History Main / TyrannicalTownTycoon

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': Before the [[ApocalypseWow Great War]] Robert Edwin House, CEO and owner of [[MegaCorp RobCorp]] and easily one of the richest men alive, was a ([[ALighterShadeOfBlack somewhat]]) benevolent version to Las Vegas. He bought up every single business in the town save one that belonged to his half brother (who originally cheated him out of his inheritance), effectively giving him absolute power over the city (to the point he could ruin the local economy just to hurt his brother). Predicting the war with China fifteen years in advance, this allowed him to make precautions to ensure the city would survive the war and could rebuild after the end (complete with anti-missile lasers on the roofs of casinos, orbital satellites to fry incoming ICBM's) as well as ensuring his own survival. His methods worked so well that after the war he upgraded New Vegas to OneNationUnderCopyright with himself serving as "[[EmperorScientist autocrat]]".

* ''Franchise/GreenLantern'': During one Pre-Crisis tale by Denny O'Neil, Green Lantern and ComicBook/GreenArrow come across the town of [[DyingTown Desolation]], ruled over by the tyrannical Mine Owner [[CorruptHick Slapper Soams]]. His mine being the only employer in the area, grants Soams power to the point that the towns police are not only his goons but mercenary [[FormerRegimePersonnel former Nazis]]. When a worker, Johnny, starts singing protest songs, Soams has him arrested, put through a show trial and sentenced to hang. Soams even sparks his workers to rebel, solely so his guards can kill a third of them and thus cow the remainders into permanent unquestioning obedience to him.

He owns the waterworks, the railroad [[TabletopGame/{{Monopoly}} and the hotel on Baltic Avenue]]. His family held the deed of every square inch of the CompanyTown since the day it was founded. And if you cross him he'll not only burn down your house, but throw your mother out of work and send your best friend to the morgue. Forget about going to the police [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney because he owns them too]]. Your only hope is to somehow recruit [[KnightErrant that stranger]] with the [[DarkAndTroubledPast mysterious past]], or, if you can find them, [[HiredGuns some mercenaries]].

The Tyrannical Town Tycoon is the capitalist successor to the previous class of [[BlueBlood landed gentry]] that used to fill the same role. Naturally there are [[TruthInTelevision numerous examples]] that helped inspired the trope and made such fingers highly salient to everyday people. Often portrayed as a [[EvilOldFolks Patriarch (or Matriarch)]] of an extended family that can serve as their muscle, he often succeed in completely cowing the entire town into accepting their villainy, even in societies where one wouldn't expect it.

While once popular in all forms of media, The Tyrannical Town Tycoon is on its way to becoming a DiscreditedTrope, at least in the developed world. [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Corrupt executives]] working for [[MegaCorp large corporations]] have stepped in to take their place as the RealLife local businesses that once influenced small town life have been bought up by [[AlwaysABiggerFish larger and larger players]] whose wealthy owners don't even bother to live near the communities they are destroying.

More modern works usually need to handwave away the growing unlikelihood of a major businessperson being confided to one town, by claiming the person really has a massive business empire outside the town (which probably remains completely offscreen), but they care about this town in particular for some reason, i.e., it being their hometown, etc.

Usually a modern implementation of AristocratsAreEvil or the FeudalOverlord. Almost certainly a CorruptCorporateExecutive, just one with enough power and influence to run a whole town. Sub-trope of IOwnThisTown, where someone basically owns the town but out of a variety of reasons like organized crime or political connections. If the SmallTownTyrant is wealthy enough, they often fit this trope, but the Tyrannical Town Tycoon can apply to any region. OneNationUnderCopyright is a related trope, where instead the ''nation'' is owned by a corporation, with Tyrannical Town Tycoon being part of it.

* Ed Wuncler I from ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'' is a billionaire whose family has effectively controlled the city of Woodcrest since it was founded in the 19th century. [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney He is so absurdly wealthy]] that [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections he can always bribe the authorities]] to allow the Wuncler family and their friends to do whatever the hell they want, no matter how illegal it is.

* Ed Wuncler I from ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'' is a billionaire whose family has effectively controlled the city of Woodcrest since it was founded in the 19th century. He is [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney so absurdly wealthy]] that he can always [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections bribe the authorities]] to allow the Wuncler family and their friends to do whatever the hell they want, no matter how illegal it is.

* Ed Wuncler I from ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'' is a billionaire whose family has effectively controlled the city of Woodcrest since it was founded in the 19th century. He is so absurdly wealthy that he can always bribe the authorities to allow the Wuncler family and their friends to do whatever the hell they want, no matter how illegal it is.

