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Showing posts from 2011

Private Paradise Island for Sale

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What a way to start off the new year. The The East Sister Rock Island retreat off the Florida Keys is up for sale. It has a nice 5000 square foot home with four bedrooms, three baths, a guest house, a pool, a helicopter pad, and a private boat dock (along with a boat). Of course it has its own private beach. The property, which had previously been rented out to vacationers for $5,000 a week, is available to you for a measly $12,000,000 . It is available through Century 21.

BillionairesLife.com 2011 Christmas List

Roulette de Monte Carlo Antique Stock Certificate handsigned by Marcel Duchamp $1,082,500 Water Jet Pack to fly in the air above lakes and the ocean $100,000 Red Rock Island in San Francisco Bay, the only private island in the San Francisco bay area $22 million Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon 5002 P watch $1.5 million dunhill of London Biometric Wallet $850 Popsicle Made with Tequila and Gold Flakes $1000 Dress that Marilyn Monroe wore in 'The Seven Year Itch' $4,600,000 The town of Scenic, South Dakota $799,000 1,848 acre Walton Ranch $100 million Diamond Encrusted Contact Lenses $15,000 Chipkos Footwear Handpainted Flip-Flops $18,000 Gold Cell Phone $57,400 22 carat solid gold Tata Nano Car $4,600,000 Diamond-Studded Bra $2.5 Million A Bed that Floats in the Air $expensive $100 Trillion Dollar Bill $12.95

The Ultimate Gift: A Bed that Floats in the Air

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How well would you sleep if you were on a bed that floats in the air, using reverse magnetism? At UniverseArchitecture, a gravity-free bed was developed. According to the web site, "Four thin cables assure its motionless position and form the only contact with the ground. The form of the original design is inspired by the monolith from the Stanley Kubrick film 2001, A Space Odyssey. For the Hollywood film Arthur, a round version was created in 2011." If you have to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it.

Billionaire Books

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Some billionaire reading material, just in time for the Thanksgiving weekend. How to be a Billionaire: Proven Strategies from the Titans of Wealth The Outsider's Edge: The Making of Self-Made Billionaires Billionaire: Secrets to Success Billionaire! How the Ultra-Rich Built Their Fortunes through Good and Evil, and What You Can Learn from Them Billionaire In Training Happier Than a Billionaire: Quitting My Job, Moving to Costa Rica, and Living the Zero Hour Work Week The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook: A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal 1,000 Dollars and an Idea: Entrepreneur to Billionaire: Expanded Edition Everything Is Possible: Life and Business Lessons from a Self-Made Billionaire and the Founder of Slim-Fast The Billionaire Who Wasn't: How Chuck Feeney Made and Gave Away a Fortune Without Anyone Knowing The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine

Getting Rich Quick: Man Finds $500,000 at Storage Auction

A man in Contra Costa County, California who took a hint from the Storage Wars TV show, decided to bid $1,100 on an abandoned storage unit. Much to his surprise and delight, one of the plastic bins in the unit contained gold and silver worth $500,000 . The plastic bin was so heavy, three men had to lift it.

Elizabeth Taylor Collection to be Auctioned

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On December 13, Christie's will auction off The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor which includes her jewelry, clothes and movie souvenirs. There will be a public exhibition in New York City during December 3 through December 12 in the Rockefeller Center gallery. The highlight of the auction is the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, which is a 33.19 carat rectangular cut ring and is expected to be hammered at $2.5 to $3.5 million.

$2.5 Million Diamond-Studded Bra worn by Miranda Kerr

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Supermodel Miranda Kerr was chosen to wear the $2.5 million diamond-studded bra created by London Jewelers at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in New York. The bra has almost 3,400 precious gems amounting to 279 carats. This is one of many Fantasy Bras. For the Victoria's Secret catalog, the first Fantasy Bra was worn by Claudia Schiffer in 1996 and was worth $1 million. The first Fantasy Bra worn for the annual Victoria's Secret Angels fashion show was worth $12.5 million and was worn by Heidi Klum.

John Lennon's Gross Looking Tooth Sold for $32,000 at Auction

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John Lennon of The Beatles had a molar removed and gave it to his housekeeper many years ago. The tooth just sold at an Omega Auction House auction in England on Saturday for over $32,000 . The estimated sales price was $16,000. The winning bidder was purportedly a Canadian dentist.

