7 ms·

Batman's Real Story

400 points by philco 15y ago

sukuriant 15y ago
I thought one incredibly cool addition to the article is that his son dresses up as Robin sometimes and joins him on these adventures. That's a son that's proud of his dad, and even supportive of his father's cause. That. Is awesome.
aresant 15y ago
At first glance weird story for HN. But figuring out interesting ways to give back should be in the future of every successful entrepreneur, and never to early to get started.
- bicknergseng 15y ago
  It's a large part of what drives me to be an entrepreneur. Pretty hard to cruise around in a Lambo visiting kids in the hospital working middle management.
- MBlume 15y ago
  Interesting ways to give back should not really be a desideratum. Look for maximally efficient, effective ways of giving back.
  - scintill76 15y ago
    Maybe it's impossible to find the "maximally efficient, effective ways", so you should do the interesting ones (i.e., not everyone is doing) that enrich you and make you happy, and have a measurable positive effect on others, like this guy does. With him being well-off, would it be more "maximally efficient" for him to do something else with his money? Maybe, but he wouldn't be making people happy with his black Lambo or the "real" Batmobile he is building. We don't know what would happen if he did something else, but we do know people like what he's doing.
    - philh 15y ago
      Not having perfect information is not an excuse to ignore the information you have. I don't know exactly how different the world would be if he donated $250,000 to, say, combating malaria instead of building a better Batmobile. But I would give at least 10:1 odds (if such a bet could be judged) that it would have more people alive in 20 years, for example. But saving many lives thousands of miles away doesn't feel as good as making sick children happy right here, and it doesn't make as good press. Don't get me wrong: he earned that $250,000, he's under no particular obligation to do anything with it. I consider it $250,000 that he's spending on a cool hobby that he enjoys, that also makes kids happy, and that also brings publicity to doing-good-things (probably not optimal publicity, but better than nothing). And he's certainly making the world a better place than I am, right now. But if his objective is to do as much good for the world as he can, he's not acheiving it. And we shouldn't be too critical of him, because I think criticism is more likely to turn potential Batmans to the path of not-bothering, rather than the path of utility-maximisation.
      - bad_user 15y ago
        But I would give at least 10:1 odds (if such a bet could be judged) that it would have more people alive in 20 years, for example. There are 2 problems with this statement: (1) many people sick with cancer or malaria are going to die anyway and bringing a little happiness into their lives is worth the trouble, even if those people won't count towards your "alive" statistics. "Making the world a better place" is not necessarily about keeping people alive. It's also about literally making the world a nicer place to live in. (2) When it comes to research, $250.000 is basically the salary of a good researcher or two for a year. That still counts for something, but it's peanuts.
        philh 15y ago
        1) True. Still, I think I would choose the "malaria" world over the "batmobile" world; and the "malaria" world is probably not optimal. (Remember, he already has a Batmobile. In the "malaria" world I'm assuming he keeps using it.) 2) Research isn't the only thing money can buy. I was thinking mosquito nets. And again, that's probably not optimal.
  - ma2rten 15y ago
    I did a minor in international development studies. One of the things that I took away from there was that the problems of so-called developing countries (and poor people in rich countries as well) are very complex. There have been numerous well intended, philanthropic projects in past, which actually did more harm than good. Really determining what the most effective way to spend your money is, would require years of study. There are consultants you can hire to help determine this for you. That said, the influence (be it good or bad) you could have with a couple million dollar is so minuscule, that you might as well measure the benefit of it in terms of emotional value, instead of any "objective" measure.
