Drive 495 - Golf Fitness in Manhattan

So I love my golf; nothing beats spending a 4 hours on a beautiful green course, trying to beat my personal best. I only resently broke 90 and am trying to break 85. You know what they say: "There is only one thing better that breaking 85... and that is breaking 75!"

But sitting in Manhattan for a couple of months, I gettin' out of shape... golf shape that is. So I mentioned this to the native NY, account exec at the company and he took me to Drive 495.

Drive 495 is a golf fitness gym in the heart of Soho. The club consists of two floors, the bottom you'll find a fully equiped fitness studio with cardio and weight areas and the top loft consits of a golf studio. Here you can exersize the body and sharpen you shot in front of virtual driving ranges.

Appatently you can play a full similated course to sharpen your skills with each club. Play St Andrews, Valderama or Pebble Beach without leaving Manhattan! Skilled personal trainers help sculpt your body for perfect golf fitness. Members include celebs like Michael Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Douglas, Hugh Grant, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Donald Trump. For more info, visit their comprehensive site.

I enjoyed the experience (did not join, but was tempted), but I still enjoy the real thing. I cannot wait to return to NV to play my favourite courses! BUT when in Rome... vitually escape it!

Clive Christian no1 - Most Expensive Perfume in the World

So my girlfriend is my blog's biggest fan, and she loves to alert me of stuff that's relevant as content. So she dragged me into Saks Fifth Avenue the other day to show me the latest fashion trends for all my female readers (She was my editor for the Celebrity Sunglasses and Designer Jeans articles).

I must say she made it intresting for me, but my interest were mst peaked when she showed me a bottle of the world's most expensive production perfume on the market: Clive Christian No1 for Woman. 1oz costs a whopping $2,350!

The perfume consists of a combination of pineapple, plum, mirabelle, white peach rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, orris, carnation, vanilla, benjoin balm, tonka seeds and cedarwood scents. Bottled in a beatiful crystal bottle with a diamond and gold encrusted collar.

So she admitted to me: She would forgive me for almost anything if I buy her this bottle... She got roses from me later that day... :)

"Rich Lifestyle" articles of Note 01

A Few quality artcles for your perusal...

Maserati MC12 vs Porsche Carrera GT vs Mercedes McLaren SLR - Wealth Wonders

BMW Designs Luxurious Boeing 787 Interior for Russian Tycoon - Born Rich

"Young Affluents" Are The Future Of The Luxury Market - Luxist

UK scientists building robot village -- can we come? - Engadget

Gorgeous Grays for Summer 2007 - Shopaholics Anonymous

Pictured: Porsche Carrera GT, taken from the article Maserati MC12 vs Porsche Carrera GT vs Mercedes McLaren SLR.

Forbes' Top 10 Richest Billionaires in the world list 2007

It should not come as a surprise that I follow the Forbes anual Billionaires' list very closely. I follow the success stories of the people on the list and love to see how the list changes year-after-year. 2007 however, came as a huge shock to me: There are so many new faces to the top 10 and gone are some of the familiar ones.

Out of contention are the Waltons (Wal-Mart). The late Sam Walton's estate is being enjoyed by his wife and children; however they are not able to keep abreast with the onslaught of the new entrepreneurs on the list. Gone is our favouite Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich: He is going through the world's most expensive divorce!

The biggest winner on the list is Amancio Ortega who came from nowhere to land in the 8th position. Last year he did not even make the top 50! The Lucky S-O-B award this year goes David Thompson who makes his debut to the Forbes list on #10. Read his entry to see why this is a success none the less.

1. Bill Gates

Country: United States
Industry: Microsoft (IT)

No surprise here. He is still the Richest Man in the world. What is interesting though, is that the bulk of his investments are not in the Microsoft Corporation anymore! He and his wife spends the bulk of there time doing
charitable work.

2. Warren Buffett

Country: United States
Industry: Berkshire Hathaway (Investments)

The world's best investor keeps his number 2 position.

3. Carlos Slim Helu

Country: Mexico
Industry: Telecommunications in Northern and Latin America

One thing that I like about the top 3 Richest people in the world, is there willingness to donate money to good causes. Warren Buffett donates to Bill Gates' charity fund while Carlos Slim Helu donated $4 Billion to upliftment causes in his native Mexico. His empire has grown n the last year. Telecommunications is still one of the most lucrative industries to be in.



4. Ingvar Kamprad

Country: Sweden (Lives in Switzerland)
Industry: Retail (Ikea group)

The cheapo on the list. He loves to lead a very modest life; furnishing his houses with furniture from his stores and still driving his old 1988 Volvo station wagon. Live a little Ingvar. Read my blog and get a couple ideas what to spend those Billions on!

