Announcing Luxist's Hey Big Spender Contest
Luxist officially launched last December and to celebrate a year of the finer things in life we are offering a chance to get an extravagant boost on your holiday shopping. If you've been reading along with us this year you know we love to spend money, even if it's only in our dreams. Come spend with us and win a $250 gift certificate. We are giving you an imaginary fortune of $50 million to spend on anything we have covered this year. The most creative use of our largesse wins a $250 gift certificate to Neiman Marcus. The winner will be the one who finds the most creative way to spend the imaginary fortune so don't go spending it all in one place by buying the Duke Semans mansion. Leave your best work in the comments below and we will be happy to reward your free hand with cash.
This contest has closed. Thanks for your participation!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Ron Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
First, I buy either cars or transportation services for at least 6-10 of my friends. Then we head out as a pack to see a planned range of homes, sites and cities, many of which I've seen featured on Luxist. The best concierge services will plan a huge range of cool events, the details of which are unknown even to me, in the cities that we are about to enter! Finally, we rent an expensive plane, do an elaborate wine tasting dinner in Napa one day, then go to a French chateau the very next day and do the same thing there! We end it at the base of the Eiffel Tower where I present my friends their now-paid off mortgages...
All the while both blogging and videoing the entire excursion!
Camron Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
Island in Northern California for $2.8 million
The Orphalese $10 million permanent suite
A1 Popcorn Machines sells a professional-grade popcorn popper $374
Voce, the luxury $500-a-month wireless service 10 years of service = $61,500
Amphibious Motor Home $850,000
Piaget Fingerprint Watch assuming $500,000
Challenger 605 $26.7 million
Black 2007 Mercedes Benz S Class $130,000
Red 2007 Mercedes Benz S Class $130,000
Blue 2007 Mercedes Benz S Class $130,000
White 2007 Mercedes Benz S Class $130,000
Silver 2007 Mercedes Benz S Class $130,000
Motor Yacht Touch $60,000/week 1 year service $3.12 million
Waterfront Home in Miami Beach $4.15 million
kmhtkmhtkmht Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
50 Million Richer?
1. Platinum Diamond Vertu to have my new found hanger-on "friends" call me on
2. My own Airbus A380 Customised so that I can live on it with XXXXL large bed to fit all these girls that suddenly find me so irresistable
3. 3 Extended Wheel Base Phantoms cause I'm never driving myself again
4. The Rose of Dubai ring for my golddiggingmoneygrabbing Blonde Supermodel girlfriend that'll end up divorcing me trying to take everything when she found out this was all just a fictional contest : )
Intermezzo Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
50 million is a bit short but I'll try to do my best !
* First thing : being a member in a concierge company, maybe Quintessentially ...
* Open an account in a private bank in Geneva (Rothschild Bank maybe) and ask for the black amex
* Shopping session : (I live in Paris for the moment, so I would surely go to the av Montaigne). You can go shopping later in the night too (re-open the shops is always a cool thing to do).
Empty the Brioni store, erase the stock of Cartier, buy all the limited edition of ST Dupont ... you get the picture : )
* After that, a bit of clubbing maybe, to chillout you known, shopping IS exhausting !
Choose the best club in your city and ... well ... repaint the club with vintage Dom P?gnon (And ruin you newly acquired Brioni suit by the same occasion)
* Buy an expensive and dangerously fast car (Ferrari FXX anyone ?)
* Get you hand on an ridiculously expensive watch (what about a Patek Philippe pocket watch 1932 (more than 30 complications))
* Drive to the nearest airport, and while speeding up on the freeway, call Quintessentially to have a private jet ready (Gulfstream G150 ?)
* While on board, buy a private island (16 hectares IS enough) everywhere you want (Nicaragua is a good spot)
* Maybe a yacht is a good idea to go to your island ? so it be ! Janie (157 feet) made by trinity yacht is a fine ship ...
* Buy a few condos in some of the finest city's in the world (condos in One Central Park in NYC, and in Sierra Towers in LA are a few examples)
* Chillout finally on the beach of your island, with a Cohiba vintage limited edition and a glass of ... lets say the limited edition of the Blue Label ... and think of what you are going to do tomorrow ...