    - timwiseman 15y ago
      couple million dollar is so minuscule, that you might as well measure the benefit of it in terms of emotional value, instead of any "objective" measure. You made excellent points up until this sentence. On a world wide scale, a couple million dollars is not even a drop in the bucket. But it can do tremendous good locally. In my own life, I was helped out enormously because someone loaned me just $5000 at a critical time. More broadly, one of my professors is involved in a small nonprofit that targets one poor village in Africa. Their global impact is minute, but they have already helped that village create (not given, but helped it create for itself) a school for its children. Globally, a couple of million is probably not objectively measurable, but if targetted and used well it can make an enormous difference in the lives of a smaller group of people.
- keithvan 15y ago
  I'd imagine a lot of people who read HN also love Batman :)
GuiA 15y ago
His superhero work is limited to doing good deeds, part of a maturation process in his own life. In his earlier years, he acknowledges that he sometimes displayed an unsuperhero-like temper and got into occasional trouble with the law for fights and other confrontations. Putting on the Batman uniform changes and steadies him. This is a sentence in the article that resonated very much with me, and I think touches something extremely important. I feel the exact same way when I'm teaching kids and teenagers— I have many, many shortcomings but when I am put in a position of role models for kids, I go beyond them. I think everyone has something that makes them feel that way when they do it— may it be art, teaching, etc.— and finding it is one of the most important things in life.
madrox 15y ago
This guy is top shelf.
dos1 15y ago
Wow, great story! I especially like the fact that Lenny realizes how lucky he is to have healthy children and be financially stable. There are so many people who are smart and work hard, but to become rich beyond necessity always takes a healthy dose of luck. It's great to see him acknowledge that and do nice things for other people. Too many wealthy people think they're solely responsible for their success and are misers to a fault.
cgshaw 15y ago
That's the kind of thing I hope I'd do if I ever "struck it rich." But since I haven't yet, I think I'll go to the children's hospital next week and play video games and read with the kids. Makes me realize, I've already "made it."
mcmatterson 15y ago
Having just come off multiple months of our daughter being in the hospital in some very grim (at the time) circumstances, I can say that while visits from celebrities are many, visits from celebrities that actually care are few. I would have loved to have seen Batman (even the Lenny B. Robinson version) wander down our ward. The world needs more of this guy.
- alttag 15y ago
  Yes. My son spent several months in a cancer ward. ... His best (and only, to my memory) visit from an "outsider" was an honest-to-goodness Santa Claus in the nicest Santa outfit I'd ever seen. My son's Wish (from Make-A-Wish) was to visit Spider-man. He was very much into superheroes. Although we did get to see him on a "wish-trip" to Universal Studios, he was too small for the Spider-man 3-D ride by about four inches. We would have loved to have a hospital visit by superheroes ... but alas, I think the controlled entry nature of the cancer ward made it so many there at the hospital "just to visit" ended up in other areas.
  - tomjen3 15y ago
    As a child i spend a christmas in a hospital and indeed they had a santa claus comming by and giving me a small present. Still spending christmas in the hospital suck. I hope your kid is alright.