5. Lakshmi Mittal

Country: India (Lives in UK)
Industry: Steel

Magnate, Tycoon, Monopolist. These are three words that describe Mittal. He absolutely controls the world's steel industy. I think I should do an entry on his house in London; it's splendour is inspiring.

6. Sheldon Adelson

Country: US
Industry: Entertainment and conferencing

The ugliest man on the list! Yet, my absolute favourite. His story is very inspiring. He made his fortune through being a very good middle man. He started off by renting conference space $5 per square foot and renting it out for $200 per square foot. Simple and effective with huge profit margins. Click on the link and read his story. I'm inspired every time I read it. He loves to break the mould and build new business rules. Just read what he did in Las Vegas.

7. Bernard Arnault

Country: France
Industry: European Luxury Goods

The growing demand for luxury labels has got Arnault smiling all the way to the bank. With more than 3 million US $ millionaires in the world, Arnault has perfected the art of targeting the fairer sex of this group. And he just loves acquiring more fashion houses.

8. Amancio Ortega

Country: Spain
Industry: Clothing and accessories

As a student I dreamt of making my fortune in the same way as Ortega: Apparel. I still think it's a good business idea. Get a company that manufactures bags (as an example), and brand them with other people's non-clothing brands. When you buy an Aston Martin, you get a branded bag with it... who manufactured that bag? It's better to use established brands than start creating brand awareness for a new one.

This is kinda how Ortega made his fortune. His debut in the top 50 and it's in position number 8!

9. Li Ka-Shing

Country: Hong Kong
Industry: Asian Commodities

Commodities are a lucrative business, but getting in it is a b**ch. Ka-shing does not have the business ingenuity that the other on the list have, but he is probably the best leader of the bunch. More people work for him than any other on the list. To make money in commodities takes leadership: Working with and relying on Blue-collared employees to make the business work.

10. David Thomson (son of Kenneth)

Country: Canada
Inherited Income

Kenneth Thompson never made the top 10: He died before the honor could be bestowed upon him. Instead his son, David made his debut in the number 10 position. David took the reigns of Thompson Corp in 2006, after the death of his father. His personal and inherited wealth pushed him into the top 10. He is the first Canadian, which I know off that ever made it to the top 10. I would love to see if he could take the family owned company and increase his position in 2008.

John Lobb - Shoemaker to Royalty, the ultra succesfull and ... James Bond

I was reading a forum about people's opinion of the most expensive clothing brands available and a familiar name came up: John Lobb. We did a profile on the most expensive golf shoes in a previous post and since then, we've been getting a couple of Search engine hits on "John Lobb". I did some reasearch and found more than just a shoemaker company; I found a hidden Icon!

When you are in London again, be sure to swing by St. James' Palace, built by Henry VIII: In one of the towers is the John Lobb store, said to be one of the most beautiful and interesting stores you'll ever visit.

This has been the site where the British royal family have been buying their dress shoes for over 100 years. Often frequented by successful business men, looking for the ultimate name in dress shoes, this shop is said to be a jewel to the privileged. Understandably so; a pair of John Lobb shoes can set you back an average of $2000. Or as said in the previos post, their tailormade golf shoes, costs $5000!

The old family business will take your measurements and will then handcraft your shoes to perfection. So make sure you are willing to wait a couple of months for your order. These days they have been getting more orders, since their shoes where the dress shoes of choice for Daniel Craig in the latest James Bond film, Casino Royale. He wore the Luffield shoes, pictured below.

If you are interested to acquire a fine pair of John Lobb shoes, be sure to wear it to only the most special of occasions as these are not your run-of-the-mill, designer shoes. They should only be worn with a tuxedo. Occasions to wear them could be your wedding, if you are nominated for a award, like the Oscars or the day you make partner in your firm. Wear them with pride as so many Royals have done before you.

Maybach vs Bentley vs Rolls Royce - Which one do you want to be cheuffeured in?

I'm not going to give an in-depth article today, instead, I will supply you with pictures of the three ultimate luxury car brands, Bentley, Maybach and Rolls Royce. I will do an in-depth article about one of them, based on which one gets the most votes by next Sunday.

YOU TELL ME...

Which Car Manufactuer makes the ultimate luxury car to be chauffeured in?

A. Bentley

B. Maybach

C. Rolls Royce

Vote by leaving a comment

BENTLEY ARNAGE:

MAYBACH 62:

ROLLS ROYCE PHANTOM:

International CXT, MXT and RXT: Check out Ashton Kutcher's new ride

So this is why Bush invaded Iraq: So that Republicans can ride in environment-busting, gas guzzlers like these! Owners of these trucks are all tired of their Hummers and wanted to have the biggest truck in town, to either substitute for something, or to reflect their over-inflated egos!

