Slot machines are primarily responsible for the $653 million dollar fortune that Len Ainsworth has accumulate over his life.  Ainsworth did not win his money by playing slot machines; he was on the other side of the industry, manufacturing slot machines.  Unfortunately, despite all of his hard work, the 85 year old Australian slot machine tycoon cannot take his fortune with him when he dies.

Ainsworth would like his company to stay in the family.  With 7 sons from two marriages, he has a lot of family with which to leave the company. 

“You can’t judge what your children might do; you can’t judge what your children’s wives might do,” said Ainsworth, the 34^th richest man in Australia.

“Maybe someone loses money in a venture and dad’s just croaked it, so why not plunder that? Once you’re in a box you don’t know what’s happening, do you?”

His first step toward insuring that Ainsworth Game Technology survives him is that he extended the maturity on his AUS$40 million loan to the company to four years after the date of his death.  In addition to that, Ainsworth changed the redemption date on the Ainsworth Game Technology’s AUS$25.6 million in bonds.

These moves are very wise moves on the part of a shrewd businessman.  These extensions of bond redemption and the maturity of the loan puts an impassible road block in the way of any surviving family member that attempts to divert money from Ainsworth Game Technology.  These moves do not give the company immortality but it is certainly a lifeline.