Opera in Bayreuth (The Ring, Richard Wagner) ? Breakfast in Rome (Hotel de Russie) ? Carnival in Venezia (Hotel Cipriani of course) ? Movie preview in Hollywood (Mondrian) ?
Pick your choice !
Chris Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
Saint Tropez Waterfront Property
Catwalk Yacht
So I can spend the rest of my life using "summer" as a verb. And if I'll be summering for the rest of my life, its got be in style.
BMW M5 E60
Ferrari Superamerica
HD3 Complications Watches
6 x Brooks Brothers Custom Suit (Might as be the only one in the world to have it)
Vertu Motorsports Limited Edition
Personal Chef
Concierge Service
And...just in case I get tired of summering, Ill go wintering.
Parc de Fraise ski house
Limited Edition Range Rover
HaloLauren Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
~~
I would buy for my boyfriend the “Ducati Monster SR2 1000 Bike,” he’s always dreamed of, and follow that up with the recuperative hospital stay he never knew he’d need at the “St. Helena Hospital One Program”. When the neck brace is removed, we would take a cruise to Europe, using “SeaMobile” to stay in touch with the world. While in Europe, we would visit Vinopolis with a “Vinopolis Platinum Gift Pack” and, if it is complete, we would take in a few days at the “Soccer-Themed Resort Planned For Portugal”.
The remainder of the money would be invested in a weekend home in Upstate New York, like “Kenjockety”, well-furnished with furniture from the “W Hotels Store”, “The Bridge contemporary sink faucet”, and “Cutler Anderson door knocker.” We would need a car to get between there and our apartment in the city--one with a powerful engine, perhaps one of the “Top 10 least fuel-efficient cars”, like the “[Robb Report Chooses the] Aston Martin DB9.”
~~
Camron Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
It is so hard to spend only $50 Million
Albert Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
Being the creative person I am. With $50,000,000 I would buy a private jet I don't know maybe around $40,000,000 for the plane and then to maintain it and then be a client with a concierge service and get them use my private jet if a client needs it so it would eventually pay for itself. The rest would go for me living in hotels, a trip to Dubai and Island in Northern California for $2,800,000. I love investing into things I want and making money from it.
Zack Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
First thing I would do it update my wardrobe. Probably spend a few hundred thousand on nice clothes and accesories.($300k)
I'd buy a nice port city somewhere, probably overseas. If I couldn't find one for sale, I'd make my own port, spending whatever it takes.(Lets say 10 million to actually buy some land on a body of water and build a small port that accomodates a few boats) This city would be open to the public, but they would have to build their own houses and buy the land, or I would build houses for people and lease them the house and the land.
I'd spend around a million on a nice yacht. Maybe a 2002 Carver 570 Voyager, and live on it during the winter in the Carribean somewhere. It would have all the bells and whistles that any tech geek could dream of. Satellite TV displayed on a couple 80" plasmas, and a couple computers set up with VisualStations. I'd know top electronics manufacturing company execs personally, and they would often visit me on my yacht via helicopter, delivering their latest tech for testing purposes. (lets say $3mil on electronics and gadgets)
For the road, I'd keep it simple. I would first get a Subaru WRX STi edition with pretty stock interior, but all the engine upgrades available. I'd also pick up a more "daily driver" type car, probably a BMW 3 series with nice interior and stock engine. Whatever is left after purchasing those 2, I would put towards a motorcycle or two that I could keep on my yacht for when I travel. (~$300k total for cars/bikes)
My house wouldn't be too fancy on the outside, but inside would mirror the yacht in terms of gadgets and furniture. I guess it would be around 5 bedrooms, 4-5 bathrooms, kitchen, 2 living rooms, dining, garage, swimming pool, and a nice cabana with jacuzzi. I would have a 2 story basement. Also there would be a mother in law with 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, the usual. The M-I-L would be a good distance from the main quarters and would have a nice electric car to get back and forth from. This property would be on or near the port city I've created, but would be fenced in. (City development and the house might run about $25mil[estimate])
The rest of the money(roughly $12.5 million) would be invested. I would have invested a certain amount from the begining, and would live off the dividends. I'd go back to school to learn everything I need to know about boats and management, and in time my city would thrive. My investments would pay off due to insider trading and I'd retire happy at the age of 25.
