‘The Gilded Age': Jack Sells the Alarm Clock For $600,000, But How Much Is That Worth Today In 2025 Dollars?
**Spoilers for Season 3 Episode 4 'Marriage is a Gamble,' now streaming on HBO MAX**
Jack finally sells his alarm clock in The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 4 'Marriage is a Gamble.' Not only that, but he and Larry manage to sell the clock and its patent for a whopping $600,000.
Okay, based on Jack's dumbstruck reaction, we're guessing that sum was worth way more than it is today. Apparently, even if the young men split the sale both ways, they're both sitting pretty with $300k in 1880s money. But how much did Jack sell the clock for in today's money? What's the conversion rate for 1883 dollar to 2025? How much was $300,000 even worth in The Gilded Age?
Here's everything you need to know about how much Jack Trotter sold the alarm clock for…
The Gilded Age: How Much Does Jack Sell the Alarm Clock for? How Much is $600,000 in the 1880s Worth in Today's Dollars?
Trying to figure out just how rich Jack the footman is now? Wondering what $600k or $300k translates to in today's dollars?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the dollar is worth 31.83 times what it was in 1883. Which means you should theoretically be able to just multiply 300,000 by 31.83 to figure out how much money Mr. Trotter is actually taking home to the servants' quarters.
According to our calculations, Jack made approximately $9,549,000 in just one day by selling the patent to his alarm clock. However, for the sake of argument, let's round that up to $10 million. (Also, let's be real: money spread further in the 1800s!) So the whole kit and caboodle sold somewhere close to $20 million.
So while Jack might not technically be a millionaire in the Gilded Age sense of the word, he would be a millionaire in today's market. He also does not have to keep his day job.
If you were at any point worried — like my own mother was! — that Larry was planning to cheat poor Jack out of his share of the money, rest assured that the younger Mr. Russell only ever had the best intentions. When DECIDER asked Gilded Age star Harry Richardson what Larry's happier about, making the business deal for himself or for Jack, he said, 'I think it's both.'
'I think that's why I really love the way that it's been written,' Richardson said. 'He says, 'When I'm finished with you, you'll have your own footman.' He's really excited about the expansion of this young man's life as well as his own. '
Okay, but how is Aunt Agnes (Christine Baranski) and the rest of the Van Rhijn/Brook household going to handle the news that their favorite footman is now potentially wealthier than they are?
The Gilded Age returns on Sunday, July 20 at 9 PM ET on HBO and HBO MAX.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
21 minutes ago
- Forbes
Unlikely Destination For Design And Art Lovers: New Harmony, Indiana
UNITED STATES - JUNE 09: Atheneum, New Harmony, Indiana. Architect: Richard Meier (Photo by Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images) Getty Images New Harmony, a small town perched on the Wabash river in southwest Indiana, is a very unlikely destination for design lovers. But those who make the trip — two hours drive from both Louisville, KY and St. Louis, MO and three hours from Indianapolis, IN and Nashville, TN – will not be disappointed. This rural town of about 800 people, many of whom get around via golf cart, boasts buildings by Philip Johnson and Richard Meier, public art by French sculptor Jacques Lipchitz, Anglo-German sculptor Ralph Beyer and American sculptor Don Gummer, and a park designed by a firm best known for their work on MoMA's sculpture garden. Philip Johnson's Roofless Church is set in a garden with gates by French sculptor Jacques Lipchitz License agreement: Alex Morgan Imaging This is all thanks to Jane Blaffer Owen, an oil heiress from Houston (her father was one of the founders of a company that's now ExxonMobil and her grandfather established the company that ultimately became Texaco), whose husband, Kenneth Dale Owen was a descendent of New Harmony's founders. Soon after they were married, Kenneth brought his new bride to his home town; she fell in love with New Harmony and dedicated her life to its preservation and revitalization, earning many many accolades along the way, including Commander of the British Empire, bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II. Dedication of the Roofless Church with Jane Blaffer Owen and Kenneth Dale Owen, unknown photographer, May 1, 1960 Historic New Harmony; University of Southern Indiana It seems random but isn't: Jane's mother, Sarah Campbell Blaffer, was a passionate art lover and collector whose eponymous foundation debuted in 1964 with the mission of 'sharing great works of art with people in communities far from major art museums.' The family were long-time supporters of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and, in 1947, Sarah established the Robert Lee Blaffer foundation at the museum, in honor of her late husband (Jane's father). A few years later, Jane's brother John, and his wife Camilla, made a large contribution to the museum which resulted in the construction of the Robert Lee Blaffer Memorial Wing. Today the Sarah Campbell Blaffer