billionaire

Flavio Briatore to Open "Billionaire's Square" in Dubai

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments, Wealth

Italian playboy Flavio Briatore, (above, with his much younger lingerie model wife Elisabetta), has signed a deal to open a new Billionaire's Square complex in Dubai catering to those with unapologetically extravagant tastes. Building on the success of Briatore's Billionaire club for the super-rich on Sardinia's swank Costa Smeralda, the $150 million Billionaire's Square development will be constructed on the site of Dubai Media City's Palladium entertainment venue. The complex will include a boutique luxury hotel, a Billionaire Bar and Grill along with several other restaurants and bars, a VIP fitness club and a boutique selling items from Briatore's ostentatious Billionaire Couture line, maker of items like a $50,000 crocodile skin umbrella. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2011. As my colleague Deirdre Woollard reported last year, Briatore's colorful career as a Formula 1 impresario linked to supermodels like Heidi Klum and Naomi Campbell came to an end in the wake of a race fixing scandal.

Source

Tags: billionaire, Dubai, Flavio Briatore, Formula 1, luxury hotels, playboy, Sardinia, UAE, wealth

Hotel de Crillion Bought by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal?

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wealth

As my colleague Deirdre Woollard reported the other day, Paris' famed Hotel de Crillion (above), one of the world's most luxurious hotels with a clientele of celebs and royalty, is being sold to unnamed Saudi investors with ties to the country's royal family for about $354 million. Now an insider tells us that Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, one of the world's richest men with a fortune of $19.4 billion, has a big stake in the deal. The Prince already has significant luxury hotel holdings including an interest in the Four Seasons and Fairmont groups. Back in January 2009 Deirdre reported that the Prince was preparing to embark on a major spending spree via his company Kingdom Holdings to acquire more hotel assets. Earlier this year he also sold off the Raffles Hotel in Singapore for $275 million.

The Crillon acquisition is part of the Prince's new plan for diversification, we're told. Constructed in 1758 as a government building commissioned by Louis XV, the palatial edifice near the Champs Elysées on Place de la Concorde was converted into a hotel 100 years ago. Its Leonard Bernstein suite, on the top floor with a wrap-around terrace, features one of the late maestro's pianos. Other luminaries past and present who have patronized the Crillon include Marie Antoinette, King George V, the Shah of Iran, Winston Churchill, FDR, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie O, Mariah Carey, Madonna and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Starwood Capital, the property's sellers, took over the Crillon in 2005 as part of its €2 billion acquisition of Taittinger's hotel and champagne empire.

Tags: billionaire, hotel, Hotel de Crillion, luxury hotels, Paris, Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, royalty, Saudi Arabia, UAE, wealth

Indian Billionaire Plans Luxury Condo Tower In Bangalore

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments, Wealth

Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya is betting on the future of real estate in India. Bloomberg reports that the liquor tycoon plans to tear down his ancestral home in Bangalore to build $4 million apartments. The Bloomberg article states that United Breweries Holdings Ltd. and Prestige Estates Projects Ltd. are developing the 4.5 acre plot into Kingfisher Towers. The name comes from India's best-selling beer, which Mallya owns.

The four bedroom units will cost at least $3.7 million and sales will begin in the next few months. The apartments will appeal to non-resident Indian businessmen and other high-net- worth individuals. Mallya lives in a bungalow on the site currently but will have his own lavish residence once the towers are built. The towers will have 72 units and will have a helipad, swimming pools, squash courts and concierge services. Mallya will keep 60,000 square feet on the ground floor plus one other level with a separate entrance and private elevators to his apartment. Not as lavish as Mukesh Ambani's pad in Mumbai but not too shabby either.

Tags: Bangalore, billionaire, india, Vijay Mallya

Corum Romvlvs Billioniare Tourbillon Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

In the luxury world, "millionaire" doesn't sounds nearly as sexy as it used to. With the existence of watches that cost a million dollars, having just a few million dollars in the bank isn't gonna get precious stone peddlers excited. So we've stepped things up to making "billionaire" the new "millionaire." The former of which is exactly the type of person who might be interested in this new, highly limited watch from Corum.