I would have very few friends, but the ones I have now would be kept close, and would all have high paying jobs for the city.
All this would be with the help of a good lawyer of course, and his wages are included in the prices I listed.
William Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
This is how I would spend $50,000,000.
Buy the Villa Madrona (15,815,000)as my new house. Buy the 2007 Mercedes-Benz s500(130,000) as the daily driver and the Bentley Arnage (325,000) and the Bentley Flying Spur (300,000) as my special ocassion cars. Go hit Saks Fifth Avenue (50,000) and buy all the designer clothes I want. Then go to the Apple Store and buy my ultimate computer system and iPods (25,000) get a stone ipod cradle (2,500) and a XL Geneva ipod sound system (1,075) to go with it. And the Bulgari Lucea watch (31,100). I would then pay for my whole family to get new houses (3,000,000). Put 10,000,000 in the bank for the future and invest what is left over (20,950,325) in starting a home business so i could buy things like privte jets and the Duke Semans Mansion.
Shuzluva Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
Since we've been dreaming a long time, we already have plans for our $50M.
1. Streamside Solitued in Telluride (I'd want to be able to have family and friends enjoy our good fortune too!) - $5.25M
2. Bogner Indigo Snowboard (x2) - $2,440
3. Bogner Lunar Boots - $4,325
4. Lessons w/our favorite instructor @ $360/private lesson, 3 lessons/week, 12 weeks - $12,960
5. Gulfstream jet to get to our house, yacht, condo (see below) - $20M
6. Fantasy Coach Bed (for our girls) - $80,000
7. Bulgari Ipno Watch - $15,000 (approx)
8. Maurice Lacroix Divina (one in rubies and one in black diamonds for a gift) - $50,000
9. 2 pair Bottega Veneta baby shoes (I can't resist) - $380
10. A condo at 1600 Broadway (can't stay in CO forever!) $2.8M
11. 2007 S Class Mercedes (Silver and Black) - $260,000
12. Limited Edition Range Rover (x2; we need to be able to get everyone in a car) - $298,486
13. Catwalk Yacht for any jaunts we'd like - $11,758,040
14. College education and trust for kids - $6M
15. $3.5 Million to distribute among family and have as "pin money"
Wasabichimera Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
Dear Luxist,
I am please to inform you the check for $50 million has cleared. Now to ensure you aren’t worrying that I might have spent this bounty at Macy’s and Holiday Inns, I’ve attached the following list detailing my expenses.
1. Maybach 62 - $471,665
(Option highlights – custom color match Pantone 7534 +$20,450)
2. Mercedes CLS 500 – $85,327
3. Aston Martin Vanquish – $278,050
4. Butler/Driver - $1,500,000 ($75,000 x 20 years)
5. 109 Day World Cruise on the Cunard QE2 (Grand Suite for
two ($479,998) 6 people (Select Friends, Family) - $1,439,994
6. Artwork from upcoming Sotheby’s And Christie’s Auctions
(Estimates) $1,750,000
(Highlights - Piazza D'Italia by Giorgio De Chirico - $300,000)
7. 704 Broadway, NYC, NY - $19,995,000
3 story penthouse with heated deck and pool.