collection is shown in conjunction with the museum, with works from the collection exhibited in dedicated galleries there. Bonnie Pollan left, David Boot center and his wife Kelley Bott look over paintings from the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Tuesday, March 19, 2013, in Houston . ( James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle ) (Photo by James Nielsen/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images) Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag Jane knew of the the architect Philip Johnson through her friends Dominique and John de Menil, who were noted patrons of art and design, and huge fans of modernism in all its forms. In 1948, the de Menil's tapped Johnson to design their Houston home. It was his first residential commission, and was completed in 1950. They filled it with what was widely considered to be one of the most important art collections in the country, and entertained often. Philip Johnson, in front of the glass house he designed for himself in New Canaan, Ct, Fairfield County. (Photo By: David McLane/NY Daily News via Getty Images) NY Daily News via Getty Images But Jane apparently didn't meet Johnson until the mid 1950s, and in 1957 she commissioned him to design the Roofless Church. She also arranged for the French artist Jacques Lipchitz to create the gilded bronze gates at the ceremonial entry of the walled enclosure. License agreement: Alex Morgan Imaging Several years prior, Jane had read about Lipchitz's work in an art magazine, and a maquette of one of his sculptures caught her eye. She reached out to him and had three bronze castings made of the piece. One occupies a place of honor underneath the Roofless Church structure, the other two went to the Church of Notre-Dame-de-Toute-Grace in France and the Iona Abbey in Scotland. Descent of the Holy Spirit (1946–55) by Jacques Lipchitz Historic New Harmony Over time, Jane added additional sculptures, memorials and a fountain to the Roofless Church site. They include: Pieta by Stephen De Staebler, Breath of God by Connecticut sculptor Mark Mennin, William Schickel's Grandparents' Baptismal Fountain and Ewa Żygulska's Polish Memorial . Pieta, a sculpture by California artist Stephen De Staebler Courtesy of Visit Posey County Jane met Paul Tillich, a German-American theologian and Christian existentialist philosopher, through Jacques Lipchitz. In 1963 he visited New Harmony to dedicate a site, across the street from the Roofless Church, that would ultimately be a park named in his honor. New York landscape architects Zion & Breen, who had worked with Philip Johnson on the design for New York's Museum of Modern Art sculpture garden, were tapped to design this space as well. It is set with large granite stones inscribed with passages from Tillich's writings (engraved by English letterer Ralph Beyer) and a bronze bust of Tillich by the American abstract sculptor James Rosati. Tillich's ashes were interred here in 1966, a year after New Harmony was designated a National Historic Landmark. Bust of Paul Tillich by American abstract sculptor James Rosati. Courtesy of Historic New Harmony 1979 brought the debut of the Atheneum by Richard Meier & Associates, which contains Historic New Harmony's visitors' center. The porcelain, glass and steel structure was the first major commission for Meier, and earned him a host of awards including the American Institute of Architects National Honor Award for Achievement of Excellence in Architectural Design. Meier's original drawings and architectural model of the building are part of the permanent architecture collection at New York's Museum of Modern Art. License agreement: Alex Morgan Imaging Courtesy of Historic New Harmony Don Gummer's Fountain of Committment sculpture is a focal point of Church Park, constructed in 1996 (fun fact: Gummer is married to Meryl Streep). Fountain of Committment by Don Gummer Courtesy of Historic New Harmony Finally, New Harmony has not one, but two labyrinths. The Cathedral Labyrinth and Sacred Garden is a replica of the 12th century Chartres Cathedral outside of Paris, France. It was designed by local treasure Ken Schuette, a landscape architect and professor emeritus of Purdue University. His architectural work has also included concept planning for renovation of the Pentagon and serving as project architect for the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorial restorations in Washington, D.C. The Cathedral Labyrinth, designed by Ken Schuette, with The Atheneum, by Richard Meier, in the background. Courtesy of Historic New Harmony The Harmonist Labirynth was originally designed by the Rappites, a religious German society, and dates to the early 1800s. When the Rappites left the area, the labirynth was not maintained, and deteriorated over time. An early aughts restoration, based on archival information, returned it to its previous glory, complete with a stone Rappite temple in the center. License agreement: Alex Morgan Imaging The best part is that all of the above can be accessed free of charge. Many are specially lit at night, offering different, often dramatic, almost made-for-instagram views. For more information about New Harmony, and a plethora of resources, go to Visit New Harmony and the Robert Lee Blaffler Foundation.
