While all James Bond villains are criminally insane, most of their plans involve something we can all understand: cash.
Vulture asked Jean-Jacques Dethier, a development economist at the World Bank (and a lifelong Bond fan), his opinions of the plans of various Bond villians:
The Bond villain is often deranged and grandiose, sure, but he (or she) is also capable of hatching elaborate plans to increase their bottom line, often by secretly manipulating the world’s economic systems (sometimes with the aid of a clandestine nuclear weapon or two). So, could they have succeeded? If James Bond hadn’t foiled these plots, could these Bond villains have fulfilled their dreams of financial glory?
- Live and Let Die? No.
- A View to a Kill? No.
- Tomorrow Never Dies? Yes and No.
- Goldfinger? Maybe.
- Casino Royale? Yes.