8. Interior design services by Jonathan Adler and furnishings
for all residences - $3,500,000
9. La Jolla beach house $6,500,000
10. $7,500,000 investments and cash
11. Electronics - $750,000
(Highlights include 2 LG 102" Full HD PDP TV’s)
12. Skyjet Card – Learjet 100 hours $525,000
13. Jewelry - $204,964
(Highlights Cartier Tank Francaise Men’s Watch $18,300)
14. Shopping - $500,000
(Lots of Gucci, Prada, Costume National, Miyake. Paul Smith)
15. Overmarine Mangusta 92 yacht - $5,000,000
Meghan Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
Do I have to spend all $50 million? Well, if I must... :)
THE SANTA BARBARA COMPOUND
1.Rubledal—the quintessential retreat, $21.5
2. La Cornue Grand Palais stove, $35,000
3. Marlene Rose Glass, $15,000 statue
4. Commissioned Topical Relief Rug of Santa Ynez Mountain Range, $7,000+
5. SilverTag Shower, $100,000
6. The Opus “football” table w/ custom players!, $73,000
7. Five Led Bloom Planters, $1,500
8. Plu’MO Resort Chairs, $4630 (for 2)
9. Tiles by Textiles outdoor Kilim tile rug, $770
10. NapaStyle Lifesize Chess set, $9120
11. A Sergio Furnai pool, $350,000
12. Pro-Dome Observatory, $15,000
13. Blueforest Treehouse, $200,000
14. Maybach Exelero Concept Car , $500,000
15. Hybrid canoe/kayak to enjoy the Channel islands, $1,500
16. E-Solex Moped to scoot around SB and Montecito, $5,000
Home Away From Home:
17. Little Summer Island, $1.9
18. North Face 2 Meter Dome – to enjoy nature (in style!), $5,000
FINDING NIRVANA IN 80 DAYS (well, almost...)1.Private Plane: Cessna Citation Mustang, $2.4
2. Kamalaya Thailand, $2800/week
3. Banyan Tree Lijiang, $12,600/week
4. Saman Villas in Sri Lanka, $6,000/week
5. Gaia Retreat in Australia, $6400 for two/
6. Whitepods in the Swiss Alps, $3080/week
7. Patagonia River Ranch, $8580 for two/
8. Ladera Hotel, St. Lucia, $2240/week
9. Mii Amo, $5880/week
10. La Taha’s Overwater Bungalow, $6300/
11. Parrot Cay, $8000
12. Post Ranch Inn, $14,000/week
Oh, I hope I have enough for a la carte treatments...
GIFTS
1. Rock n’ Roll Fantasy Camp (for my husband), $8,000
2. The Capture, by HD3 (so my husband is always on time), $215,000
3. Dahm Yacht (for my seafaring sister) $5.469 million
4. Villa Madora, a retreat for my parents, $15.815
5. I don’t need lots of baubles, just this statement piece! –Cristaux Glac?ring, $1mil
Rich Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
Here is how I would spend my virtual $50 million using only goods that are found mentioned on the Luxist Blog.
I would first find myself a nice new home that would more accommodate my new found wealth. I have always wanted to live on a vineyard, to wake up each morning, look out my window and see fields of vines stretching out as far as the eyes could see. Bellisimo Vineyard caught my eye when it first appeared on Luxist. I think that it would be the perfect place for me to call home. Now anyone with $50 million to throw around needs a second home, and France, with its picturesque countryside has always seemed to me to be the perfect spot for a second home. Santa Ynez Chateau seems would suit me quite well as a second home.
Sometimes though we want to get away from it all, even us virtual millionaires need some time away from home and what better way to find have that perfect vacation at that perfect vacation spot then to hirer someone to take care of it for you. Just to make sure that I have all of the options I would ever want before me I think I would sign up for two retreat services. The two that seem the most appropriate to me are OnQ Concierge Services with Quintess and Exclusive Resorts.
While I am at home, I am going to need a way to get around town and enjoy myself. The way I see it, I will need at least three cars; a summer car, a winter car and a fun car. For a summer car, I think the Bentley GTC would be just about right. With its top down I could race through the countryside with the wind in my hair and the sun on my back. Excitement and luxury all rolled into one. During winter though, a convertible is never the best option to have, so I need a second care for the trips to and from my estate. For that, I have my eye on the BMW M5 E60. This car has the right about of style and power to help me get through those long winter nights. As for when I want to have fun will driving I think there would be nothing better than the Lamborghini Gallardo Special Edition. I don't think I need to say anything more about that.
Since I will have many more places to go and things to do, I will need to make sure I always know the proper time. There were two watches that appeared on Luxist this past year which would be perfect to keep me moving from event to gala to resort to island on time and in style. The Jean Dunand Orbital Tourbillon has a unique design that I will enjoy every time I glance down to see the time. As for something more conservative I think I would also want the Zenith Grande Class Traveler Repetition Minutes. This watch would be a pleasure to wear any time. Speaking of pleasures to wear, one must have purchase would be the Brooks Brothers Custom Suit, featured in this years gift guide. Using fabric which has been custom woven for me, that is just too hard to pass up! Plus, I have always been fond of Brooks Brothers.