I have to say that I have seen this watch, and it is mighty impressive. My favorite part is the Roman numerals on the bezel - done entirely in diamonds. Swanky! As is en vogue today, Corum "suspends" the manually wound tourbillon movement in plates made out of sapphire crystal. The watch case design is based on the Corum Romvlus (Romulus) collection of watches. It is a collection I happen to like a lot, but isn't found in the US very often. And this is one Romvlvs piece that no one will find very often with just five pieces ever to be produced.

Set in a large 45mm wide 18k white gold case, the movement and dial are likely to be the second thing people notice about the "Billionaire" what. First is the rich coating of diamonds that the watch case gets. It has 164 large diamonds on the case, with another 44 on the bezel. This watch is 'carat rich.' While I am not sure of the price of the watch, its name should give you something hint as to when the cost is fathomable. Again, the Corum Romulus Billionaire Tourbillon will be limited to just 5 pieces, and for some people might just be the perfect arm hand.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: billionaire, corum, tourbillon, watch

Geffen Edges Out Ellison to Seize Control of World's Sixth Largest Yacht

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

Music mogul David Geffen is now the sole owner of Rising Sun (above), the world's sixth largest yacht, having seized control from co-owner Larry Ellison. Originally commissioned by the Oracle billionaire from Germany's Lürssen shipyard in 2004, the 456 ft. megayacht cost about $250 million to build. After gaining possession of the craft – the terms of the deal have not been disclosed – Geffen has sent the boat back to Lurssen for some much-needed modifications while Ellison prepares to take delivery of a much smaller 298-ft. superyacht. Considerably bigger than other billionaire boats like Paul Allen's Octopus, the Rising Sun features luxe accommodations for 12 people in addition to 30 crew members and boasts a total of 82 rooms on five decks. Onyx countertops, a gymnasium, spa, sauna, wine cellar, private cinema and basketball court that converts to a helipad are some of the over-the-top touches onboard. Four MTU 20V 8000 M90 diesel engines with a combined output of 50,000 hp move the massive yacht along at up to 28 knots.

[via JamesList]

Tags: billionaire, David Geffen, Germany, Larry Ellison, megayacht, Paul Allen, Rising Sun, superyacht, yacht

Inside Luxury King Francois Pinault's Private Palazzo Museums

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Wealth, Architecture & Design

Francois Pinault is a man justifiably envied by many. With a fortune of $8.7 billion the high-school dropout-turned luxury goods titan is the majority shareholder of PPR, whose brands include Gucci, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta. He also owns famed auction house Christie's and the renowned Chateau Latour winery. His amazing contemporary art collection, worth an estimated $1.4 billion, encompasses 2,000-plus works by over 80 artists including Jeff Koons, Richard Prince, Takashi Murakami and Damien Hirst. Much of it is now housed as his two incredible private museums in Venice, the Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana. Both historic buildings were transformed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Tadao Ando and are the subject of a smashing new book from Skira Rizzoli.

Tadao Ando: Venice - The Pinault Collection at the Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana shows how Ando's designs seamlessly blend history and innovation while adhering to the strict laws governing the preservation of historic buildings in Venice. At the Palazzo Grassi, prominently located on the Grand Canal, Ando's quiet but expert renovation of the eighteenth-century rooms makes a perfect backdrop for Jeff Koons' eye-popping balloon sculptures. At the Punta della Dogana (shown on the cover above), the Venetian Republic's original customs warehouse, the large-scale space was subtly subdivided into refined rooms for installation art. The "dialogue – that is collision and friction – between the new and the old," Ando states, "is the driving force in creating a city's future."