The Verge
21 minutes ago
- The Verge
Itch.io follows Steam in removing adult games
The indie-focused open gaming marketplace has abruptly deindexed adult content from its browse and search pages, warning that some games will be permanently removed from the platform. In a blog post on Thursday, creator Leaf Corcoran said that the update was due to concerns that the website's payment processors had 'about the nature of certain content' hosted on the platform, following similar scrutiny against Steam. 'Our ability to process payments is critical for every creator on our platform,' said Corcoran. 'To ensure that we can continue to operate and provide a marketplace for all developers, we must prioritize our relationship with our payment partners and take immediate steps towards compliance.' While hosts a variety of gaming content, adult and pornographic titles are often among the top-sellers on the platform. Content creators who host their work on were given no warning ahead of the decision. 'We know this is not ideal, and we apologize for the abruptness of this change,' said Corcoran. It's unclear if customers are currently able to access games and visual novels that they had paid for prior to the update. We've reached out to for clarification. Credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard have rules that restrict some kinds of illegal and NSFW content. Steam similarly purged some adult titles last week after quietly changing its policy guidelines to ban any content that might violate rules set by the platform's payment providers and card networks. Backlash against both gaming platforms online has likened the situation to Tumblr banning pornographic content in 2018, a decision that Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Tumblr's parent company, Automattic, attributed to pressure from credit card companies, and is widely believed to have driven many users away from the platform. has yet to provide full guidance for creators that outlines the content that will be permitted on the platform following this change, but notes that creators will be required to confirm that their NSFW content abides by any rules set by their account's payment processors. That is, of course, providing that this doesn't cause a Tumblr-esque mass exodus of users who may now be looking for an alternative service to host, sell, and buy NSFW games. 'We are currently conducting a comprehensive audit of content to ensure we can meet the requirements of our payment processors,' said Corcoran. 'Pages will remain deindexed as we complete our review. Once this review is complete, we will introduce new compliance measures.' Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Jess Weatherbed Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Culture Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Entertainment Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Gaming Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Internet Culture Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Happy Gilmore' original cast: Which actors from 1996 movie join Adam Sandler in 2025 sequel?