Wells Fargo Opens Bank for Super Wealthy

Wells Fargo is opening a bank i9n Chicago called Abbot Downing , which caters to the very, very wealthy. After opening in Chicago next April, it plans to open more branches in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Scottsdale, Denver, Houston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Naples, Jacksonville and Palm Beach. The bank is designed for people with $50 million in investable assets. One of the bizarre features about the bank is that it "will have psychologists on staff to build family genealogies" according to recent news reports. What does psychology have to do with genealogy?

$6400 Toilet

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Finally, a toilet for the wealthy. A toilet with a remote control, a magnetic docking station, and user presets. It also has an automatic water saving flush system. The price is a reasonable $6400. In addition, the toilet has a motion activated lid and seat, advanced bidet functionality, a heated seat, feet warmer, air dryer and deodorizer. It even plays music through its built-in speakers, and allows you to attach an MP3 player to it. The motion detector can detect when you are approaching and can determine whether the lid should be raised and whether the toilet seat should be raised or lowered.

Cheap Little Tata Nano Car for Just $4.6 Million

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Tata Motors, manufacturers of the popular Nano automobiles in India, has joined forces with the Tata GoldPlus jewellery business to develop a Tata Nano car, the company's cheapest car, covered in 80 kilograms of 22 carat solid gold, 15 kilos of silver, and numerous precious stones including diamonds, rubies and other expensive gemstones. The car, which normally sells for about $3,000 is worth $4.6 million . 14 various techniques of jewellery making went into the project.

$57,400 for a Gold Cell Phone

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Here is the ultimate cell phone, but beware, it is not a smart phone. It does have speed dialing, call screening, forwarding, waiting, Bluetooth®, conference calls, texting functions, a world clock, alarm, notes, to-do list, calendar, calculator and converter. The phone has an 18 carat solid yellow gold 3N keypad, rear plate, end cap and knurled side plates. It has a ceramic upper with highest grade of ultra-glossy finish plus a sapphire crystal lens with ARdur™ coating. The sounds include Bespoke ringtones and sounds composed by Vietnamese-Danish ‘master of the upright bass’, Chris Minh Doky. The price is a reasonable $57,400. Photo courtesy of aesir-copenhagen.com .

Private Island for Sale

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Allan Island, located near Anacortes, Washington, is being sold by Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen at a discounted price. It was originally listed for $25 million, but is now being offered at $13.5 million. The 292-acre island includes a small house, a 2,400 foot airstrip and a boat dock. The property is being offered by Windermere Real Estate .

Car Sells for $16 Million: Sets World Record

Do you have room in your garage for this one? A 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa prototype sold at auction for $16,390,000 . The car has a V-12 engine and has raced in Nurburgring, Targa Florio, Laguna Seca, Le Mans and Sebring.

$18,000 Flip-Flops

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Just in time for the rest of the summer. Chipkos Footwear is selling flip-flops that have been handpainted in 18-karat gold by David Palmer, a Los Angeles based artist. The purchase of this footwear includes the protection of 100,000 square feet of Costa Rican rainforest, two nights at a green Beverly Hills hotel, and a meeting with the artist. The flip-flops sell for $18,000 .

43 Carat Diamond to be Auctioned

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The Golden Eye , a huge 43.5 carat yellow diamond measuring about an inch long and almost 3/4 inches wide, will be auctioned off by Bid4Assets with a reserve price of $900,000 . It had been confiscated by the Federal government in a sting operation involving money laundering in Ohio. The auction will have bid increments of $110,000 and bidders are required to put up a deposit of $180,000. The auction that begins Sept. 6 and ends Sept. 8. More details about the auction can be found at Bid4Assets . Picture courtesy of the US Marshals Office.

Diamond Encrusted Contact Lenses

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If your vision isn't that good, you have a couple options: either eye glasses or contact lenses. But if you are rich, you have one more option, called eye jewelry. If you want people to look at you and maintain eye contact, you might want to consider diamond encrusted gold plated contact lenses. These lenses are made by Shekhar Eye Research and sell for only $15,000. There are 18 diamonds embedded in the gold for each lens.

Walton Ranch for Sale: $100 Million

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Located between Yellowstone and Grand Teton Parks, the 1,848 acre Walton Ranch is up for sale for $100 million . The property includes a two-story, 2,234-square-foot main house plus a manager’s housing complex with two homes, bunkhouse, outbuildings, sheds, barns and corrals.

