Biltbobble Family

The Biltbobbles are known as the Shire's wealthiest family, owing their massive fortune to heavy involvement in the oil, mining, and pharmaceutical industries. Amassing their fortune was spearheaded by the famous Cornelius Biltbobble, the son of Floffwymites Zachary and Cordelia Biltbobble, born on March 22nd, 1802. His conception was considered scandalous at the time, since interracial reproduction was deemed a social taboo. He was born a beluga Sammichian, like his mother. From a young age, Cornelius expressed a keen interest in the arts and creativity, but these interests were suppressed by the industrious and superficial attitudes of the Floffwymites. Despite disapproval from the community, Zachary and Cordelia approved of their son's passions, and spent nearly all of their savings to send him to boarding school in Fulfwotz where he could hone his artistic skills.

His painting was so revered, that he earned a fair living painting portraits for wealthier members of Fulfwotz society. A business magnate simply named Foie Gras commissioned over 450 paintings from Cornelius, and in return taught him the in-and-outs of the business world. Upon his death, Gras left his apprentice a large sum of money, should he ever want to start his own.

The money could not have come at a better time, as Cornelius was attacked by a mountain lion while painting in the Demmatrodine wilderness, and lost his right hand. Although his artistic career was over, Cornelius began investing in various companies with Gras's money, and eventually started his own mining company. Today, Biltbobble Industries has over 75 subsidaries, such as Biltbobble Pharmaceuticals, Omega Mining Company, Demmadorra Architecture, and is a chief benefactor of fine arts and education institutions across the Shire. In 2014, the Biltbobble family's fortune was valued at $80 billion SPB.

Early Life of Cornelius

Cornelius Virmuthe Biltbobble was born during a large storm on March 22nd, 1802, in the town of Floffwym. His mother was Cordelia Toulouse Biltbobble (née Tulloc), a deaf seamstress who died from tuberculosis when Cornelius was fifteen.

The childhood home of Cornelius, taken the year before his birth. The house still remains today and has been turned into a museum.

His father was Zachary Daniel Biltbobble, a struggling fisherman and avid gambler. During his birth, Cordelia and Zachary panicked, since no midwives were able to come to the house during the storm. Despite Zachary's lack of experience in the field of childbirth, Cornelius was born healthy.

He spent his childhood outside, sketching and painting. Many people in Floffwym disapproved of this behavior, since most children his age were already working on docks and in the fields, and creativity was not a valued trait in Floffwym society. These activities were further supported by Cornelius's parents, primarily his mother. Cordelia claimed that "...if a child never knows what childhood is, they will surely never know what adulthood is." Around the age of eleven, it became apparent to Zachary and Cordelia that art was something their son was passionate about. For the next two years, they saved enough money to send Cornelius off to Noche Artistic Academy in Fulfwotz when he was thirteen.