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Collection of eight automatons. Samuel "Sam" Zell. Billionaire investor and chairman of Equity Group Investments, an investment firm focused on transportation, real-estate, energy, media and healthcare industries. Mr. Zell has 675 automatons made each year and gives them out as New Year's presents. The automatons are freestanding sculptural objects that represent a different topic each year. They are charged with an AC adaptor and then started by the push of a button. They begin by playing a new year's message from Sam Zell and then continue with a song parody, generally about the economy (although the 2004 automaton is about the election). The automatons move at the same time as they play the message and song.