Art critic Alastair Sooke tracks down the ten most expensive paintings to sell at auction, and investigates the stories behind the astronomic prices art can reach. Gaining access to the glittering world of the super-rich, Sooke discovers why the planet’s richest people want to spend their millions on art.

Featuring works by Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Klimt and Rubens, Sooke enters a world of secrecy and rivalry, passion and power. Highlights include a visit to the art-crammed home of millionaire author Lord Archer; a rare interview with the man at the heart of the sale of the most expensive old master of all time; privileged access to auctioneers Christie’s; and a glimpse of the world of the Russian oligarchs.

These revelatory journeys allow Sooke to present an eye-opening view of the super wealthy, and their motivations as collectors of the world’s great art treasures.

Youngest Billionaires in the World

By GWOP

March 24, 2013

GWOP

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No. 1: Dustin Moskovitz
Age: 28
Net Worth: $3.8 billion
Moskovitz, Mark Zuckerberg‘s former roommate, no longer works at Facebook, the social networking giant that he co-founded. A signee of Bill Gates‘ and Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge, Moskovitz bikes to work, flies commercial, and pitches his own tent at Burning Man.

No. 2: Mark Zuckerberg
Age: 28
Net Worth: $13.3 billion
Few CEOs of any age are under more media scrutiny than Zuckerberg (who’s only 8 days older than Moskovitz). Since taking Facebook public in May 2012, and getting married days later, the hoodie-wearing founder has seen his net worth rise and fall with every fluctuation of the stock price.

No. 3: Albert von Thurn und Taxis
Age: 29
Net Worth: $1.5 billion
Albert von Thurn und Taxis first appeared in Forbes’ billionaire rankings at age 8 but officially inherited his fortune in 2001 on his 18th birthday. The eligible bachelor is also a race car driver and tours with a German auto-racing league.

No. 4: Scott Duncan
Age: 30
Net Worth: $5.1 billion
Duncan is the youngest of the four children who inherited the massive fortune of late energy pipeline entrepreneur Dan Duncan, founder of Enterprise Products Partners. Today the company owns more than 50,000 miles of natural gas, oil, and petrochemical pipelines.

No. 5: Eduardo Saverin
Age: 30
Net Worth: $2.2 billion
Facebook co-founder Saverin renounced his United States citizenship in 2011, news of which broke days before the company’s IPO and drew accusations of tax evasion. Saverin, immortalized in The Social Network as Mark Zuckerberg’s onetime best friend, settled a lengthy legal battle with Facebook, apparently receiving a 5% stake. A Brazilian citizen, he now resides in Singapore and invests in startups.

Richest People On The Planet 2013

By GWOP

March 4, 2013

Bill Gates, Carlos Slim, warren buffett

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The 2013 Forbes Billionaires list now includes 1,426 names, with an aggregate net worth of $5.4 trillion, up from $4.6 trillion. The U.S. leads the list with 442 billionaires, followed by Asia-Pacific (386), Europe (366), the Americas (129) and the Middle East & Africa (103) Checkout the top 100 Billionaires in the world after the jump.

Wealth Inequality in America

By GWOP

March 2, 2013

GWOP

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Infographics on the distribution of wealth in America, highlighting both the inequality and the difference between our perception of inequality and the actual numbers.

Top 5 Philanthropist of 2012

By GWOP

February 13, 2013

warren buffett

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Who gave away the most money of any American last year? Warren Buffett. He donated more than three times as much to charity than anyone else: $3.084 billion according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, which just released its thirteenth annual Philanthropy 50 list of U.S. donors who pledged the most dollars in 2012. Checkout top 5 below: Read More

Woodside’s $117.5 Million Estate Is America’s Most Expensive Home Sale On Record

By GWOP

January 30, 2013

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A Woodside, Calif. home has fetched an astounding $117.5 million. The nine-acre estate quietly traded hands in November, according to county records, and had never been officially listed for sale.
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Top 10 Richest Musicians of All Time

By GWOP

January 28, 2013

GWOP

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Top 10 Richest Musicians Of All Time:

1. Andrew Lloyd Webber: $1.2 billion

2. Paul McCartney: $800 million

3. Bono: $600 million

4. Bing Crosby: $550 million

5. Sean “Diddy” Combs: $550 million

6. Mariah Carey: $500 million

7. Jay-Z: $475 million

8. Dolly Parton: $450 million

9. Jimmy Buffett: $400 million

10. Michael Jackson: $350 million

source: hypebot.com

The World’s Most Powerful People

By GWOP

December 9, 2012

GWOP

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Screen Shot 2012-12-09 at 6.26.46 AM

via Forbes

Real Estate Tycoon List Home For Sale $78 million

By GWOP

October 29, 2012

Donald G. Abbey

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A 47,000 square foot estate in Bradbury, Calif. just hit the market at a whopping $78.8 million , according to Homes of The Rich. The house is a newly-built Mediterranean-style mansion that took eight years to complete. It sits on eight acres, and features five bedrooms and 10 bathrooms inside. A two-story great room and a two-story library with marble floors are just examples of the luxury you’ll find inside this house.

Outside, there’s a cross-shaped infinity pool, pool house, tennis court, guest house, and trout pond. The estate is being sold by real estate mogul Donald G. Abbey, who is the CEO of the Abbey Company, based in Long Beach.

spotted: bossip

2012 Top Earning Dead Celebrities

By GWOP

October 28, 2012

GWOP

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(Reuters) – Elizabeth Taylor surpassed Michael Jackson as the highest-earning dead celebrity in the past year, with her estate pulling in $210 million, much of it from the auction of her jewels, costumes and artwork, according to Forbes.

Jackson, who died in 2009, dropped into second place with earnings of $145 million, followed by Elvis Presley with $55 million.

Cartoonist Charles Schulz, who created the Peanuts comic strip, came in at No. 4 with earnings of $37 million, followed by reggae star Bob Marley with $17 million.

Forbes compiled the ranking by analyzing the dead celebrities’ earnings between October 2011-2012.

Richest Man Of All Time: Mansa Musa of Mali

By GWOP

October 23, 2012

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spotted: HuffingtonPost

Although you may have never heard of him, Mansa Musa is the richest person ever. The 14th century emperor from West Africa was worth a staggering $400 billion, after adjusting for inflation. Read More