Forbes has just released its annual ranking of the 100 most expensive zip codes in America, and what with fluctuating real estate markets some of the results may surprise you. Beverly Hills for example, the famous 90210, barely makes it into the top 10 nowadays with a median home price of $2.41 million, while Bel Air (90077) lags way back at No. 29 with a median price of $1.72 million. New York City doesn't rate an appearance at all until Tribeca zip 10013 clocks in at No. 14 with a median price of $2.2 million.

That famous province of the rich, Greenwich, Conn. (zip 06870 in Old Greenwich) is way down at No. 26 with a median price of $1.75 million. The most expensive zip code in the country? 33109, the tiny private enclave of Miami Beach known as Fisher Island (above), where sales prices rose by $525,000 over the last year and which has an unbeatable median price of $3.85 million. Listed below are the Top 10 zips. You can see a slideshow of the full list here.

1. Fisher Island, Fla., 33109, Miami-Dade County
Median sales price: $3.85 million

2. Alpine, N.J., 07620, Bergen County
Median sales price: $3.59 million

3. Mill Neck, N.Y., 11765, Nassau County
Median sales price: $3 million

4. Newport Coast, Calif., 92657, Orange County
Median sales price: $2.8 million

5. Water Mill, N.Y. 11976, Suffolk County
Median sales price: $2.72 million

6. Atherton, Calif., 94027, San Mateo County
Median home price: $2.7 million

7. Santa Barbara, Calif., 93108, Santa Barbara County
Median home price: $2.7 million

8. Wainscott, N.Y., 11975, Suffolk County
Median home price: $2.56 million

9. Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., 92067, San Diego County
Median home price: $2.47 million

10. Beverly Hills, Calif., 90210, Los Angeles County
Median home price: $2.41 million

As an adjunct to their just-released annual list of the 400 richest Americans, Forbes has included a special report on the homes of some of the billionaires who made the cut. Capping the account is of course Bill Gates, who tops the 400 with his $57 billion fortune. It's hard to say exactly how much his high-tech 66,000-sq.-ft. house on Lake Washington near Seattle is worth. The property includes a 60-foot swimming pool with an underwater music system, a domed library with two "secret" bookcase doors and a 1,000-square-foot dining room, the mag notes.

Also featured: the historic seven-story Duke-Semans mansion (above) in Manhattan owned by cab driver-turned-mogul Tamir Sapir (net worth $1.9 billion), who bought it from Doris Duke's relatives for $40 million after a single walk-through. He's now said to be spending $10 million on renovations. And then there's Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison's (net worth $27 billion) 23-acre estate in Woodside, Calif., "reminiscent of a 16th-century imperial Japanese palace" which reportedly cost over $100 million to build. You can see a slideshow of these megamansions and more here.

Forbes just released its annual Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans, and billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates (above) is back on top after briefly ceding first place to Warren Buffett this spring. Gates has a net worth of $57 billion as opposed to Buffett's $50 billion - $12 billion less than he had several months ago before Berkshire Hathaway's stock plummeted 15%. Buffett isn't the only one to suffer a major reversal. The year's biggest loser was Sands casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, No. 15, whose fortune fell $13 billion in the past 12 months - about $1.5 million per hour, Forbes notes - to $15 billion.

Adelson's fellow casino kingpin Kirk Kerkorian, No. 27, was another underachiever, losing $6.8 billion this year. Still, they were both better off than the 33 moguls who fell off the list altogether due to declining fortunes. On the plus side, 31 new plutocrats moved up to take their places, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, 24, who makes his debut on the list with an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion.

Other Forbes 400 first-timers include fertilizer tycoon Alexander Rovt, car dealer and art collector Norman Braman, and Patrón tequila founder John Paul DeJoria. Meanwhile, New York City's billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg was the year's biggest gainer, as his net worth jumped $8 billion to a total of $20 billion, snagging him the No. 8 position. Also worth noting among this year's stats:

The average net worth of Forbes 400 members is $3.9 billion.
There are 42 women on the list with an average net worth of $4.2 billion.
For the 2nd year in a row, the minimum net worth needed to make the list is $1.3 billion.
The assembled net worth of the richest Americans rose by only 2%, or $30 billion, to $1.57 trillion this year.

See the complete list here.

Forbes has come up with a new list of the 10 young women most likely to inherit their mega-rich fathers' fortunes - in short, the billion-heiresses of tomorrow. The final list does not merely represent the daughters of the world's richest men, however; for a true accounting, the magazine started with the daughters of the world's 150 richest people, all worth $6.4 billion or more, but then focused only on those with few or no siblings to divide the loot.