Tags: architect, architecture, art, art collection, Balenciaga, billionaire, Bottega Veneta, Chateau Latour, contemporary art, Damien Hirst, France, Francois Pinault, Gucci, Italy, Jeff Koons, luxury goods, museum, PPR, Richard Prince, Tadao Ando, Takashi Murakami, Venice, Yves Saint Laurent

Largest Yacht Ever Built in Italy Knocks Paul Allen Off the Top 10

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

Billionaire Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen no longer owns one of the world's 10 largest yachts thanks to the just-launched Serene (above) from Fincantieri. At just under 440 ft. Serene is the largest yacht ever built in Italy, and enters the list of the world's largest yachts at No. 9, according to Camper & Nicholsons – just behind the floating brothel Savarona. That knocks Allen's famed 414-ft. Octopus out of the top 10 altogether (No. 1 of course is still, by a mere 18 inches, Roman Abramovich's Eclipse). The billionaire buyer of Serene is unknown. Designed by Espen Oeino, the Serene, which took four years to complete, has seven decks, a tender hangar and two helipads. The high-tech megayacht features a large seawater swimming pool and a submarine with a diving depth of up to 100 metres. The 4,500 square meter interior boasts super-luxe accommodations and entertaining spaces designed by Pascale Reymond of London's Reymond Langton Design.

[via JamesList]

Tags: billionaire, Eclipse, Espen Oeino, Fincantieri, Italy, megayacht, Microsoft, Paul Allen, Roman Abramovich, submarine, superyacht, wealth, yacht, yacht design

Billionaires Demand Military-Grade Security on Their Superyachts

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

In an effort to boost the flagging superyacht market, manufacturers are fitting them out with increasingly complex, military-grade security systems aimed at assuaging the fears of paranoid billionaires. Bloomberg News reports from the Monaco Yacht Show that security systems similar to the ones on Roman Abramovich's enormous Eclipse are now standard issue for high-end craft. Pascal Wiscour-Conter, chief executive officer of Equisea Yacht Management in Monte Carlo, says that any billionaire buying a superyacht these days shells out an extra $400,000 at least for additional defensive measures, including bulletproof glass and "NATO military technology integrated with NASA satellite tracking to create an invisible offensive security bubble with underwater sonic cannons and surface lasers that evaluate and take out anyone who lays siege to the vessel." Wiscour-Conter notes that the high-tech system "knows the difference between a malicious scuba diver and a curious dolphin, and we transmit all the information to your iPhone four times a day."

Tags: billionaire, Monaco, Monte Carlo, Roman Abramovich, security, superyacht, wealth, yacht

Russian Billionaire Endows Oxford School

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Big Givers

Russian billionaire Len Blavatnik has popped on our radar before, usually for his big real estate deals in New York City. But the Independent reports that Blavatnik is also quite the big giver. He's the man behind Europe's first major school of government, which is opening at Oxford University. He spent £75 million (over $116 million) to create the Blavatnik School of Government. The school has the goal of teaching the skills and responsibilities of government, focusing on issues of global importance such as climate change and a potential flu pandemic.

The first students won't arrive until 2012. The school will accept 120 students a year who will study for a Master's degree that will bring together the disciplines of humanities, law, science, social sciences, technology, health, finance, energy and security policy. The school's main competition is the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University which offers a similar education. Blavatnik, 53, is the founder and chairman of Access Industries and has a Master's degree in computing from Columbia University and a postgraduate degree in business administration from Harvard. In a video address at the launch, former President Bill Clinton said: "Oxford's reputation as an international powerhouse of research will help students and the global community to better understand not just politics and economies, but also public health, environmental science, development, genetics and the humanities."

Tags: billionaire, len blavatnik, oxford, oxford university

UPDATE: Buyer of $308 Million Monaco Penthouse Was Dubai Royal

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Wealth

It seems we were not in full possession of the facts when we relayed a report the other day that the world's most expensive penthouse, the $308 million former Safra property in Monaco (above), may have been sold to Greek billionaire Constantine Alexander-Goulandris. While Alexander-Goulandris was indeed involved in the sale, an insider now tells us it was actually in an advisory capacity and that the real purchaser was a member of Dubai's royal family, the Al-Mahktoums, headed by the immensely wealthy Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum. Though incredibly expensive the purchase is seen as a wise investment by the Al-Mahktoums, we're told. In the wake of Dubai's financial difficulties, which caused Sheikh Mohammed's personal fortune to plummet by $7.5 billion last year, the family has been advised to acquire more (and more stable) assets outside of the UAE rather than sinking it all into Dubai's volatile economy. Alexander-Goulandris, being a resident of Monaco and an intimate of the Al-Mahktoum family, strongly urged the purchase of the Safra penthouse for the sake of diversification. It's not a bad place to hang out in either.