For the Billionaire Who has Everything: Buy Your Own Town

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The town of Scenic, South Dakota, is up for sale for a reasonable $799,000. What a great deal for a billionaire! Cheaper than a Lear Jet, a Rolls Royce, or a mansion. The town is 46 acres, is practically a ghost town with a population of 10, and has a dance hall, a saloon, and a jail.

Government Confiscates Gold Coins Worth Millions

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The United States Government confiscated 20 Saint-Gaudens double-eagle gold coins that were found by a woman in her deceased father's safe deposit box, saying that the coins never should have been released from the US Mint. These types of coins have sold for many millions in the past. The woman had sent them to the US Treasury Department for authentication, and the government said that the coins were stolen from the government. The case went to court and the government decided in the government's favor.

$1.6 Million for Jane Austen Manuscript

Sotheby's auctioned off an unfinished early Jane Austen manuscript sold at auction in London on Thursday for about $1.6 million , which was three times its estimate. It is the only major manuscript by Austen still in private hands.

Billionaire William Koch Pays $2.3 million for Photo

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The energy billionaire William Koch bought a photograph of Billy the Kid for $2.3 million at an auction held by Old West Auction in Denver, Colorado. This is the only known photo of Billy the Kid known to exist. The estimate was $300,000 to $400,000. The picture is from approximately 1879 and shows 'The Kid' with a Winchester carbine and a Colt 45 pistol.

$110,000 for a Gun

A Colt .38 revolver that was previously owned by the famous gangster Al Capone was auctioned off by Christie's and was hammered at $110,000. The pistol was manufactured a few months after the famous Valentine's Day massacre in Chicago. The buyer and seller were not disclosed.

Dress Sold for $4.6 Million: It Belonged to Marilyn Monroe

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Do you remember the dress that Marilyn Monroe wore in 'The Seven Year Itch' when she was standing over a grate on the sidewalk with air blowing up under her? That dress just sold for $4.6 million at the Profiles in History auction house. Actually, the total cost to the buyer was $5,520,000 with auction fees. The dress was consigned by actress Debbie Reynolds, along with numerous other Hollywood collectible memorabilia items. Total amount raised in the auction was $22.8 million. If you feel bad about missing out, they will be more memorabilia auctioned off in December of this year. Photos courtesy of Wikipedia

A Million Dollar Lunch with Warren Buffett

You now have an opportunity to have lunch with with Warren Buffett, head of Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett will host a lunch to benefit the San Francisco based Glide Foundation and its programs. The bidding has just begun on eBay and will close June 10, 2011 at 7:30 pm PDT. Buffett will have a meal with the winning bidder and up to seven friends at Smith & Wollensky in New York City on a date agreed to by both parties. All bidders must pre-qualify. The current bid is still at the opening bid of $25,000. 100% of all auction proceeds from the winning bid will benefit Glide, a social service institution which alleviates human suffering and poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area. Last year, $2.6 million was paid by an anonymous person from the US for lunch with Buffett, and the year before $1.68 million was paid by a Canadian investment firm. It is expected that this year's lunch will be hammered for at least one million dollars.

Gisele Bundchen May Be First Billionaire Supermodel

The 31 year old Brazilian supermodel and businesswoman, Gisele Bundchen , may become the first billionaire supermodel. According to Forbes Magazine, she earns $45 million a year and may have a net worth of a billion dollars by next year, through her real estate, clothing lines, jewelry lines, and celebrity contracts. Gisele BĂĽndchen is also the center of her own stock index developed by Stockerblog.com, the Gisele Bundchen Stock Index . She is connected to many publicly traded companies, acting as spokesperson for their products. Based on the returns on the stocks she is connected with over the last four years, the Gisele Bundchen Stock Index has significantly outperformed the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Top Designer Jeans for Billionaire Women

Top Designer Jeans for Billionaire Women By A. Brown In the last decade, designer denim has been on the rise in fashion. Every woman wants a pair of jeans that make her look good, and there are many brands out there that can deliver. Here are a few brands worth checking out. True Religion Perhaps the most iconic designer denim brand and most definitely the first that comes to mind for fashionistas is True Religion . If you’re unfamiliar with them, you may be familiar with their Buddha logo stitched most often on the back. True Religion creates 1970’s inspired denim that is both fashionable and timeless. For instance, you can grab the “Shiloh Falls” from their Premium Vintage Collection, a distressed denim flair, for $341. If you are more interested in the skinny denim look, you’re covered there as well with the Women’s “Stella Titan,” a lowrise, medium-washed denim, for $224. Rock & Republic A brand that carries both basic and edgy styles of denim is Rock & Republic . Fans of a

Toilet Seat Hat Sold for $131,000

The hat that looked like a toilet seat which was worn by Princess Beatrice to Britain's royal wedding a few weeks ago, was auctioned off on eBay and sold for $131,000. Proceeds will be donated to two charities, UNICEF and Children in Crisis.

