power plants and the odd Grand Prix.

There; I think that covers the cost of a million-billion robots and entire fleets of bird-like warships...

He probably sells some rare merchandise on eBay, too; those gold Eggman statues will undoubtedly entice a few nut-job collectors...

[Agent York]

So the population count takes a hit every time Eggman fancies lunch? And people argue that he was eviler in Satam .

But one thing I'm now wondering is if Eggman might possibly have a gambling addiction of some sort, what with with all the Casino bases that he's built and owned.

I think he more has an addiction to children games. I mean, according to Unleashed his dreamland is an amusement park with his face plastered everywhere. He also created a circus and a haunted castle for no reason but fun.

I think he may do all of this not only to rule the world but to fulfill his inner-child fantasies and have fun.

[Kamicciolo]

3) Selling fuel (a la Sonic Heroes).

Eggman was actually stealing the fuel from those pipes, which is why the teams had to destroy all the robots in the area to get the path working again.

I think he more has an addiction to children games. I mean, according to Unleashed his dreamland is an amusement park with his face plastered everywhere. He also created a circus and a haunted castle for no reason but fun.

I think he may do all of this not only to rule the world but to fulfill his inner-child fantasies and have fun.

You have a point there (about fufilling his child-like fantasies). Which actually makes the Casinos and similar stuff make more sense, because they please his child-side by being colourful and fun, while also bringing in some extra cash for his schemes.

[Frozen Nitrogen]

Eggman was actually stealing the fuel from those pipes, which is why the teams had to destroy all the robots in the area to get the path working again.

...and it wasn't actually Eggman behind that; rather Neo Metal Sonic.