Gallery: $308 Million in Monaco

Tags: billionaire, Constantine Alexander-Goulandris, Dubai, Lily Safra, Monaco, monaco+penthouse, monacopenthouse, penthouse, royalty, sheikh, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, UAE, worlds most expensive

Indian Billionaire to Be World's Richest Man by 2014

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Forget Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Carlos Slim: in four years' time the world's richest man will be Indian commodity king Mukesh Ambani (above), Forbes predicts in a new special report on the coming decade in finance and economics. The magazine estimates that Ambani's fortune will have swelled to $62 billion by 2014, outpacing the rest of the contenders, including current world's richest man Carlos Slim who's currently worth $53.5 billion. Mexico's Slim, who's made some risky investments including a large stake in the struggling New York Times, will be "hit hard by Mexican political and financial chaos," Forbes predicts. Ambani, 53, is currently the fourth richest man in the world with a fortune of $29 billion. He is the owner of Antilia, a 27-floor building in Mumbai which includes his family's private residence of 400,000 square feet, making it the world's first billion-dollar home and the largest private home in the world.

Tags: Bill Gates, billionaire, Carlos Slim, Forbes, Mukesh Ambani, Warren Buffet, wealth, worlds richest man

Vegas Deal Will Make Madonna a Billionaire

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Madonna is poised to become a billionaire thanks to an offer of a five-year performing residency in Las Vegas. The deal, valued at $1 billion, is being brokered by Las Vegas officials looking to give the beleaguered town a boost and restore its tourist traffic, the London Sun reports, and would likely involve appearances at more than one glitzy casino. The arrangement is similar to ones that Celine Dion, Elton John and Cher have had in the past though much more lucrative. Madonna, who is already the fourth highest earning female entertainer in the world, would join Oprah on the very short list of celebrity female billionaires if she decides to sign on the dotted line. The megabucks payment would totally eclipse her previous earnings; in 2007, she signed a ten-year contract worth a measly $125 million with promoter Live Nation.

Tags: billionaire, casino, celebrity, Celine Dion, entertainment, Las Vegas, Madonna, music, Oprah

Abramovich's Gigayacht 'Eclipse' Not as Big as He Claims?

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

Has Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich been exaggerating the size of his gigayacht Eclipse (above), billed as the world's largest and most expensive privately owned yacht? Judging by Camper & Nicholsons' newly-released Super Yachting Index that would seem to be the case. C&N, the leading international yacht broker established in 1782, lists the world's largest yachts among other data in its much-anticipated report. According to their rigorously fact-checked figures, Abramovich's behemoth built by Blohm + Voss is still the world's largest yacht – but only by a hair. C&N states that it measures only 533 ft., a whopping 24 ft. shorter than the figure in general circulation. That means Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum's Dubai at 531.5 ft., which held the World's Largest title until the Eclipse was constructed, is only 18 inches shorter. And since the Dubai ruler basically owns his own shipyard now – the U.A.E.'s Platinum Yachts, where the Dubai was finished – it wouldn't take much for him to have it refitted with an extra few feet of metal to put Abramovich firmly in his place. We expect he'll see to it straight away – meanwhile, Abramovich should consider changing his yacht's name to something a little more humble, like Obstruction.