They further narrowed the field by disqualifying those with fathers like Bill Gates who have declared their intention to leave their fortunes to charity instead of their children. Also, they did not include those who have already inherited their money, like the world's richest woman, L'Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt.

No. 1 on the Forbes list is India's Vanisha Mittal Bhatia, daughter of Lakshmi Mittal, the fourth-richest person in the world with a fortune of $45 billion. The No. 2 and 3 heiresses are also the daughters of Indian tycoons, while No. 4 is Delphine Arnault-Gancia, daughter of LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault, the world's 13th-richest man with a fortune of $25.5 billion. And clocking in at No. 7 is championship equestrienne Georgina Bloomberg (above), daughter of New York's billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg. See the gallery for more.

The prices for vintage Bugattis are just astounding. Last month we saw a 1937 Bugatti go for $7.9 million at Pebble Beach, now Forbes says the 1930 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Kellner Coach is for sale for a jaw-dropping estimated $10 million asking price. The Bugatti Type 41 Royale is important in automobile history because of its massive eight cylinder engine. In the 1920s, Ettore Bugatti was banking on a military contract to build 16-cylinder aircraft engines when he didn't get it he decided to use half the engine in cars. The Type 41 Royale has the largest engine of any car to be sold privately and is pretty imposing all around. Unfortunately 1930 was not a great time to be selling luxury cars. just six Royales were made. This one was never sold and stayed with the Bugatti family until 1950. The car went through a couple of collectors before being sold for a record £5.5 million at London's Royal Albert Hall. Now the current owner has asked Bonham & Brooks in London to see if anyone is game to pay the $10 million for the car.

When most people think of American wines they name California, Oregon and Washington but amazingly wine making is something every state has in common. With all the political hubbub happening currently it seems timely that someone would pin the red and blue states against each other in a more delicious contest. Sure the Blue's come in heavy with the three states mentioned above but the Red-leaning states have Arizona's Caduceus and Virginia's Barboursville to tout. Among the Blue states there is the lesser known Finger Lake region of New York highlighting Heron Hill's Reisling and Illinois' hybrid varietals.

Personally, I'm interested in trying Hawaii's Pineapple Wine -- that has to be perfect for dessert or sipping on a hot day -- which I didn't know existed until today! I'll take a hammock on the beach with a glass of wine any day and leave the politicking to the experts.

Liliane Bettencourt (right), daughter of the man who founded cosmetics giant L'Oréal, tops Forbes' just-released list of the richest women in Europe with a fortune of $22.9 billion. That astounding figure also makes her the world's richest woman, the magazine notes. Bettencourt, whose father's reputation has occasionally come under fire, uses her money to fund a charitable foundation which supports medical research, cultural projects and humanitarian relief.

At the No. 2 spot on the Euro list is Swedish citizen Birgit Rausing, a packaging heiress with an estimated fortune of $14 billion, while No. 3 is BMW and pharmaceuticals heiress Susanne Klatten, with $13.2 billion. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling meanwhile is in last place at No. 22, barely making the list with a measly $1 billion. It's worth noting that Germany has the most female billionaires of any European nation, with nine of them living within its borders. You can see a gallery of the loaded ladies here.

Forbes has just released its annual list of the world's highest-paid rappers, and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson has catapulted to the #1 spot with $150 million in earnings over the past 12 months - more than double that of rival Jay-Z at No. 2.

When Forbes inaugurated the Hip-Hop's Cash Kings list last year, Jay-Z was firmly at the top. But 50 raked in over $100 million after taxes on a single deal earlier this year, the mag notes, when his stake in Glacéau (parent co. of VitaminWater) was bought by Coca-Cola as part of a $4.1 billion takeover.

This isn't to say that Jay-Z's doing badly; he recently signed a 10-year deal with concert promoter Live Nation worth $150 million. Meanwhile, Sean "Diddy" Combs and Kanye West clocked in at Nos. 3 and 4 with $35 million and $30 million respectively.

Golf legend Tiger Woods is on track to become the world's first billionaire athlete, a goal he should reach in a few short years at his current rate of income. Woods' career earnings will hit the $1 billion mark by 2010, Forbes reports, but given the taxes and management fees he has to pay, it will take another year for his net worth to catch up.