$100,000 Beatles Photographs to be Auctioned

Photographs of the Beatles from their first US tour during 1964 are going to be auctioned by Christie's in New York on July 20. The pictures have never before been published. You can preview the photos in June at Christie's and Grosvernor House hotel in London. They are expected to be hammered for over $100,000.

$1000 for a Popsicle ... Made with Tequila ... and Gold Flakes

Now here is a popsicle that you do not want to give to the kids. Obviously designed for adults of drinking age, and wealthy ones at that, the popsicles served by the pool at the Marquis Los Cabos resort in Baja California sell for $1000 each . They are made with Tequilas Premium Clase Azul Ultra tequila and 24 ct. gold flakes. If you just want the tequila in its natural state, you only have to pay $500 for a shot.

First House for Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg

Maybe the real estate market has turned around. Mark Zuckerberg, the billionaire founder of Facebook, has purchased his first home , paying $7 million. The house, in Palo Alto, California, has five bedrooms and heated floors in the bathroom.

Great Grad Gift for Kids of Billionaires

Let the Music Stir You by A. Brown "People aren't hearing all the music. Artists and producers work hard in the studio perfecting their sound. But people can't really hear it with normal headphones. Most headphones can't handle the bass, the detail, the dynamics. Bottom line, the music doesn't move you,” Dr. Dre asserts. You too can use the sound/hearing equipment big name recording artists use in the studio. Beats by Dr. Dre High Performance Headphones from Monster are all the rage. Chances are your teenager wants a set. They are available in a variety of styles. An over-ear set, the Just Beats Solo inspired by Justin Beiber is $199.95. Desire a High Definition listening experience? The Solo HD Over-Ear set comes in at $229.95. This set is said to protect the bass sound and give the listener the full experience of their favorite music. Got a future recording artist in the family? They may prefer Beats Pro, which is set up particularly for use in the studio. Beats

First Signs of China Suffering Economically

Economic growth in China has been substantial, making it the world's largest energy consumer. China now has 115 billionaires, according to Forbes Magazine. However, there are recent signs that things might not be as great as they seem in the largest country in the world. There are indications in the art market that many wealthy Chinese buyers are not following through on their multi-million dollar purchases. According to a recent article in Newsweek, Chinese purchasers of early Chinese vases, sculptures, and other artwork are taking longer and longer to pay, and sometimes not paying at all. This has caused many of the major auction houses to require substantial deposits before bidding.

Highest Price Ever for a US Home

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Russian billionaire Yuri Milner just paid $100 million for a home in Los Altos Hills, California. The 25,000 square foot house, which resides on 11 acres, has an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, two three-car garages, a carwash and tennis courts. Milner, who is an investor in Facebook, Zynga and Groupon, doesn't plan to move in right away. This is considered to be a US record purchase price for a home.

Rare Erotic Watch Auction

This weekend, Antiquorum, the Geneva, Switzerland based auction house, auctioned off 33 watches from the 1700's and 1800's, all with erotic themes. Estimated prices ranged from $20,000 to $90,000. The seller of the collection remains anonymous.

Calf leather and Mahogany Laptop

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Munk Bogballe is offering a calf leather and mahogany laptop with an 18 carat gold and brilliant diamond on/off button. Here are the details on the computer itself: * Operating system: Windows 7 Home Edition (64 Bit) * 13.4" display * Intel Core i5 processor * 4 GB memory * 500 GB storage * Wireless and bluetooth * Built-in webcam, microphone and stereo speakers The price, with the special button, is around $9,000 .

The $825 Biometric Wallet

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dunhill of London is offering a wallet that can only be opened by you with your fingerprint. It also sounds a warning alarm if either the wallet is stolen or misplaced. The exterior is made with carbon fiber and the interior has a luxurious leather credit card holder and a strong stainless steel money clip. The wallet is available from dunhill's website for $850.

