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Showing posts from January, 2010

Billionaire Bill Gates Dances Until 2am at Sundance

Billionaire Bill Gates , the founder of Microsoft, was seen dancing to the music of John Legend and the Roots, until 2am at the Sundance Film Festival. He also left a $500 tip for his waitress.

Billionaire Mittal Gets Drivers License

Billionaire tycoon L N Mittal just went into the Mumbai, India Regional Transport Office (department of motor vehicles) to get his learning driving license . He arrived in his black E-class Mercedes Benz.

A Miracle Collectible Up for Sale

The Airbus A320 that Captain "Sully" Sullenberger landed on New York's Hudson River last year is being offered for sale by the Chartis insurance company. The auction closes on March 27 with additional info at www.aigaviation.com.

The World's Most Expensive Car Is . . . an Audi!!!

Yes, you read that headline right; the worlds most expensive car is not a BMW or Mercedes Benz. It is an Audi A8 Security and sells for a reasonable $900,000 . Of course it includes armored gas tank, armored battery, full-cage outer-body armor, refrigerator, adjustable leather seats, and much, much more. [Please note that the linked article reports prices in Jamaican dollars. One Jamaican dollar equals about 1.12 US cents.]

$2,900 for a Ham

At the food hall in Selfridges in London's Oxford Street, you can buy the world's most expensive ham , weighing about 15.4 pounds, for $2,900. The purchase price even includes a DNA certificate as a proof of authenticity.

Billionaire Appearing in Court Relating to Drug Charges

Billionaire Henry T. Nicholas III, who was a co-founder of Broadcom Corp., is scheduled to appear in Federal court on Jan. 28 regarding the government's motion to drop all narcotics charges against him. The options backdating case against Nicholas has already been thrown out.

Billionaire Elected President of Chile

Billionaire Sebastian Pinera won about 52% of the vote to become the new president of Chile over the weekend. He was educated at Harvard, made is money in airlines, and is considered right wing,

How Many Books Are There About Billionaires?

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If you've ever wondered how many books have been published by and about billionaires, according to Amazon, there are 768. Of course, these include the Harlequin romance novels and other fiction. However, there are still dozens and dozens of non-fiction books with the word 'billionaire' in the title. Here is just a small selection. The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal ~ Ben Mezrich The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine ~ Benjamin Wallace 1,000 Dollars and an Idea: Entrepreneur to Billionaire: Expanded Edition ~ Sam Wyly Money Talks, Bullsh*t Walks: Inside the Contrarian Mind of Billionaire Mogul Sam Zell ~ Ben Johnson Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters: From Dating, Shopping, and Praying to Going to War and Becoming a Billionaire-- Two Evolutionary Psychologists Explain Why We Do What We Do ~ Alan S. Miller, Satoshi Kanazawa Think Like a Billionaire, Be

Skinniest House in NY Sold for $2.1 Million

Last month, we wrote about the skinniest house in England . Now the skinniest house in New York just sold for $2.1 million. The Greenwich Village house is just 9 1/2 foot wide, with two bedrooms and two baths. Anthropologist Margaret Mead once lived there.

Most Expensive Counties in the US Based on Property Taxes

According to Forbes, the most expensive counties in the US are: Westchester County, NY in the East Marin County, CA in the West Lake County, IL in the Midwest Loudon County, VA in the South

Million Dollar Artwork Created for Free Using Google

The huge photograph, 99 Cent II by Andreas Gursky sold for $3.3 million at auction in 2007. Another one of his famous works, Bahrain I, has been recreated by Florian Freier, using just Google Earth and Photoshop.

Beach Boy Car Stolen, Found, To Be Auctioned

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A 1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda owned by Beach Boy Al Jardine was scheduled to sell at a Barrett-Jackson car auction on Feb. 23 in Arizona. However, the car was confiscated by the police because it had been reported stolen in 1975. It turned out that it was a record-keeping mixup and the car is still scheduled to be sold for at least $100,000. Also, John Dillinger's 1930 Ford Model A will be auctioned off. Photos courtesy of wikipedia and do not represent the cars actually being sold.

Largest Green Home in the World has $5 Million Price Reduction

The “largest and most opulent certified green home in the world,” called Acqua Liana, recently had a price reduction from $29,000,000 to $24,300,000. The 15,000 square foot house , created by Frank McKinney, is located in Manalapan Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, and features a 2,000 gallon arched aquarium wet bar, 10-foot kitchen and dining water wall, a double helix glass staircase, 7 bedrooms, 11 baths, an oceanfront master bedroom, oceanfront glass office, glass wine room, movie theater, 2 glass elevators, 3 laundry rooms, a 2-bedroom 2-bath guesthouse, and much, much more. The home has received triple “green” certification through the U.S. Green Building Council, the Florida Green Building Coalition and Energy Star for Homes. It has solar panels, insulative characteristics, environmentally conscious lighting, ultra-high efficient appliances and air-conditioning, and utilization of reclaimed and renewable wood.

World's Most Expensive Houseboat

A houseboat, moored in a fancy part of London, is up for sale for $1,610,000 . It includes three bedroom suites, a kitchen, dining room, a study, and even a swimming pool.

$3.7 Million for One Nickel

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Heritage Auctions sold a very rare 1913 U.S. Liberty Head nickel for more than $3.7 million . The coin, which was once owned by an Egyptian king, is one of only five known to exist. The auction was held in Orlando, Florida.

Millionaires Shouldn't Drive Fast in Switzerland

A driver in Switzerland who was driving 85 miles per hour in a 50 mile per hour zone was hit with a $290,000 fine . The reason for the high fine was that the driver is a multimillionaire with a net worth of $20 million. That amount still seems excessive, as it is almost one and a half percent of net worth. For the average upper middle-class Joe with a net worth of $500,000, which might include home equity, 401(k) plan, stock portfolio, cars, etc., that would be a comparable fine of $7,250.

Cher Selling Her Hawaiian Home by Auction

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Cher will be selling her 8,821-square-foot luxury estate that she recently completed in Kona, Hawaii through the use of an auction on Jan. 18. The home sits on 3/4 of an acre and overlooks the ocean and the Hualalai Golf Course.

First New York City High-rise Luxury Condominium Apartment Auction

Maybe this is a signal of a market bottom. The first auction of New York City high-rise luxury condominium apartments was a success. Twenty one Solaria condominiums in Riverdale brought in $17 million .

Auction Today of Items Owned by Madoff Victims

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There is an auction today in Georgia of various items purported to have been owned by victims of Bernie Madoff (does that add value to the item?). Items include Rolex watches and artwork by Dali, Max, and Rockwell.

$177,000 for a Dead Fish

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Yes, you read that headline correctly. A 513-pound giant bluefin tuna sold at an auction in Japan for $177,000, the highest price ever paid for a fish in the last nine years. The fish was bought by the owners of a couple sushi restaurants in Japan.