BILLIONAIRE ELIJAH KAMSKI ATTENDS CELEBRATED PAINTER'S FUNERAL 24 April 2038
Former CEO of CyberLife, Elijah Kamski, was seen attending the funeral of lead innovator of the Neo-Symbolist artistic movement Carl Manfred. Manfred passed away from a sudden illness on April 20. Manfred is succeeded by his son, Leo Manfred, who had been at the wake but not the funeral itself. Manfred's funeral, as instructed in his will, took place at Dovetail Unitarian Church, which was followed by a Mardi Gras-style feast and celebration at a nearby conference hall. [TO SEE PICTURES, VIDEO, AND INTERVIEWS FROM THE EVENT, PLEASE TOUCH HERE]
Kamski was seen accompanied by his original Chloe model android, both of them dressed in somber black silk kimono. It is said he also provided large arrangements of white and yellow lilies and chrysanthemums for both the wake and funeral. Also in attendance with Kamski was the equally reclusive Dr. Vanessa Meyers, Kamski's foster sister and rumored to be a silent partner in the founding of CyberLife back in 2018. Aside from press candids entering and leaving the funeral home, no official pictures of her were taken and no comment was made, though it appears she wore a black dress and heavy coat, despite the warmer spring temperatures.
This is the first public event Kamski has attended in over four years, though gossip blogs and legitimate news sites alike are always combing through his personal social accounts to see where he may be traveling. Kamski is one of the world's richest men, valued at a total of 145 billion in assets, much of it in CyberLife stock and investments.
His path to success has been both celebrated and troubled, starting when he began building his first android model in 2016 to the founding of the company two years later in 2018. He remained as the lead inventor and later de-facto CEO of CyberLife and its subsidiaries until his ousting at CyberLife in 2028, but many suspect that troubles began earlier on. Sources say that disagreements with Kamski and his board of trustees, which includes his foster father Maximillen DePierro, reached a breaking point in February 2027. There is plenty of speculation about the split, and if Kamski was forced into retirement or left on his own after he gained control of the initial trust and patents created in his name by the trustees while he was still a minor.
As it stands now, Kamski is known for his eccentric, hermit-like nature and, very recently, his quiet altruism. It was only recently discovered that much of Kamski's liquid assets are tied up in social projects for children. While some amounts were unknown, a source close to Kamski revealed that a total of 400 million dollars a year are sent to foster programs all around the country to provide better care for children in state custody.
"I grew up as a child hearing about the selfish behavior of some of my current contemporaries with regards to their employees and lack of insight on how to best use their great wealth," Kamski said via e-mail, after the information surfaced, "and I thought that if I was ever to achieve greatness, I would put them to shame. I am not yet where I would like to be, but I have many years ahead of me. I would rather people not know what I do with my personal money and time, now that I am no longer a prominent social figure.”
Early in CyberLife's production, Carl Manfred was said to have designed some of the original models for CyberLife, though this has never been confirmed aside from rumor.
When asked for comment on Manfred, Kamski replied: "Carl was more than just an artistic inspiration to me. He prevented me from going wild as a young man, which I am deeply grateful for. Many may remember his early life with his extravagant lifestyle, but I only remember the good man who gave me counsel and kept me humble. We have suffered a great loss, not just for the artistic community, but the passing of a beautiful soul that still had many years with us. He was a friend to many, a mentor to me and others, and an attentive father to his son. I will miss him greatly."
[PICTURED: Full Canvas and Detail of “THE HOUND -- BEACH”, one of the only pieces shared during Carl Manfred’s years long hiatus after his car accident in August 2028.]
Promotion for my Detroit: Become Human fanfic, “They who Saw the Deep”, which was inspired by my desire to have an extended timeline for the game in general, and also to see if I can manage to make a proper allegory for the plight of androids without borrowing uncomfortably on historical tragedies. I’m currently re-mixing the first chapter, which will be posted with the second chapter, but not much will be changing. Think of it as a playable demo of what’s to come.
The initial update will be on October 3, 2018. It’s going to be alternating with my other main WIP, an X-Men: First Class fanfiction, “Waking the Witch”. I finish my WIPs to the end (even if they go on hiatus for a while!), so if you’re interested in a character-driven, ensemble story with a side of shipping, please feel free to follow!
The picture is mine, with me trying to emulate the style assigned to Mr. Manfred. It’s indeed supposed to be Connor, and I’m very happy with it.