If you were offended by the above, this truck is for you! Careful though, these are just some of the comments passers by will make. Maybe not to your face, but they will in the least, be thinking it.

Hummer met its match with International’s XT Range:

CXT - The first truck to be introduced and still the best seller - Up to $200,000, depending on customizations. Enjoy the DVD theatre in the back seat.

MXT - Created to be lower to the 'sporty' version of the CXT, the MXT sits lower to the ground, has a bit better suspension and fuel consumption, but looks .... well... ugly.


RXT - Build to be longer, with a longer suspension and superior towing power, this baby can pull anything. If you haul your 40ft boat from port to port, International tells you this is the ultimate towing car.

Despite my intro, these trucks are attracting celebrity buyers like Ashton Kutcher (pictured), Nick Lachey and car aficionado, Jay Leno. If this type of 'commercial Monster Truck' is your thing and you don't mind dropping $200 G's on your ride give your local International dealer a call, go test drive the thing, and then go buy a Hummer!

Celebrities' Expensive Designer Sunglasses

After my previous post about expensive sunglasses, I though it would be interesting to see what expensive designer sunglasses are popular amongst celebrities. It used to be that celebrities wore big bug-eyed sunglasses to hide from the public when they stepped on the street with their designer jeans, but these days, these big sunglasses are coming back. Pictured is a popular pair from Chanel.

Celebrities’ favorite brands:

• Giorgio Armani
• Christian Dior
• Dolce & Gabbana
• Gucci
• Emporio Armani
• Roberto Cavalli
• John Richmond
• Bvlgari
• Marc Jacobs
• Prada
• Chanel
• Versace
• Tom Ford
• Fendi
• Moss Lipow

Moss Lipow is the maker of the world's most expensive sunglasses.

Above: Kirsten Dunst, Lindsay Lohan and Kate Hudson

Below: Reese Witherspoon

The World Islands, Dubai – My Ultimate Fantasy Spend

If I had a coupla million dollars to discard on a whim, this is what I’d buy: A Private Island in The World, Dubai’s world-shaped, man-made archipelago. Don’t you know what I’m talking about? Watch this video clip, then you’d understand why I am so keen…



See what I mean? This is probably one of mankind’s most ambitious ventures. The end result will be Utopia. My ultimate ambition is to own my own private island with a mega villa on it, but for now, I’d settle for an apartment in Oqyana.

Oqyana

Oqyana will comprise of 19 islands of The World, covering the islands of Australasia (Australia and New Zealand). This will be the closest island grouping to mainland Dubai, and is said to be the first to be finished. It is expected to house about 10,000 people and will comprise of more than 1,650 sea-view apartments and penthouses, a few mansions, 90 ocean front homes, about 170 canal front homes, and two up-market hotels, including a spa resort.

Construction

This section will have absolutely nothing to do with this blog’s theme, but definitely fascinates me. I have searched the web in search of more literature about how they create these islands, and have discovered these pictures:


Above: A vessel pumps sand from the ocean floor and deposits in on a heap. The sand is then mixed with fertile ground to keep the sand from washing back into the ocean. A while after vegetation has been added to the soil, they can start with laying the foundations of the buildings.


Above: Google Earth picture of how The World, Dubai is looking right now. As you zoom in, note at the bottom: The ship that sprays the sand!

Celebrities' Designer Jeans

When a celebrity hits the street, they know that it’s very likely that the paparazzi are likely to steal a picture or two. That is why they come prepared; wearing the ultimate celebrity, street-smart fashion accessory: The designer jean. Nothing flaunts their tight …… uh hums as well as a jean.

If the pictures are going to posted in a tabloid or on the net, their publicists know are prescribes that they are not to be seen in any pair of $70 jeans! Low and behold, they have to wear a label. The designers know this; that is why they pay stars like Jennifer Aniston and Kate Moss to be seen in their labels.

Today’s Designer Jeans to be seen in.

Don’t think a quality brand like Levi’s, Diesel or Guess will do. The brand has to be exclusive. So when you are on Rodeo Drive, Fifth Ave. or High street Kensington, this is what you need to look out for:

• 575
• Armani Exchange
• Hudson
• Evisu
• Frankie B
• Blue Blood Denim
• Joe’s Jeans
• Seven for All Mankind
• Rock and Republic
• Blue Cult
• J Brand
• True Religion
• Taverniti So Jeans
• Chip and Pepper

These brands will cost anything from $200 - $1,000, but are the best to be seen in.

Above: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Garner and Lindsay Lohan.

Below: Jessica Biel, Rachel Stevens and Keira Knightley