[via JamesList]

Tags: billionaire, Blohm + Voss, Camper Nicholsons, Dubai, Eclipse, megayacht, Roman Abramovich, Russian billionaires, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, superyacht, worlds most expensive, yacht

The Classicist: The Summer of Superstars Borrowing Superyachts

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Celebrity Shopping, The Classicist, Wealth

The other day we reported that Madonna has borrowed Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich's brand new superyacht, the 377-ft. Luna, while filming the new Duke of WIndsor movie she's directing in the South of France. The yacht is fitted out with two helicopter pads, a covered pool, spa, medical center, hot tub and 40 staff, including butlers and a macrobiotic chef. The middle-aged Material Girl isn't the only celeb cadging a ride on a pal's superyacht this summer, however – everyone from Brad and Angelina to the Beckhams are living it up on the high seas, though some stars are actually paying their way. Here's the full rundown on the famous folk's nautical hijinks:

1. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie: the world's most famous movie star couple have borrowed Johnny Depp's classic yacht, the 156-ft. Vajoliroja (above), which as we noted in April is available for charter at $130,000 per week, JustLuxe reports. The mahogany paneled craft features accommodations for 10 guests and a crew of 8, a formal dining room, library, plush salon and outdoor seating and eating areas, all decorated in Depp's signature version of Art Deco Paris meets the Orient Express.

2. David Beckham and Victoria Beckham: Posh and Becks have borrowed their pal designer Roberto Cavalli's iridescent 133-ft. yacht, the RC, which features a leopardskin interior, 15 bedrooms, a gym, whirlpool spa and locker full of fur coats for when the weather turns cool. Supposedly Cavalli only allows clothes he designed to be worn onboard.

3. Simon Cowell: The TV star is one of the few celebs footing the bill for his fun, having shelled out a whopping $975,000 per week to charter the 196-ft. Slipstream. The 12-berth yacht boasts sumptuous leather sofas, mirrors above a giant waterbed, a Jacuzzi, an observation lounge with panoramic views, gym, a sky lounge with a retractable roof and a crew of 14 including a private chef.

4. Paris Hilton: The world's biggest party girl is kicking back on Microsoft magnate Paul Allen's 300-ft. pleasure craft the Tatoosh, which as we recently reported has been put up for sale at $160 million. The yacht, which has a pool, hot tub, cinema, basketball court, recording studio, spa, massage room, gym, games room and helicopter pad, comes with a crew of 30. "The best summer of my life," Paris recently tweeted about the trip. "Our yacht is incredible! I'm in heaven on the water. Definitely the biggest and best yacht everywhere we go. Love it! Huge!" [continued]

Gallery: Superstars & Superyachts

Sir Philip Green's Lionheart - Kate Moss

Source

Tags: Angelina Jolie, billionaire, Brad Pitt, celebrity, celebrity vacation, David Beckham, Eva Longoria, France, Guy Ritchie, Heidi Klum, Jacqui Ainsley, Johnny Depp, Kate Moss, Luna, Madonna, megayacht, Paris Hilton, Paul Allen, Roberto Cavalli, Roman Abramovich, Simon Cowell, Sir Philip Green, South of France, Spain, supermodel, superyacht, Tatoosh, Vajoliroja, Victoria Beckham, yacht

Continue reading “The Classicist: The Summer of Superstars Borrowing Superyachts”

Want to Be a Billionaire? First, Get a Harvard Degree

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Obviously you don't have to have a degree from Harvard in order to become a billionaire – but it certainly helps. According to Forbes' new ranking of universities with the highest number of billionaire alums, Harvard thrashes the competition with a record 62 billionaire grads to its credit – more than double the total of the #2 ranked school, Stanford. A whopping 62 Harvard grads are worth $1 billion or more this year, up from 54 last year. Yale clocks in at No. 5 on the list of the top 10 with 16 billionaire alums, while Princeton barely makes the cut at all, coming out tied for last place with Cornell with 9. Notable billionaire Harvard grads include New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Citadel founder Kenneth Griffin, Meg Whitman of eBay and David Rockefeller Sr. Worth noting: an Ivy League degree isn't necessarily better, and Forbes points out that on last year's Forbes 400 list, at least 41 billionaires did not have a college degree at all. Check out the full list of the top 10 after the jump:

Tags: billionaire, billionaires, Chicago, Columbia University, Cornell, education, Harvard, Ivy League, Massachusetts, Meg Whitman, Michael Bloomberg, Princeton, Stanford, the rich, universities, University of Pennsylvania, wealth, Yale

Continue reading “Want to Be a Billionaire? First, Get a Harvard Degree”

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