    - alttag 15y ago
      He was diagnosed two weeks before Christmas (2007). The Make-A-Wish trip to visit Spider-man was the following July (they work quickly!), and last time he was healthy enough to be up and about. He passed away three week later, just before his fourth birthday. ... and that's why an article about Batman made me cry.
      - tomjen3 15y ago
        I am so sorry to hear that. At least he got to see Spider-man.
chaostheory 15y ago
Bruce Wayne, "People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy and I can't do that as Bruce Wayne, as a man I'm flesh and blood I can be ignored I can be destroyed but as a symbol, as a symbol I can be incorruptible, I can be everlasting."
- officemonkey 15y ago
  "Cancer cells are a superstitious cowardly lot, so my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must be a creature of the night, black, terrible..."
mahmud 15y ago
There is a whole scene of these super-heroes. The amazing Snap Judgement did a piece on them: http://snapjudgment.org/superheroes-origin-stories http://snapjudgment.org/superheroes-origin-stories
redridingnews 15y ago
Great story. Just what some of us need. "Though Batman has long been aware that I’m a journalist, he has never suggested I write about him. He does not crave publicity. Like his comic book namesake, he doesn’t seek credit for what he does."
einarlove 15y ago
Would realy love to see a documentary of this Batman. Seems like he would move more people then the Dark Knight.
- DEinspanjer 15y ago
  Not me. I've seen far too much of a tendency in people to wish to pull down the "powerful" or "good" when they become too noticeable. The media seems to embrace this tendency by fishing for the dirt on people to make news. This guy is doing a good thing for these kids. Even this article mentions that he has a checkered past. If he gets too much attention, I would bet money that some reporter is going to write up a sensational post about what a slimeball he is and that would tarnish and diminish the good work he is doing. I don't want to hear about what a bad guy he is or was "in real life". That might mark me as a person happy with self delusion, but he isn't hurting people when he is doing this, he isn't likely to be in a position to easily hurt people. Unless he starts trying to monetize or otherwise make this something other than a simple act of charity, I'd rather keep him out of the harsh spotlight.
  - einarlove 15y ago
    After some thoughts I came to the conclusion that I feel the same way as you do. But if the article is correct, it will be hard for the press not to talk about him if he will drive around in a real replica of the batmobile. Cheers
tomelders 15y ago
At first I was like... "Pffft! Only in America." and than I was like... "What a guy... I'm such a dick".
dmazin 15y ago
I wonder how many times Dustin Curtis calls himself a superhero for every time this guy does.
jonnathanson 15y ago
Dear DC Comics / Warner Brothers: Please reach out to this man, and offer him free and clear usage rights to "Batman," "Superman," and other pieces of your IP for charitable causes. In fact, do one better than that, and offer him funding to build out a national superheroes ("Superfriends"?) program for others to get involved. If he's interested, of course. Maybe he wants to keep this small. But seems to me like there's a fantastic opportunity to lend Batman a hand here.
toddnessa 15y ago
Although it may be seen as a little unusual, it is nice to see someone who has succeeded financially pay thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own money in order to inspire, encourage, and strengthen the spirits of children who are in the hospital- many of which are seriously or even terminally ill. Mr. Robinson demonstrates the benevolence that should be seen as a responsibility of those who have attained financial success and does so in a very creative way. You can't question this persons heart to see to it that a child who is suffering is given a bright-spot in their day, and a highlight of their life by a visit from a super-hero- Batman.