That leaves me with $8,890,500.00. I will need the rest of that money to maintain my lifestyle for the years to come. There is a wine cellar to fill, cloths to buy, meals to enjoy. And I guess the wealth still need to pay there bills.
1) Bellisimo Vineyard - $17,995,000.00
2) Santa Ynez Chateau - $19,750,000.00
3) OnQ Concierge Services with Quintess (for 40 years) - $585,000.00
4) Exclusive Resorts (for 40 years) - $1,375,000.00
5) Bentley GTC - $162,000.00
6) BMW M5 E60 - $132,000.00
7) Lamborghini Gallardo Special Edition - $170,000.00
8) Jean Dunand Orbital Tourbillon - $300,000.00
9) The Zenith Grande Class Traveler Repetition Minutes - $626,000.00
10) Brooks Brothers Custom Suit - $14,500.00
yeungsprite Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
Amount: 50 Million
Duration: Indefinitely
Source: Luxist
# of Butlers Required: Variable
How to spend? Simple. Once a month, 1 Butler will be assigned to each Luxist posting and their duty for the duration of the time period will be to hook me up! The only items that will be disregarded will be longterm items (ie real estate)...those will be saved for rentals instead. As long as I can keep approximately a 100k budget for each month, and with the proper investment vehicles, the 50million should be sufficient to ensure that the rest of life is filled with daily new and unique adventures, and an appreciation for all that my buddies @ Luxist can supply me with (I will of course, provide bonuses to keep you guys happy and motivated...and invites to come along will always be welcome...you can always research on and in the planes, trains and automobiles for new postings, and provide user comments now!!.. =) )
William McCann Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
Satisfy the demands of the IRS amd the state of Michigan
I would set up trust funds to provide for the educations of my 10 grand children.
Pay off the mortgages of my 6 children.
Set up trust funds to pay for scholarships to the grade school and high school I attended in order to give something back for the fine educations I received at no cost to me.
Make sizable contributions to the St. Vincent de Paul amd Salvation Army associations that were instrumental in providing things for my family as I was growing up in poverty.
Pay off all my debts.
Take my wife on a world wide tour and show her some of the world she has never seen.
Set up scholarships for deserving minority children in Detroit that have the mental capacity but not the money to realize their potential.
Use 2 million of it to set up an income producing trust fund that would see my wife and I through our remaining retirement years.
Claudio Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
Dear Luxist: with $50,000,000 to spend it sounds
like alot of money but really is not unless
spent/invested wisely to last a long lifetime.
1.Payoff family/friends mortgages $2,000,000
2.Buy large tracts of developable land in California, Florida & Nevada. $10,000,000
3. White '2007 Mercedes S500 sedan for the wife with the bells & whistles. $130,000
4. '2006 Red Ferrari F355 for self $250,000
5.Patek Phillipe White Gold swiss watch $50,000
6. Buy houses in the Hamptons New York, Swiss Chateau & a spanish villa in the Canary Islands
renting them if not personally used $12,000,000
7. A private Gulfstream jet. $5,000,000
8. Buy my children all they want $1,570,000
9. Provide hard equity loans for real estate, land purchases to customers & live off the interest produced. $14,000,000
10. CASH left in bank accounts $5,000,000
Donna Brown Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
I would take 5 million and upgrade my lifestyle, pay off my debts, my family's debts and the debts of my good friends. I would take another 5 million and donate it to charities. Then, I would take the leftover, after taxes, and invest it. I would live off the earnings making myself free to travel and do volunteer work. I would also financially help others in need as I see appropriate.
Tiffany Hodge Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
The first thing that I would do would do is pay off all my credit cards and mortgage. Then I would buy cars for myself and 6 of my family members. Then I would buy a yacht and private island somewhere in the Carribean. I would have a custom mansion built in the Hamptons. I would buy my own jet. New wordrobe for my entire family. I would give 5 million to charity. I would buy villas in France, Italy, and Spain. I would staff all residences year round. Pay for kids college in advance. Invest the rest so I would never have to work again.
John Flowers Dec 18th 2005 6:02PM
I'd buy a golf course that I would use to train less fortunate children and troubled teens the game and ethics of golf.I'd also use the money to buy my own house near the course.If there was any left over I would use it to invest and maybe take a long overdue vacation to Ireland/Scottland.