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Gates spending lots on green revolution

2008-01-31T23:56:00.000-08:00

The Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation are uniting to try to jump-start a new Green Revolution. This is not aimed at electric cars for you and me. Not aimed at cheaper electricity for Beijing or London. This is aimed at agriculture in areas where starvation and povertyabound. Gates donations alone will exceed $300-millionfor Africa and other regions.

More from here

Source: ZDNet Blog

Clive Palmer's $100m gift to poor indigenous

2008-01-31T06:42:00.000-08:00

Billionaire's $100m gift to poor indigenous

30 Jan 08

THE Gold Coast's own billionaire, Clive Palmer, has thrown down the gauntlet to resource giants with a bold move to give indigenous communities a $100 million dividend from his back pocket.

Mr Palmer, chairman of Mineralogy, which owns a swag of iron ore tenements in the Pilbara, has set up a charitable foundation into which he plans to channel some of the proceeds of a $220 million-plus deal with Chinese industrial heavyweight CITIC.

Full story here

Thailand, the place for "billionaire backpackers"

2008-01-31T06:39:00.000-08:00

Thailand is the place for "billionaire backpackers"

Thailand has been identified as the ideal location for those backpackers with a bigger-than-average budget.

While the south-east Asian country used to be the place to go for gap year students on a shoestring, Thailand is now host to a number of luxury developments for the "billionaire backpacker", reports the Telegraph.

Full story here

An Interview with Craig from Craigslist

2008-01-27T06:34:00.000-08:00

An Interview with Craig from Craigslist

Craig walks a fine line between two worlds. He is one of the first real Internet gurus, yet he isn't a multi-millionaire or retired to the Bahamas. He lives a normal life - he even works as a customer service representative for Craigslist. Here's a quick interview into his daily life, his thoughts for the election and insight into human nature.

A Billion Dollar Graphic

2008-01-24T07:35:00.000-08:00

A Billion Dollar Graphic, actually, a Billionaire Graphic to be more precise

Sheldon Adelson - The Billionaire Most Have Never Heard Of

2008-01-17T12:05:00.000-08:00

Few Americans have made as much money in China as Sheldon Adelson, one of the richest men in the world. Yet he may well be the richest American that most people have never heard of. One explanation for his relative anonymity is that he is a newcomer to the highest altitudes of the fabulously wealthy.

Las Vegas Sands went public in December 2004, and over the next two years his net worth soared by $US17.5 billion. That works out at almost $US1 million an hour, weekends, holidays and nights included.

"He got richer faster than anyone else in history," said Peter Bernstein, a co-author of All The Money In The World, a book about the people on the Forbes 400 list.

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Homes Of the Billionaires

2008-01-14T05:07:00.000-08:00

Homes Of the Billionaires

Oct 2007

When you have it all, you need a place to put it all.

Multimillion-dollar yachts need to be docked. The de Koonings have to be hung. And you've got to park the Rolls somewhere. That's where the billionaire's house comes in.

There's plenty of room for David Geffen's Pollocks and Rothkos along the walls of his 100-room Beverly Hills, Calif., mansion. Paul Allen can dock his 416-foot yacht--the Octopus--beside his Mercer Island, Wash., waterfront property. And there’s plenty of space for Warren Buffett’s Cadillac DTS in the driveway of his Omaha, Neb., home.

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Israeli Billionaire Buys UK's Most Expensive House

2008-01-10T07:03:00.000-08:00

Israeli Billionaire Buys UK's Most Expensive House

Jan 10, 2008

The most expensive new property ever sold in Britain , a Palladian-style home, has been bought for 70 million U.S. dollars by Israeli diamond billionaire, Lev Leviev recently, real estate dealers said...

Only for Russian Billionaires - A Super Rich Utopia

2008-01-10T06:56:00.000-08:00

Only for Russian Billionaires - A Super Rich Utopia

10 January 2008

A Russian property tycoon has built an exclusive estate which will house the city's billionaires only. The luxury estate near Istra, which was built by property tycoon Aras Agalarov, is designed to be the most exclusive in Russia.

Russia's super rich are buying up homes in the super-exclusive 850-acre development on the edge of Moscow which boasts a replica of a Scottish baronial castle, a golf course, and special cottages around the perimeter to house the residents' bodyguards. There are also 14 artificial lakes, waterfalls and a spa and beach resort with imported white sand.

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Tiger Woods Set to Become Billion-dollar Sportsman

2008-01-10T05:41:00.000-08:00

Woods set to become billion-dollar sportsman

January 10 2008

US golfer Tiger Woods is set to become the world's first billion-dollar sportsman in 2010, Splash news reported on Thursday, citing Golf Digest magazine.

The record-setting golfer took home a staggering $122,7-million (around R8-billion) in 2007 - an increase of $26-million from 2006, according to the reports.