400 points by philco 15y ago

I thought one incredibly cool addition to the article is that his son dresses up as Robin sometimes and joins him on these adventures. That's a son that's proud of his dad, and even supportive of his father's cause. That. Is awesome.

aresant 15y ago

At first glance weird story for HN. But figuring out interesting ways to give back should be in the future of every successful entrepreneur, and never to early to get started.

bicknergseng 15y ago
It's a large part of what drives me to be an entrepreneur. Pretty hard to cruise around in a Lambo visiting kids in the hospital working middle management.
MBlume 15y ago
Interesting ways to give back should not really be a desideratum. Look for maximally efficient, effective ways of giving back.
- scintill76 15y ago
  Maybe it's impossible to find the "maximally efficient, effective ways", so you should do the interesting ones (i.e., not everyone is doing) that enrich you and make you happy, and have a measurable positive effect on others, like this guy does. With him being well-off, would it be more "maximally efficient" for him to do something else with his money? Maybe, but he wouldn't be making people happy with his black Lambo or the "real" Batmobile he is building. We don't know what would happen if he did something else, but we do know people like what he's doing.
  - philh 15y ago
    Not having perfect information is not an excuse to ignore the information you have. I don't know exactly how different the world would be if he donated $250,000 to, say, combating malaria instead of building a better Batmobile. But I would give at least 10:1 odds (if such a bet could be judged) that it would have more people alive in 20 years, for example. But saving many lives thousands of miles away doesn't feel as good as making sick children happy right here, and it doesn't make as good press. Don't get me wrong: he earned that $250,000, he's under no particular obligation to do anything with it. I consider it $250,000 that he's spending on a cool hobby that he enjoys, that also makes kids happy, and that also brings publicity to doing-good-things (probably not optimal publicity, but better than nothing). And he's certainly making the world a better place than I am, right now. But if his objective is to do as much good for the world as he can, he's not acheiving it. And we shouldn't be too critical of him, because I think criticism is more likely to turn potential Batmans to the path of not-bothering, rather than the path of utility-maximisation.
    - bad_user 15y ago
      But I would give at least 10:1 odds (if such a bet could be judged) that it would have more people alive in 20 years, for example. There are 2 problems with this statement: (1) many people sick with cancer or malaria are going to die anyway and bringing a little happiness into their lives is worth the trouble, even if those people won't count towards your "alive" statistics. "Making the world a better place" is not necessarily about keeping people alive. It's also about literally making the world a nicer place to live in. (2) When it comes to research, $250.000 is basically the salary of a good researcher or two for a year. That still counts for something, but it's peanuts.
      - philh 15y ago
        1) True. Still, I think I would choose the "malaria" world over the "batmobile" world; and the "malaria" world is probably not optimal. (Remember, he already has a Batmobile. In the "malaria" world I'm assuming he keeps using it.) 2) Research isn't the only thing money can buy. I was thinking mosquito nets. And again, that's probably not optimal.
- ma2rten 15y ago
  I did a minor in international development studies. One of the things that I took away from there was that the problems of so-called developing countries (and poor people in rich countries as well) are very complex. There have been numerous well intended, philanthropic projects in past, which actually did more harm than good. Really determining what the most effective way to spend your money is, would require years of study. There are consultants you can hire to help determine this for you. That said, the influence (be it good or bad) you could have with a couple million dollar is so minuscule, that you might as well measure the benefit of it in terms of emotional value, instead of any "objective" measure.
  - timwiseman 15y ago
    couple million dollar is so minuscule, that you might as well measure the benefit of it in terms of emotional value, instead of any "objective" measure. You made excellent points up until this sentence. On a world wide scale, a couple million dollars is not even a drop in the bucket. But it can do tremendous good locally. In my own life, I was helped out enormously because someone loaned me just $5000 at a critical time. More broadly, one of my professors is involved in a small nonprofit that targets one poor village in Africa. Their global impact is minute, but they have already helped that village create (not given, but helped it create for itself) a school for its children. Globally, a couple of million is probably not objectively measurable, but if targetted and used well it can make an enormous difference in the lives of a smaller group of people.
keithvan 15y ago
I'd imagine a lot of people who read HN also love Batman :)

GuiA 15y ago

His superhero work is limited to doing good deeds, part of a maturation process in his own life. In his earlier years, he acknowledges that he sometimes displayed an unsuperhero-like temper and got into occasional trouble with the law for fights and other confrontations. Putting on the Batman uniform changes and steadies him. This is a sentence in the article that resonated very much with me, and I think touches something extremely important. I feel the exact same way when I'm teaching kids and teenagers— I have many, many shortcomings but when I am put in a position of role models for kids, I go beyond them. I think everyone has something that makes them feel that way when they do it— may it be art, teaching, etc.— and finding it is one of the most important things in life.

madrox 15y ago

This guy is top shelf.

dos1 15y ago

Wow, great story! I especially like the fact that Lenny realizes how lucky he is to have healthy children and be financially stable. There are so many people who are smart and work hard, but to become rich beyond necessity always takes a healthy dose of luck. It's great to see him acknowledge that and do nice things for other people. Too many wealthy people think they're solely responsible for their success and are misers to a fault.

cgshaw 15y ago

That's the kind of thing I hope I'd do if I ever "struck it rich." But since I haven't yet, I think I'll go to the children's hospital next week and play video games and read with the kids. Makes me realize, I've already "made it."

mcmatterson 15y ago

Having just come off multiple months of our daughter being in the hospital in some very grim (at the time) circumstances, I can say that while visits from celebrities are many, visits from celebrities that actually care are few. I would have loved to have seen Batman (even the Lenny B. Robinson version) wander down our ward. The world needs more of this guy.