He owns the waterworks, the railroad and the hotel on the CompanyTown. If you cross him he'll not only burn down your house, but throw your mother out of work and send your best friend to the morgue. Forget about going to the police [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney because he owns them too]]. Your only hope is to somehow recruit [[KnightErrant that stranger]] with the [[DarkAndTroubledPast mysterious past]], or, if you can find them, [[HiredGuns some mercenaries]].

* Brad Wesley exemplifies this trope in ''Film/RoadHouse'', being able to do pretty much whatever he pleases while leaching off the citizens of Jasper using his son and the local police force to maintain order.

The Tyrannical Town Tycoon is always a Big Fish in a Small Pond, content to dominate their little fiefdom without much [[TakeOverTheWorld greater ambition]]. Often times they are able to get away with their crimes because nobody in the big city or state capitol notices what's going on out in the countryside. If a hero is unable to defeat Potter and his family by [[Film/RoadHouse kicking]], most times just [[IntrepidReporter getting word out]] will be enough to summon TheCavalry.

More modern works usually need to handwave away the growing unlikelihood of a major business person being confided to one town, by claiming the person really has a massive business empire outside the town (which probably remains completely offscreen), but in particular they cares about this town for some reason i.e. it being their hometown, etc.

Usually a modern implementation of AristocratsAreEvil or the FeudalOverlord. Almost certainly a CorruptCorporateExecutive, just one with enough power and influence to run a whole town. Sub-trope of IOwnThisTown, where someone basically owns the town but out of a variety of reasons like organized crime or political connections. If the CorruptHick is wealthy enough they often fit this trope, but the Tyrannical Town Tycoon can apply to any region. OneNationUnderCopyright is a related trope, where instead the ''nation'' is owned by a corporation, with Tyrannical Town Tycoon being part of it.

He owns the waterworks, the railroad and the hotel on Baltic Avenue. If you cross him he'll not only burn down your house, but throw your mother out of work and send your best friend to the morgue. Forget about going to the police [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney because he owns them too]]. Your only hope is to somehow recruit [[KnightErrant that stranger]] with the [[DarkAndTroubledPast mysterious past]], or, if you can find them, [[HiredGuns some mercenaries]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheCrampTwins'': Mr Winkle, the owner of [[MegaCorp Hazcam]] a corporation that makes numerous cleaning and beauty products (most of which don't work) to the point he seems to be the only authority in all of Soap City. To the point that he can seemingly create new laws on the fly and his company has its own [[LawEnforcementInc police force]] which can be dispatched to confiscate children's toys, or even arrest people for not being obsessed with cleaning, and take them away to be 're-educated' in the ways of cleanliness.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': Before the [[ApocalypseWow Great War]] Robert Edwin House, CEO and owner of [[MegaCorp RobCorp]] and easily one of the richest men alive, was a ([[ALighterShadeOfBlack somewhat]]) benevolent version to Las Vegas. He bought up every single business in the town save one that belonged to his half brother (who originally cheated him out of his inheritance), effectively giving him absolute power over the city (to the point he could ruin the local economy just to hurt his brother). Predicting the war with China fifteen years in advance, this allowed him to make precautions to ensure the city would survive the war and could rebuild after the end (complete with anti-missile lasers on the roofs of casinos, orbital satellites to fry incoming ICMB's) as well as ensuring his own survival. His methods worked so well that after the war he upgraded New Vegas to OneNationUnderCopyright with himself serving as "[[EmperorScientist autocrat]]".

Usually a modern implementation of AristocratsAreEvil or the FeudalOverlord. Almost certainly a CorruptCorporateExecutive, just one with enough power and influence to run a whole town. Sub-trope of IOwnThisTown, where someone basically owns the town but out of a variety of reasons like organized crime or political connections. If the CorruptHick is wealthy enough they often fit this trope, but the Tyrannical Town Tycoon can apply to any region.

* Creator/DonRosa's [[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Scrooge McDuck]] is a an LighterAndSofter example with the whole of Duckburg being built around his financial empire. He nevertheless holds lease with the majority of the city, and holds sway with the local branch of the army, going as far as being able to order a missile strike to his doorstep. PlayedForLaughs, of course.

* Miss Gulch from Film/TheWizardOfOz. Threatens to bring a damage suit against a farm because of a small dog.