More here

Billionaire Safari Lodges - Choicest Cabins During Most Expensive Expeditions

2008-01-07T20:50:00.001-08:00

Billionaire Safari Lodges - choicest cabins used during the most expensive expeditions

Used to be when the super-rich wanted to get away from it all, they jumped on the private jet or yacht and retreated to the secluded island they owned in the Caribbean or the South Pacific. Now another part of the world is becoming home away from home: the African bush. And not only are the super-rich buying property in Africa, they’re opening hotels there. The lineup of tycoons who now own luxury African safari lodges -- Tudor Jones, Branson, Oppenheimer, Aga Khan -- is starting to resemble the Forbes billionaires list.

More from here (Mar 2007 article @ MSNBC)

How to meet and marry a billionaire

2008-01-07T20:49:00.005-08:00

Money magazine's field guide to the mating habits of the ultra rich

Jul 2007

Are you looking to fall for someone tall, dark — but most importantly — very wealthy? Marlys Harris, Money Magazine Senior Editor, explains what it takes to snag your very own Richie Rich

Billionaire Heiresses - Paris & Nicky Hilton, Casey Johnson, Anna Anisimova

2008-01-07T20:49:00.003-08:00

Billionaire Heiresses - Paris & Nicky Hilton, Casey Johnson, Anna Anisimova

An excerpt from an Aug 2006 Forbes-MSNBC report

‘Celebutantes’ frequent nightclubs and often land in the tabloids

Our obsession with the fabulously wealthy has spawned a new breed of celebrity: the beautiful and stylish billionaire heiresses. Sometimes called “celebutantes,” these much-photographed trendsetters sit front row at fashion shows, take the most spectacular vacations, frequent the hippest nightclubs like Bungalow 8 (where a few rowdy ones have been known to get into cat fights) and regularly land in the tabloids.

Know more about the lifestyles and eccentricities of these flamboyant folks from here

Charles Simonyi Blasts Off for Space Station

2008-01-07T20:49:00.001-08:00

Charles Simonyi Blasts Off for Space Station

A Soyuz rocket blasts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in Apr 2007, carrying U.S. billionaire software developer Charles Simonyi and two Russian cosmonauts toward the international space station. The software developer carried into space a gourmet meal prepared by his friend Martha Stewart.

Charles Simonyi helped develop Microsoft Word. Among those bidding farewell was Simonyi’s friend Martha Stewart, who watched the launch from a location separate from other spectators.

Full report here

Vacation Spots Where the Very Rich Hide Out

2008-01-07T20:48:00.001-08:00

Interesting article on where the super-rich hang out - get to know where you might find Sergey Brin & Larry Page (Google), Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Bloomberg and the rest of the filthy rich vacationing!

Enviable Billionaire Women - Oprah Winfrey, J.K Rowling...

2008-01-07T20:46:00.001-08:00

For the billionaire women, life sure is different - No more picking up after the kids, doing dishes, worrying about how much a dress costs or pinching pennies to save for an amazing vacation. For the women on Forbes' new list of the world's billionaires, that dream is a reality. But it's not just their 10-figure fortunes that make us envious. Some of these women are famous; some wield enormous power; some have fascinating careers. Some have all three.

Read more about the billionaire women from this article @ MSNBC

Billionaires Who Spend Money Frugally

2008-01-07T20:45:00.001-08:00

Sure, some billionaires fly private jets, live in massive mansions, dine at the world's finest restaurants and shop at Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton. After all, they're rich. But some of the world's wealthiest people aren't so flashy. They're frugal -- for billionaires, at least.

Click this gallery @ AOL to see which of the rich live modestly.

Sheldon Adelson: Gambling is a High Margin Business

2007-09-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

Sheldon Adelson on His Investment Principles - I'm not after small money

Was reading an interview given by the gambling empire billionaire Sheldon Adelson in which he was asked whether he would like to invest in the Indian hospitality industry, as gambling is not legal in India. His answer was a blunt no. He is simply not interesting in running businesses like hospitality that have much lower margins than biz like the gambling business.

To quote him, "...For me, any business decision means that I need to have a decent profit margin. Hospitality sector, in itself, is not inviting enough. I deal in big money. Hospitality may help you break even at best, but it’s largely a loss-making business. Without gambling, setting up any resort doesn't make sense...I deal in big money. I am not looking for a few dollars here and a few dollars there."

Interesting...

Read the full interview from here @ The Times of India

100 Million $ Homes - The Price of Ultra-Luxury Houses

2007-08-23T14:44:00.001-07:00

So how much do you think a very expensive home cost?

If you thought it was a few tens of millions of dollars, you need to get your thoughts more modern, for the uber-rich highest priced house in the US is a whopping 165 million $.

Called the Beverly Hills, its entry into the for-sale market July 9 merited a media stir because its $165 million asking price makes it the most expensive property in America.

While the rest of American real estate is at best struggling to survive, the very top end of the market is hotter than ever, according to those in the know. There are at least half a dozen homes in America for sale at $100 million and up!