In 2007 alone, the mag estimates Woods earned $115 million, $65 million more than the second highest paid athlete, David Beckham. While several billionaires over the years have been world-class athletes, none has ever earned their fortune solely from a career playing sports before Woods. Of course, most of his wealth comes from endorsement deals as prize money accounts for only one-tenth of his earnings.

Some retailers may be taking a recent hit in sales but jewelers have nothing to be concerned about. The continued trend of giving jewels to your Valentine means that men will spend between $500 and $50,000 this February for their honey. Although white gold and platinum are still the preferred setting for diamonds, rose gold is making a bold statement this season. Watches are also a must-have this year as more women are wanting chunky, over-sized watches, and colored stones, as accessories. Although the price of gold is high these days, when emotions come into play at the moment of purchase, most men will spend more. Check out the gallery for amazing pieces that might inspire you too.

Not quite sure how I missed this one but multimillionaire and former Presidential candidate Steve Forbes has sold his huge Forbes Trinchera Ranch near Fort Garland, Colorado to billionaire hedge-fund manager Louis Moore Bacon for a record $175 million. There are some debates over whether or not this counts as the most expensive single-family home sold in America since it is not so much a home as a ranch and retreat.

The ranch is 171,400 acres and is located near the Sangre de Christo mountain range, 160 miles south of Denver. Bacon, a known conservationist and environmentalist is seen to be an excellent choice to be the steward of this land. Bacon has said he will retain the present uses of the ranch which include a private hunting preserve and as a corporate retreat.

Luckily for those without a shred of common sense, Forbes outlines the hottest cars a guy could drive in order to attract the hottest girls. The big draws appear to be less than shocking -- exotic (read: Italian) styling and price tag are major factors, but also know that sze matters (cough): the bigger the engine, the better.

Topping out the list is the Aston Martin DB9, which has the added appeal that the Aston Martin brand has become synonymous with James Bond, the ultimate chick magnet. Next Forbes highlights the Bentley Continental GT, which is relatively affordable compared to its Maybach and Rolls Royce rivals and sports a 562 hp engine, all in a pretty package. Other babe magnets include the Lamborghini Gallardo, Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, Cadillac Escalade, Porsche 911 Turbo, and even the Toyota Prius for those men trying to attract an environmentally-conscious woman.

[Source: Forbes]

The term "luxury car" can apply to autos priced from fairly economical $20,000 options all the way up to the indulgent $400,000 range and higher. It's a large class of vehicles. And although everyone may not agree (with that many cars in the mix there's bound to be varying opinions!) this list is a fun one: Forbes has narrowed the new 2008 luxury releases into their own top 10 most anticipated. Here's their list, but as in anything with cars to really get the effect you should see it in pictures.

• Audi R8
• BMW M3
• Cadillac CTS
• Infinity G37
• Lexus LS 600h L
• Maserati Grand Turismo
• Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster
• Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet
• Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe
• Volvo C30

I can't help it, I love them all!

We've covered Forbes' lists in the past, but this ... this is a new one. Forbes' list of "Most Exotic Brands of Weed" not only draws a comparison between fine cannabis and fine wine, but goes on to list the per gram price of some of the hardest to come by types of ganja. Standouts include Chemdog ($35 / gram), one of High Times' top ten from 2006, and Mass Skunk ($25 / gram), which, let's face it, just has a really cool name. All of this, however, makes me wonder - are Forbes writers members of NORML?

After a global search spanning six continents, Forbes has put together their list of the World's Most Expensive Homes for 2007. $100 million will get you more in - for example - South Africa than it will in New York, but the international ultra-luxury market is growing so fast, say real estate agents who deal with clients in the market for such homes, that the price gap is diminishing and soon all of these houses could be closer to the high-end of the pricing spectrum and a list like this one might look very different in 5 years. For now, top priced homes (in USD) include:

• Updown Court in Windlesham, Surrey ($138 million) is a 103-room home on 58 acres of lush grounds, with an indoor squash court, bowling alley, 50-seat cinema, helipads and a heated marble driveway.
• Hala Ranch in Aspen, Colo. ( $135 million, pictured) has 95-acres and a 56,000-sq. ft. mansion, with multiple outbuildings and guest houses, stables, a tennis court and an indoor swimming pool.
• Waterfront Estate in Istanbul, Turkey ($100 million) is on only .75 acres of land, but has 30,000 square feet of ultra-luxe space divided into 64 rooms, most of which look out onto the water.

Check out the full list for further details and the rest of the top priced homes.