Or does this style of “Supervillain” only exist in fiction? Has a privatley funded criminal mastermind ever held world leaders to ransom? Perhaps it happens all the time, we just dont hear about it…
Well, depending on how far you want to stretch the premise, there’s George W Bush. Through private funds and conspiracy he took control of the United States from its rightfully elected candidate in 2000. From his position of usurped power, he launched an invasion of a sovereign nation which posed no threat to the security of the United States, deposing its leader and occupying its territory. Then in 2004, again using private funds and conspiracy, he retained his hold on the seat of American power over a second rightfully elected candidate. And rumors are flying thick and fast about tactical nuclear strikes on Iran, which could plunge the world into global nuclear holocaust.
Note that I’m really stretching the facts to fit the premise, more for fun than as a statement of any personal opinion or belief.
Technically, yes, but . . . Well, our operation was underfunded and we focused too much time to the planning stages. I don’t wanna talk about it.
Arguably, Hitler did a good job of that.
If he could have got his Zombie Nazi Dinosaur Army up & running, it would be an unqualified “yes”.
That didnt take long 
BTW, this thread probably belongs in GQ.
Thirteen minutes? I’m surprised I was the first one in with it.
The mention of two (wildly disparate) real-world figures so far in the thread provides something of a hint – for a certain kind of more sophisticated Evil Mastermind, these days it would be much “cleaner” and cost-effective to set up his/her conspiracy to penetrate and take over “legitimate” institutions of political and/OR economic power – and it would likely take the budget of a government, or of a large TransNational Corporation, to run something of the scale of SPECTRE.
– Number Two
Who is Number One?
Stranger
Hmmm, why am I thinking of an Austin Powers movie?? 
You are Number Six.
It doesn’t count. Bush doesn’t have a Giant Laser or a cool name(like Goldfinger) or a cool secret HQ with a self destruct button or an interesting evil henchman…okay, nevermind about the henchmen part.
But he probably has a Secret Service and/or military codename, weapons that make giant lasers look like popguns, an airborne command post, and those way-cool bomb-shelter tunnels in Virginia or somewhere. That should count for something! 
I’m still trying to figure out who Number 2 works for.
“My name is Bond. James Bond. You are…?”
"Condoleeza. It’s Italian. It means “With Sweetness.”
“Yes… I’m sure it is. Condoleeza – you’re a beautiful, intelligent, accomplished woman. Can’t you see the terrible things Bush is doing to your country?”
“But I can’t leave him. (sob) I owe him too much. Besides… he’s terribly possessive and would never let me go…”
“Darn tootin’ I wouldn’t, Condi!”
“Well, it’s Commander In Thief himself.”
“Thass right. But you. Double O-something. I am sick. Sick and tired, that is, of your mouth. The one on your face. And the words that come out of that mouth.” Snaps fingers. “Ultra-Secret Service: arrest that man!”
“I’m sorry darling – I have to run.”
“James!”
Hey, what do you think is at this “undisclosed location”?
Bush as an evil mastermind…no, I don’t buy it. Masterminds are supposed to be diabolically brilliant. Bush is more like…well, have you seen In Like Flint?
He’s just the puppet for the real mastermind; and I have a feeling Dick Cheney is the Number 9 character that is going to be electrocuted pour encourager les outres. I think Gloria Steinman or Camille Paglia are ultimately behind the Bush II front. He’s certainly done more to rally feminists, homosexuals, and liberals together than anything Clinton did in his sorry eight years as President.
I am not a number. I am a free man.
Stranger
Okay, if we’re going to be serious, I’d say the leaders of the Columbian drug cartels probably have come closest to a Bond type supervillian; huge fortunes, private armies, mountain-top headquarters, international connections, plotting with terrorist organizations, assassinating government leaders.
He has a FLYING laser cannon! :eek:
It’s Al Gore. You think he’d set it up so you would easily suspect him as the leader? Not only do you have a puppet who draws the attention to someone else, but he even set it up so that he would look like the wronged legitimate winner of the election, thus setting him up to become the underdog who defeats the supervillian!
I tell ya, the man’s smarter than he looks.
::turning down the intercom, over which the agonized screams of Aquaman and Mera are being broadcast as my minions torture the secret of aquatic telepathy from them::
Why do you ask?