We are living in the age of getting unexpected sequels that nobody really asked for. Nearly 30 years after the first film premiered in theaters, though, fans finally get to watch "Happy Gilmore 2". With such a large gap between movies, it's tough for much of the same cast to reprise their roles, but that doesn't mean you won't see some familiar faces. While it wouldn't be crazy to think that the sequel followed Gilmore's son starting to play golf, they didn't go that route. Adam Sandler will be back in the titular role, dusting off his golf club and hockey stick putter and getting back on the links. While in the first movie he was playing to try to win money to pay for his grandmother's house, this time around, he will be looking to earn money for his daughter to attend a prestigious ballet school with an annual tuition of $75,000. With Sandler back in tow, he will be joined by many familiar faces, including some from the first movie. The trailer alone is full of stars, including Ben Stiller, Julie Bowen, Bad Bunny, wrestlers MJF and Becky Lynch and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Considering just returning characters, however, there will be eight who appeared in the first movie that will also be in the second. Here is more on the actors who make their returns in "Happy Gilmore 2." MORE:Ranking the 14 greatest quotes from 'Happy Gilmore' 'Happy Gilmore' original cast members in 'Happy Gilmore 2' Adam Sandler: Happy Gilmore Christopher McDonald: Shooter McGavin Julie Bowen: Virginia Venit Ben Stiller: Hal L. Verne Lundquist: Himself Kevin Nealon: Gary Potter Lee Trevino: Himself Dennis Dugan: Doug Thompson Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore Sandler will be back in his titular role. For those that need a refresher, Gilmore had dreams of being a professional hockey player. He had a wicked slapshot but couldn't get the agility of hockey down. He failed his tryouts and learned that his grandmother's house was being foreclosed on. Gilmore found his way to golf and vowed to earn the money he needed to buy his grandmother's house from the bank. He succeeded in an impressive duel against Shooter McGavin, played by Christopher McDonald. In the sequel, it has been 29 years since Gilmore won that golf tournament. He hasn't played golf in ages, but is wooed out of retirement because he needed to find a way to help pay for his daughter's tuition at a ballet school. MORE: Breaking down Happy Gilmore's iconic "step-up" swing, including USGA legality Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin Every great protagonist needs an antagonist. While you could argue that Gilmore has two between McGavin and putting, McGavin is the true antagonist up until the end. McDonald plays McGavin as a stuck-up member of the golf tour. He is highly accomplished and respects the purity and the history of golf. Gilmore represented a new-age craziness, wearing a Bruins sweater on the course and running up to hit his shots. Everything Gilmore does irks McGavin to the core, and he plots his demise throughout the movie. Gilmore succeeds, and the last we saw of McGavin in the first movie was his running off with Gilmore's gold jacket, which he should have earned for winning the tournament. He was chased by patrons at the course, and his screams are heard off-screen as they catch him. MORE: How to buy a replica of the Happy Gilmore hockey stick putter Julie Bowen as Virginia Venit Have you noticed that all of Sandler's love interests from around that time of the original's release have the same V initials repeating? There was Vicki Valencourt in "The Waterboy," Veronica Vaughn from "Billy Madison," Valerie Veran in "Little Nicky" and Vanessa in "Big Daddy." The "Happy Gilmore" iteration of this was Virginia Venit played by Julie Bowen. Venit was the PR director for the pro golf tour. She was responsible for ensuring that all golfers maintain a positive image in the public eye. She isn't impressed with Gilmore at first since he doesn't fit the stereotypical country club mold. Throughout the movie, however, she gets to know him on a more personal level and sees his caring side, as he is doing everything for his grandmother. Venit ends up getting closer with Gilmore, and the two are implied to be a couple by the end of the first movie. Ben Stiller as Hal L. When Gilmore's grandmother is evicted from her house, she has to move into an elderly living community. Whenever Gilmore is around, the manager of the facility, played by Ben Stiller, is always cordial and respectful. When Gilmore leaves, though, Hal L. becomes this dominant, rude and abusive manager who treats his facility more like a prison than a community. Verne Lundquist as himself Lundquist was a long-time sports announcer with CBS Sports. He did play-by-play for football, basketball and golf throughout his career. Lundquist's final call was at the 2024 