This story appears in the May 2025 issue of Utah Business. Subscribe.
Ask Brandon Fugal about his most prized possession and he likely won’t say it’s his custom Airbus H130 helicopter or black Lamborghini Aventador Miura — though, yes, he has those too. Ever the historical and pop cultural superfan, Fugal’s most prized possessions actually include Keanu Reeves’ black suit from “John Wick” and a variety of “Harry Potter” film set objects. From a first-edition King James Bible (dated 1611) to the demonic puzzle box prop from the “Hellraiser” series, Fugal owns a piece of history for every palette. If you’re lucky enough to secure a meeting at his office, you might get the chance to see them for yourself.
“I have the opportunity to meet with and entertain heads of state and business leaders from all over the world,” Fugal says of the reasoning behind keeping the valuables within arms’ reach of his desk. “Having key pieces of our history and cultural artifacts — ones that resonate with people from all backgrounds and cultures — provides an opportunity to connect that is unique.”
While his collection may seem random, the objects all have one thing in common: Fugal seeks to acquire pieces that have had a profound impact on him since childhood or have informed his worldview. Two of these items include Shakespeare’s “First Folio” and “Fourth Folio” (dated 1623 and 1685, respectively), the latter of which is fully intact with its medieval binding. When deciding which new pieces to acquire, Fugal asks himself: 300 to 500 years from now, what will be the Shakespeare “Folio” equivalent for future generations?
“I would say it will be the artifacts of television, media, movies,” he says, gesturing to the trophy prop from “The Karate Kid” and a bona fide “Ghostbusters” proton pack. “I believe these items are the Da Vincis and Picassos of the future. They’re irreplaceable pieces of our cultural history.”
The clown doll from “Poltergeist”
“I was sitting at my desk at 2 a.m. one night, the office lit by just the glow of my laptop. I saw movement in my periphery and turned just as the clown lunged forward. I propped the clown back up, and as I sat back down at my desk, the clown lunged forward again and fell. Again, I lifted it back into place, and by the time I got back to my chair, it lunged forward a third time. At this point, I was very disturbed. I crammed the evil clown’s neck into the neck of a guitar stand and locked it in place to keep it from moving further.”
The Holy Bible from “Shawshank Redemption”
“Many consider this to be the most important screen-used prop from the most important movie of all time. It’s not coincidental that, as you turn and open the Bible to the book of Exodus, you see the hollowed-out compartment that concealed the rock hammer Andy Dufresne used as the method of his escape.”
Captain America’s shield
“I think it’s accurate to say that there are a number of things in this office that would be, within one second, instantly recognizable. This is one of them.”
1830 first printing of the Book of Mormon from Palmyra, New York
“My passion for collecting started when I was a missionary [for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] and had a goal to acquire this printing. It is a key piece of my collection that stands as that initial catalyst — I came home from my mission obsessed with our history, not just faith history, but our world history.”
“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” 1997 uncorrected proof copy
“This was printed so early and is so rare that they actually misspelled J.K. Rowling.”
Mother Teresa’s last known signed letter
“She used this as a teaching opportunity and wrote, ‘ … It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Be the sunshine of God’s love to your own — for this is where our love for each other must start.’”
Brandon Fugal’s “I Spy” cabinet
Can you spot the following items?
- The “Book of Secrets” from “National Treasure”
- David Bowie’s gloves and crystal ball from “Labyrinth”
- The license plate from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
- Hugh Jackman’s “Wolverine” claws
- The “Indiana Jones” bullwhip and chilled monkey brain head
- The board game from “Jumanji”
- The SPECTRE agent ring from “James Bond”
- “Terminator” head prop
- Tom Cruise’s battle katana from “The Last Samurai”
- The Red Ryder BB gun from “A Christmas Story”
- Walter White’s crystal blue meth prop from “Breaking Bad”