alttag 15y ago
Yes. My son spent several months in a cancer ward. ... His best (and only, to my memory) visit from an "outsider" was an honest-to-goodness Santa Claus in the nicest Santa outfit I'd ever seen. My son's Wish (from Make-A-Wish) was to visit Spider-man. He was very much into superheroes. Although we did get to see him on a "wish-trip" to Universal Studios, he was too small for the Spider-man 3-D ride by about four inches. We would have loved to have a hospital visit by superheroes ... but alas, I think the controlled entry nature of the cancer ward made it so many there at the hospital "just to visit" ended up in other areas.
- tomjen3 15y ago
  As a child i spend a christmas in a hospital and indeed they had a santa claus comming by and giving me a small present. Still spending christmas in the hospital suck. I hope your kid is alright.
  - alttag 15y ago
    He was diagnosed two weeks before Christmas (2007). The Make-A-Wish trip to visit Spider-man was the following July (they work quickly!), and last time he was healthy enough to be up and about. He passed away three week later, just before his fourth birthday. ... and that's why an article about Batman made me cry.
    - tomjen3 15y ago
      I am so sorry to hear that. At least he got to see Spider-man.

chaostheory 15y ago

Bruce Wayne, "People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy and I can't do that as Bruce Wayne, as a man I'm flesh and blood I can be ignored I can be destroyed but as a symbol, as a symbol I can be incorruptible, I can be everlasting."

officemonkey 15y ago
"Cancer cells are a superstitious cowardly lot, so my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must be a creature of the night, black, terrible..."

mahmud 15y ago

There is a whole scene of these super-heroes. The amazing Snap Judgement did a piece on them: http://snapjudgment.org/superheroes-origin-stories http://snapjudgment.org/superheroes-origin-stories

redridingnews 15y ago

Great story. Just what some of us need. "Though Batman has long been aware that I’m a journalist, he has never suggested I write about him. He does not crave publicity. Like his comic book namesake, he doesn’t seek credit for what he does."

einarlove 15y ago

Would realy love to see a documentary of this Batman. Seems like he would move more people then the Dark Knight.

DEinspanjer 15y ago
Not me. I've seen far too much of a tendency in people to wish to pull down the "powerful" or "good" when they become too noticeable. The media seems to embrace this tendency by fishing for the dirt on people to make news. This guy is doing a good thing for these kids. Even this article mentions that he has a checkered past. If he gets too much attention, I would bet money that some reporter is going to write up a sensational post about what a slimeball he is and that would tarnish and diminish the good work he is doing. I don't want to hear about what a bad guy he is or was "in real life". That might mark me as a person happy with self delusion, but he isn't hurting people when he is doing this, he isn't likely to be in a position to easily hurt people. Unless he starts trying to monetize or otherwise make this something other than a simple act of charity, I'd rather keep him out of the harsh spotlight.
- einarlove 15y ago
  After some thoughts I came to the conclusion that I feel the same way as you do. But if the article is correct, it will be hard for the press not to talk about him if he will drive around in a real replica of the batmobile. Cheers

tomelders 15y ago

At first I was like... "Pffft! Only in America." and than I was like... "What a guy... I'm such a dick".

dmazin 15y ago

I wonder how many times Dustin Curtis calls himself a superhero for every time this guy does.

jonnathanson 15y ago

Dear DC Comics / Warner Brothers: Please reach out to this man, and offer him free and clear usage rights to "Batman," "Superman," and other pieces of your IP for charitable causes. In fact, do one better than that, and offer him funding to build out a national superheroes ("Superfriends"?) program for others to get involved. If he's interested, of course. Maybe he wants to keep this small. But seems to me like there's a fantastic opportunity to lend Batman a hand here.

toddnessa 15y ago

Although it may be seen as a little unusual, it is nice to see someone who has succeeded financially pay thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own money in order to inspire, encourage, and strengthen the spirits of children who are in the hospital- many of which are seriously or even terminally ill. Mr. Robinson demonstrates the benevolence that should be seen as a responsibility of those who have attained financial success and does so in a very creative way. You can't question this persons heart to see to it that a child who is suffering is given a bright-spot in their day, and a highlight of their life by a visit from a super-hero- Batman.