Masters, where he signed off for the final time with, "It's my honor, my privilege." The iconic announcer was cast as himself in "Happy Gilmore," and was charged with being an announcer during Gilmore's performances on the courses. Half the time he couldn't believe the antics of the amateur golfer, but he still did get the chance to use his notable voice to provide some golf commentary. Lee Trevino as himself Lee Trevino kept finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time with Happy Gilmore. If you remember some of Gilmore's worst moments, there would be someone standing off to the side shaking his head and looking disturbed at what they were watching. He got a line later in the movie as Shooter McGavin butchered yet another saying. That man is Trevino. While he seemed like a very minor character in the movie, he is actually regarded as one of the greatest golfers in history. Trevino turned professional in 1960 and picked up 92 wins over his career, with 29 of them coming on the PGA Tour. He won six golf majors in his career. His first was at the 1968 U.S. Open. Trevino added the 1971 U.S. Open, the 1971 British Open, the 1972 British Open, the 1974 PGA Championship and the 1984 PGA Championship. His last appearance in a golf major was at the 2000 British Open, where he missed the cut. Trevino is now 85 years old, but he still returns to "Happy Gilmore 2." Trevino was reportedly upset for a long time about the popularity of his character in the movie, as he disliked the amount of foul language and swearing. That didn't stop him from coming back for the sequel, though. When did the original 'Happy Gilmore' come out? "Happy Gilmore" was released in theaters on Feb. 16, 1996. With "Happy Gilmore 2" releasing on July 25 on Netflix, a nearly 29-and-a-half-year gap will exist between the movies' releases. There is some irony that the sequel is coming straight to Netflix seeing as the company itself was founded in 1997. Adam Sandler age in 'Happy Gilmore' vs. now Sandler had a string of comedy hits in the 1990s. He was impossible to miss, and riding the success of 1995's "Billy Madison," "Happy Gilmore" released in 1996 and led into "The Wedding Singer" and "The Waterboy" in 1998. When "Happy Gilmore" came out in 1996, Sandler was 29 years old. At the time of the "Happy Gilmore 2" release, he was 58 years old. Is Chubbs in 'Happy Gilmore 2'? The character Chubbs Peterson was a golf instructor in "Happy Gilmore." He took Gilmore under his wing and tried to teach him a short game. In the movie, Chubbs dies after Gilmore gifts him the alligator's head that bit off his hand. The shock caused him to fall out of a window. The character's son is in "Happy Gilmore 2," though. The actor who played Chubbs was Carl Weathers. He is known for his role as Apollo Creed in the first four "Rocky" films. Weathers passed away when he was 76 years old, and the cause of death was believed to be atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. When did Bob Barker die? Barker's cameo was legendary in "Happy Gilmore." He played himself, as a celebrity partner for Gilmore, who was enduring a rough stretch of his golf career. Barker gets annoyed by Gilmore's struggles, and Gilmore snaps. The two exchange blows and Gilmore ended up in the hospital. Barker died on Aug. 26, 2023 at the age of 99. He was four months shy of his 100th birthday. What happened to Grandma from 'Happy Gilmore?' Gilmore's grandmother was played by Frances Bay. At the end of the first movie, we see Gilmore win the golf tournament, and the ensuing payday helps him buy back his grandmother's house that his grandfather had built. While Bay's character made it to the end of the movie, she will only be in the sequel through flashbacks or a re-cast. Bay passed away on Sept. 15, 2011 when she was 92 years old. What happened to Mr. Larson from 'Happy Gilmore?' You may not recognize the name at first, but when I tell you that he is 7-foot-2, that may jog your memory. Mr. Larson, played by Richard Kiel, was Gilmore's former employer. He notably has a nail in his head but has no hard feelings against Gilmore. Instead, he sets his sights on McGavin. Mr. Larson chases down McGavin at the end of the movie when he steals Gilmore's gold jacket. He also bends McGavin's nine-iron into a horseshoe shape. McGavin later had to hit off of Mr. Larson's foot. You may recognize Kiel as he famously played the villain "JAWS" in the James Bond movies. What happened to Donald from 'Happy Gilmore'? Joe Flaherty doesn't even get a name for his character on the "Happy Gilmore" IMDB page. It just reads, "Jeering Fan." You may recall that McGavin hired a fan to throw Gilmore off his game. The fan would taunt him and would often call him a "jackass." That was Donald. He also hit Gilmore with his car. Flaherty developed an illness in 2024, that he couldn't overcome. He passed on April 1, 2024 in Toronto.