Beverly House, is the former home of publishing legend William Randolph Hearst that has been owned for the last 30 years by attorney-investor Leonard M. Ross. It's price was better than a Bozeman, Mont., ski aerie that costs $155 million...the richie rich house list goes on to include the Aspen, Colo., "ranch" of a Saudi prince ($135 million); Donald Trump's oceanfront manse in Palm Beach, Fla. ($125 million); a residence modeled after Versailles in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles (also $125 million); and a 210-acre Lake Tahoe, Nev., estate ($100 million).

The number of potential purchasers with such wealth isn't big, but it's big enough to be the size of a small-town phone book!

The rate at which the billionair club is swelling, that small-town book might well be a pretty large town book before long!

Read the full story from here @ Chicago Tribune, Jul 29, 2007

Carlos Slim Helu: Success Secrets of the Wilxy Mexican

2007-08-18T04:53:00.000-07:00

Carlos Slim: Success Secrets of the Wilxy Mexican

Zac Bissonnette @ Blogging Stocks

Read this interesting piece about Calos Slim's "success secrets" and the traits he shares with the others in the filthy wealthy club - who else but Bill"ion" Gates and Warren Buffet.

"It's hard to spend a day in Mexico and not put money in his pocket. The 67-year-old tycoon controls more than 200 companies...in telecommunications, cigarettes, construction, mining, bicycles, soft drinks, airlines, hotels, railways, banking, and printing. In all, his companies account for more than a third of the total value of Mexico's leading stock market index, while his fortune represents 7% of the country's annual economic output.

His secret? Monopolies. He has a stranglehold on the telephone industry in Mexico, and has drawn the inevitable comparisons to the robber barons of the early industrial days of the United States...I do note an interesting similarity between Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Carlos Slim, the world's three richest men: Gates built his fortune by creating a product that everyone needed and has many monopolistic qualities. Buffett built his by buying brands with "strong moats" at reasonable prices. Slim has sought to eliminate competition in the industries he operates in."

So, the similarity Zac sees is that they dug a moat, dug in deep and just kept making their fortresses stronger every day...

Hmmm...

Buffet Says Market Choas Creates Buying Opportunities

2007-08-18T04:51:00.000-07:00

Buffet Says Market Choas Creates Buying Opportunities

Aug 2007

Warren Buffet in an interview Thursday with CNBC's Becky Quick said he is optimistic the current market downturn will probably create buying opportunities.

"You get more excited when there's a lot going on, you can't help it," said the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. "And frankly, it will probably present more opportunity to us because when dislocations occur, things get more mispriced and that sort of thing ..."

Hmmm...one man's trouble is another man's opportunity...rather, more precisely, common peoples' troubles are uncommon peoples' opportunities...

Via: Xinhuanet

Robotics Could be Part of Our Daily Lives - Gates

2007-08-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

Bill Gates in his paper for The Scientific American wrote recently: “The emergence of the robotics industry is developing in much the same way that the computer business did 30 years ago. Think of the manufacturing robots currently used on automobile assembly lines as the equivalent of yesterday’s mainframes.”

In the paper, Gates envisions “...a future in which robotic devices will become a nearly ubiquitous part of our day-to-day lives. I believe that technologies such as distributed computing, voice and visual recognition, and wireless broadband connectivity will open the door to a new generation of autonomous devices that enable computers to perform tasks in the physical world on our behalf. We may be on the verge of a new era, when the PC will get up off the desktop and allow us to see, hear, touch and manipulate objects in places where we are not physically present.”

Today, robotic arms can perform surgery and robots deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan dispose of roadside bombs. Some of the world’s best minds are trying to solve the toughest problems of robotics, such as visual recognition, navigation and machine learning. So who knows what the next ten years could bring forth in robotics!

Oringial news source for the post: March of the Cyber Sapiens article, Business Standard

Reducing Inequity Highest Human Achievement - Bill Gates

2007-08-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

Growing Older: Gates’ speech a call to action

By Richard Griffin/Growing Older
Jul 25, 2007

Reducing human inequity is the highest possible achievement - That is what this technology wizard told graduating students, alumni and others sitting before him at Harvard’s recent commencement.

Gates looked back over his college career and realizes what his experience lacked. Nobody ever told him how the people of the world really live — that’s what was missing. While in school, he never knew about the huge numbers of children who die every day for lack of easily affordable help. By his own admission, it took him decades to learn these basic facts of life and death.

Gates further said he believed in making market forces work to improve the lot of those who have “no power in the market and no voice in the system.” This he calls “a more creative capitalism”...

Read the full report of his speech from here @ Georgetown Record

Russian Billionaire Could Battle With Wife Over Billions

2007-03-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

Russian Billionaire Could Battle With Wife Over Billions

March 15, 2007 — The richest man in Russia (and the 16th richest man in the world) is set to battle with his ex-wife over an estimated fortune of $18.7 billion. His wife could lay claim to his houses, yachts and his Chelsea soccer team

Read the full article from ABC News here

Billionaire Cars - Top 10 Vehicles Owned by Billionaires

2007-03-08T00:32:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Vehicles Owned by Billionaires

See this interesting Forbes Autos report on the cars owned by the world's top billionaires. This page gives the 2005 list