Bill Gross - Billionaire Stamp Collector

The Orange County (CA) Register features billionaire stamp collector Bill Gross (shown above) in an article by reporter Elizabeth Held.

According to Elizabeth, "Gross said he can't imagine not having his collection nearby. Many stamp collectors keep their albums locked in a vault, but “there's no fun in that,” he said.

“Why would you want to have a kid and keep them in a room that you can only visit once every three or four months?,”  Gross is quoted as saying.

Elizabeth pens "Gross, the lead donor, gave $10 million to the Smithsonian Institution to help establish the gallery. He also lent the institution three of his rarest stamps for display. He wants to inspire future generations of stamp collectors and remind people of the unique history the stamps represent."

She goes on to say, "Gross also offered organizers an idea they took up. He wanted gallery visitors to be able to start their own stamp collections on the spot. In the middle of the gallery, visitors find a table with baskets filled with stamps. They are invited to take home six stamps to start their stamp albums."

For more on this story along with some photos of items in his collection, click here.