How much would James Bond earn in real life?

[Ari]

Ok, first off I appreciate he's a fantasy movie figure, but James Bond is always portrayed as very wealthy. The flat, the classic Aston Martin (ok a company car in early films, but portrayed as his own car in later ones, albeit we also saw him winning it in Casino Royale), the clothes, the expensive tastes in restaurants, etc.

One of the books (Gardner, not Fleming) makes reference to an inheritance, but that's a fair way into the story.

So if such a thing as a real James Bond exists - how much would he realistically be earning?

[Ari]

P-Jay said:

SIS or MI6 staff start on £19k and it goes up to £49k - they don't have a listing for "Playboy Assassin" on their site sadly.

Even thought it's obviously the stuff of movies, it's probably naïve to think the UK Government has never got involved in any 'wet work', but it's probably been done by military types rather than intelligence types.

James Bond the character is an independently wealthy orphan in most versions of the story, his cover is sometimes a wealthy playboy aristocrat, but sometimes he's just a rep for "Universal Exports".

I'd say 99% of the time he's the sales rep, in the books and the movies, which doesn't really tie in with the expensive suits, Aston Martin and first class travel being cover expenses.

[Ari]

trickywoo said:

Good guess, sounds about right http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers/pay-benefits-a...

Ah, now he is at the rank of Commander in the Navy (although not serving, obviously).

Commander / Lieutenant Colonel - £68,679 to £79,524

[Ari]

98elise said:

James Bond was a Commander in the Reserves, so would not be getting paid as a Commander in the RN.

Ah, interesting!

Presumably that salary would be augmented by his MI6 salary though?

[Ari]

We all do.

If it helps, Daniel Craig is 46 and makes arguably the most convincing Bond yet.

[Ari]

5potTurbo said:

I'll ask one of my mates.... he seems to be turning into either an MI6 agent or developing a Walter Mitty type character. Complained of a painful injury which affected him at LM in June, and which was allegedly sustained whilst in Afghanistan a few weeks before.

He's a "designer", but disappears off the grid for many weeks at a time, doesn't like having his photo taken, uses a fake name without a proper photo on FB, etc. Becoming odd, to say the least.


ETA: perhaps I should add that to the bullstter thread?

I would say that using a fake name on Facebook definitely marks him down as genuine.

I could imagine James Bond calling himself Robert Sterling (his alias in The Spy Who Loved me and the name on the business card he used in Quantum of Solace to get the bad guys to ring him so he could trace the number) on Facebook.

[Ari]

I can't see that. He's not exactly middle-management is he..?

[Ari]

Have you seen the price of 'modest' apartments just off the Kings Road, where 007's residence is supposed to be?

[Ari]

Just found this, that puts the price firmly in to seven figures.

http://www.primelocation.com/homes-news/top-ten-ja...

[Ari]