100 Ounce Gold Nugget Sells for Almost Half a Million Dollars

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The largest surviving California gold rush nugget was sold at a Holabird-Kagin Americana auction for $460,000 including buyers premium. It weighed in at 100 troy ounces. It was purchased by Spectrum Numismatics International of Irvine, California on behalf of an anonymous client. The nugget discovered last year in Nevada County, California.

Ming Vase Sold for $1.38 Million

At the Freeman's auction house in Philadelphia, a 1736 Qianlong period Ming vase sold for $1.38 million , setting a world record. The last time a similar vase was sold was in 2008 by Sotheby's. It was hammered at $750,000.

Youngest Billionaire is No Longer Mark Zuckerberg

The youngest billionaire is no longer Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. That recognition now goes to Dustin Moskovitz , one of Facebook's co-founders. Moskovitz is eight days younger than Zuckerberg.

$30 Million for a Koons Sculpture

Sotheby's will be auctioning off the " Pink Panther " sculpture created by Jeff Koons. The auction, which will be held in May, is expected to achieve $30 million for the sculpture. The sculpture is of a partially nude blond woman holding a large pink panther toy. It was made out of porcelain in 1988.

Northern Italy Medieval Castle for Sale

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If you like castles, you might want to consider acquiring this one. Based in Torino, Italy, it features 39,826 square feet of space, including 30 bedrooms and 47 bathrooms that can accommodate 300 guests. Also included is a Romanic chapel built in the year 850. Heating and air conditioning throughout. If you have to ask how much it is, you can't afford it. The property is being offered by Sotheby's International Realty .

Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon 5002 P Watch for only $1.5 Million

The most expensive watch in the world is the Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon 5002 P, which retails for a measly $1.5 million . This double faced watch has 686 parts and is made out of platinum. The watchband is made from black crocodile leather.

Spring Training Tickets Going for as Much as $750

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Spring training will be here in a matter of days. Ticket prices for regular baseball games continue to rise, but now tickets for spring training are also increasing. The game between the Yankees and the Red Sox in Fort Myers, Florida on March 14 are now going for $750 a piece.

Factory Worker Finds $1.6 Million Ming Vase

A retired factory worker in Great Britain discovered a vase from the Ming dynasty dating around the early 1400's. He brought it in to the Duke's Auction House and was told it was worth about $1.6 million . It will be auctioned off in May.

$22 Million for San Francisco Island

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Red Rock Island in San Francisco Bay, the only private island in the San Francisco bay area, is still up for sale at a price of $22 million . It supposedly has pirate gold buried there, and during the 1960's, there was a proposal to build a casino there. The island is 5.8 acres and is the center point for three counties.

Walk on Water and Fly Above Water for a little over $100,000

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For the nominal price of a little over $100,000, you can have a water based jet pack that will allow you to fly above water as high as 50 feet. You can stay in the air for very long periods of time because the 'fuel' that pushes you in the air is basically the water from the lake or ocean that you are flying above. The company that makes this product is called JetLev. I can't wait to see this in the next James Bond movie. Check it out:

$120,000 for JFK Ambulance

The 1963 gray Pontiac Bonneville ambulance that reportedly carried President john F. Kennedy after his assassination sold at an Arizona auction for $120,000 . The auction house Barret-Jackson verified the authenticity of the ambulance.

1970 Lamborghini Miura Le Mans Concept Car for Sale

The 1970 Lamborghini Miura Le Mans Concept Car, created by the Italian designer, Luigi Colani, is up for sale on eBay for $74,999 . This very weird looking car was originally offered last year at $79,000 but didn't sell.

Antique Stock Certificate Sells for over One Million Dollars

An unusual stock certificate from 1924 from a company called Roulette de Monte Carlo, handsigned by Marcel Duchamp, was hammered at a Christie's auction for $1,082,500 including buyers premium. The certificate features a portrait of Duchamp by Man Ray, with Duchamp's face almost completely covered in shaving cream, and his hair pointed into horns like a devil. There have been plenty of other old stock certificates, such as Houdini Picture Company stock certificates signed by Houdini, which sells for several thousand dollars, and even fairly modern worthless stock certificates, such as Enron , which sells for around $100. But the Duchamp certificate has achieved the highest price of any antique stock certificate by hundreds of thousands of dollars.