Benjamin Hatcher

Benjamin Hatcher was a stockbroker. When his grandmother, Gladys died, he was the first grandchild to inherit her beloved scarlet macaw, Ptolemy III. In her last letter, Gladys Hatcher explained that her estate would be divided into quarters: he, his sister, and his cousin would each get a third, and the fourth would provide for Ptolemy until he died. Gladys' letter also said that she'd taught Ptolemy to read, and that he often perused the newspaper lining his cage. While he didn't have the knowledge to understand the news, he did have the ability to follow trends, and he had been the one choosing Gladys' stocks.

Hatcher was initially very skeptical of Gladys' claims, but he was fond of Ptolemy and so dutifully took charge of him, keeping him at the office. He tested Ptolemy, and soon found that his grandmother had been telling the truth. He rearranged his work schedule to insure Ptolemy was comfortable and stable. This alienated his wife Barbara and his secretary, who quit a year after he took Ptolemy in. Since Hatcher's stocks were incredibly successful (thanks to Ptolemy), his employers didn't care.

Unfortunately, Hatcher's stressful lifestyle and poor diet caught up to him one day, and he died in a meeting with a client. Ptolemy then went to Ben's cousin, Cindy Ledbetter.