* ''Anime/TheBigO'': Alex Rosewater leads Paradigm Corporation and the city it shares its name with because there's no one else more influential in the absence of an actual government AfterTheEnd, with the fate of the outside world unknown to the masses. He exploits the city's collective amnesia from forty years ago to maintain control even at the cost of its people. He also [[spoiler:[[AGodAmI wants]] to [[ResetButton reset]] the world and rebuild it [[InTheirOwnImage in his own image]].]]

* Demonstrated in ''WesternAnimation/TheLorax'' with Sneedville, which comes off as a serene, self-sufficient town, but is actually being pocketed and controlled by Aloysius O'Hare. The town's mayor and a CorruptCorporateExecutive, he takes advantage of the polluted air surrounding the town in order to sell "clean air" to the residents to make a fortune. He has the entire town monitored with surveillance equipment and uses goons to try and silence any talk that he deems could be a threat to his immoral enterprise.

While once popular in all forms of media, The Tyrannical Town Tycoon is on its way to becoming a DiscreditedTrope, at least in the developed world. [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Corrupt executives]] working for [[MegaCorp National, Multi-National or Megacorporations]] have stepped in to take their place as the RealLife local businesses that once influenced small town life have been bought up by [[AlwaysABiggerFish larger and larger players]] whose wealthy owners don't even bother to live near the communities they are destroying.

* W.O. Calloway in ''Podcast/AVeryFatalMurder'' is a wind tycoon who runs pretty much every industry in Bluff Springs, Nebraska. The reporter David Pascall suspects that Calloway is responsible for the murder of Hayley Price, [[spoiler:but it turns out he's just a ScatterbrainedSenior]].

* Creator/{{Fox}} Executive Roger Ailes tried doing this to his adopted hometown of Garrison, NY. [[http://nymag.com/news/features/roger-ailes-loudest-voice-in-the-room/ See here for more detail on the venture]].

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* The ''WebVideo/CollegeHumor'' video "VideoGame/SimCity Mayor is a faux campaign ad where the mayor of Sim City basically threatens to destroy the city with natural disasters unless he gets re-elected.

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[[folder: Films -- Animation]]

* Mrs. Deagle from Film/{{Gremlins}} owns the bank, is therefore the richest person in town, and is a bitch to everyone. (Also in the deleted scenes it's revealed she was forcing people out of their homes to put down a strip mall, effectively destroying Kingston Falls). When a woman and her children walk up to her in her first scene to ask for a couple more days' extension so they can pay her, [[EstablishingCharacterMoment she has this to say]] [[KickTheDog before telling them that she'll be more than glad to kick them out of their home on Christmas]]:
-->"The bank and I have the same purpose in life - to make money."

* The ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_County_War Lincoln County War]]'' was a feud between Lawrence Murphy and his business partner James Dolan, who were trying to maintain a dry goods monopoly, and newcomers John Tunstall, his partner Alexander [=McSween=] and their ranch hand Billy the Kid.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* W.O. Calloway in ''Podcast/AVeryFatalMurder'' is a wind tycoon who runs pretty much every industry in Bluff Springs, Nebraska. The reporter David Pascall suspects that Calloway is responsible for the murder of Hayley Price, [[spoiler:but it turns out he's just a ScatterbrainedSenior]].
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* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' Mr. Burns is a caricature of this trope that can be PlayedStraight or PlayedForLaughs DependingOnTheWriter. It is implied many times that he is above the law and controls many aspects of the local economy including the ability to plunge the city into darkness, but at the same time is routinely called to account by various regulators and lacks the ability to effectively threaten people.

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While once popular in all forms of media, The Tyrannical Town Tycoon is on its way to becoming a DiscreditedTrope, at least in the developed world. [[CorruptCorporateExecutive corrupt executives]] working for [[MegaCorp National, Multi-National or Megacorporations]] have stepped in to take their place as the RealLife local businesses that once influenced small town life have been bought up by [[AlwaysABiggerFish larger and larger players]] whose wealthy owners don't even bother to live near the communities they are destroying.

* ''WesternAnimation/AnAngelForChristmas'' has D.D. Kovet, boss of the town's massive flange-factory where nearly everyone works. He's wealthy enough and powerful enough to even have his own SecretPolice used to [[ForbiddenHoliday stamp out any mention of "Christmas"]].

He owns the waterworks, the railroad and the hotel on Baltic Avenue. If you cross him he'll not only burn down your house, but throw your mother out of work and send your best friend to the morgue. Forget about going to the police [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney because he owns them too]]. You're only hope is to somehow recruit [[KnightErrant that stranger]] with the [[DarkAndTroubledPast mysterious past]], or, if you can find them, [[HiredGuns some mercenaries]].