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Showing posts from June, 2010

$45,000 for Marilyn Monroe's X-Rays

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Julien's auction house recently auctioned off three X-rays of Marilyn Monroe's chest. The pre-sale estimate of $800 to $1,200 each, but all three were hammered for a total of $45,000 . The X-rays were taken at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital when she was 28 years old. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

$5600 for a Feather

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At an auction in New Zealand's Webb's Auction House in Auckland, a feather from the extinct huia bird was hammered at around $5600 in US dollars, setting a world's record for the sale of a feather. The bird has reportedly been extinct since 1907.

Number of Millionaires Increases by 17%

According to Merrill Lynch, the number of millionaires around the world has increased by 17% , increasing from 8.6 million to 10 million in 2009. There was a 26% gain in the Asia-Pacific region. North America now has 3.1 million millionaires.

Most Expensive Mansion in US has Sold

Le Belvedere, a huge mansion in Bel Air, California, which was previously owned by Mohamed Hadid, former owner of Ritz Carlton Hotels, has sold at an estimated price of $72 million . The buyers were not announced, other than the fact that they are from Europe. The 48,000 square foot home has 10 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, 16 imported Italian marble fireplaces, and a 20 car garage. Maybe the real estate market has turned around.

$3,000,000 for a Model Car

Designers in Switzerland and Great Britain have worked together to create a replica of a Bugatti Veyron Diamond Limited Edition. The car is made from 24-carat gold, platinum and diamonds and is considered the most expensive car in the world, at $3 million. The model is worth more than the real car itself.

$1,000,000 for a Part in Lady Gaga's Video

An unidentified Russion billionaire paid $1 million for a bit part in Lady Gaga's latest video. Her new single is called Alejandro .

Dog Inherits Millions

A chihuahua dog in Miami Beach, Florida named Conchita has just inherited millions of dollars , assuming the court rule in the dogs favor. The dog was owned by Miami socialite Gail Posner, the daughter of financier Victor Posner. The estate is challenged by Gail Posner's son. In the mean time, Conchita gets to wear a Cartier diamond necklace, and live in a Sunset Island mansion.

Auction of the World's Largest Gold Coin

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Dorotheum, one of the oldest auction houses in the world, will be auctioning off the largest coin in the world, a 2007 Canadian $ 1,000.000 Maple Leaf made with extremely pure 999.99/1000 gold. The face value is $1 million but it is worth a lot more, at the gold content weight 100 kilograms or 220.5 pounds. On the obverse is Queen Elisabeth II and on the reverse are three Maple Leafs. The coin, which measures almost 21 inches across, will be sold in Vienna on June 25, 2010. The opening bid will be the conversion price of gold.

Buffett Lunch Auction Ends at $2,626,311

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An eBay auction of a Power Lunch for Eight People with Warren Buffett ended yesterday, with 77 bids. The high bidder paid $2,626,311 for lunch with this famous investor, trader, and billionaire. The bidding started off slow, with an initial opening bid or $25,000, but really picked up steam on the last day of the auction, with 28 bids coming in starting at $1,000,000. All proceeds of the auction go to the Glide Foundation in San Francisco, California. The Foundation supports people who are suffering from homelessness and poverty.

First Billionaire to Die Without Estate Tax

Billionaire Dan L. Duncan, who made his billions in natural gas plants and pipelines, is the first billionaire to leave all his assets to his heirs free of estate taxes . This year, 2010, Congress allowed the tax to lapse for one year and Duncan, who died in late March of this year, allowed his children and grandchildren to avoid having his estate be subject to any estate tax. His net worth was valuated by Forbes at $9 billion.

Lunch with Warren Buffett Currently Up for Auction

If you have ever wanted to have lunch with one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, now is your chance. You can bid on an auction of a lunch with Warren Buffett, which is currently being offered on eBay this week. The high bid at this time is at the minimum $25,000. The auction ends June 11. All proceeds go to the Glide Foundation in San Francisco, California.

Churchell's Cigar Sold for $3000

The auction house Christies had a sale of Sir Winston Churchill memorabilia and raised around $870,000. One of the prized objects in the sale was an unsmoked Cuban cigar , which was hammered for about $3,000.

It's Summertime: Time to Pick Up a Diamond Bikini

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Surf's up! Now that June is here, you need to do some shopping for that special female in your life. Probably one of the best deals is a diamond bikini, made with more than 150 carats of D Flawless diamonds set in platinum. The bikini was created by Susan Rosen and Steinmetz Diamonds, and was modeled by supermodel Molly Sims. The outfit is priced at a reasonable $30 million.

24K Gold Cigar

For the cigar connoisseur, this might be the ultimate gift. A hand-rolled luxury cigar wrapped with 24 karat gold. This hand-rolled Dominican cigar is called the Golden Fire . The cigars are offered by DeLafée for $94.50 each.

James Bond Car to be Auctioned

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The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 automobile, which was made famous by the James Bond movies, will be auctioned off in October by RM Auctions. The sale will take place in London and the car is estimated to sell for around $5 million . Sean Connery drove the car in "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball." The car has all the bells and whistles including the oil spray and revolving license plates, but the machine guns are fake. The current owner who is selling the car is radio broadcaster Jerry Lee.