Even more truly obscene luxury items

[Hugabear]

It started with this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1252157

But I figured I'd try to find some truly obscene luxury items - playthings for the most ultrarich...


World's most expensive yachts

$300 million


$200 million



World's most expensive cars

$1,700,000


$1,600,000



World's most expensive houses

$1 billion

(it's the entire building in the center)

$525 million

[BlueIris]

1. It's that second yacht that is killing me.

Whyyyyy?

[CoffeeCat]

3. I christen thee...the Sea Wasp!

Spalding! You'll get nothing and like it!

[Lasher]

2. Wouldn't it be a pisser to pull into the harbor in your $200 million yacht.

Then some asshole ruins it for you by coming by in his $300 million yacht.

[Cleita]

4. Betcha the Yachts and cars can only be affordable to

some oil rich ME kings or princes.

[Electric Monk]

6. Here's a Texan with more money than sense crashing a Veyron into a lake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NJmB1F2mdE

[Cleita]

14. So one Texan can afford it.

My point is that the Saudis can afford the upkeep on those toys especially the yachts. It's not just forking over the cash but being able to run them, the crews, the fuel, port fees and other expenses. I imagine the cars require high maintenance as well.

[-..__...]

22. "I'm pretty sure that's a Lambo, dude".

That wasn't his personal vehicle, he owns a company that "restores damaged luxury cars for resale"...

LUFKIN — Police have revealed the identity of the owner and driver of a million-dollar French sports car that he accidentally veered into a salt marsh.

The Lufkin Daily News reports police records in La Marque identified 34-year-old Andy House of Lufkin as the driver of the 2006 Bugatti Veyron EB. Police said the car veered off an Interstate 45 frontage road and into the marsh Wednesday afternoon, becoming half-submerged in the brine. House wasn't injured.

The newspaper reports House owns a company that . A 2006 Bugatti Veyron was recently offered for sale in Jonesboro, Ark., for $1.25 million.

A call and e-mail to House from the Associated Press weren't returned on Friday. However, tow truck operator Gilbert Harrison told the Houston Chronicle that, after the accident, House was “getting so many calls that he finally stopped answering his phone.” Among the callers were California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and several other celebrities.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6719492.html

The drivers website...

http://www.performanceautoworld.com/home

Here's a website dedicated to bonehead drivers who can afford to buy $250,000+ vehicles and then proceed to wreck them as if they were a Ford Kia...

http://www.wreckedexotics.com

This guy wins the prize for $$$$ up in smoke (I'm amazed that his license was never revoked, and/or he hadn't killed himself or anyone else by now)...

73 Year Old Has Wrecked Over 10 Exotic Cars
November 10, 2009

Here at Wrecked Exotics, we've seen our share of crazy drivers, but even we were taken aback when an anonymous tipster let us in on what is surely the most insane exotic car owner in the world.

We proudly present to you: The "King of Wrecked Exotics", a 73 year old Florida businessman who has managed to destroy at least 10 exotic cars in the last 3 years.

We of course would be honored to shake the hand of the man who, despite being involved in some horrible wrecks, has managed to walk away from each one AND still have the balls to keep driving like an insane bat out of hell. And did we mention he's 73 friggin years old?

We only have photos of 3 of his wrecks, but we've listed all the other supercars he's managed to destroy. These are some unbelievable and rare cars.

http://www.wreckedexotics.com/articles/039.shtml

Having more money than sense is part of the problem, the bulk of it is that the people who get behind the wheel of a high end sports car have no experience and/or training on how to handle it properly (although I believe some vendors/dealers have a requirement that the buyer completes a course before they hand them the keys and title).

[Newest Reality]

5. There it is!

You get to be the peasant voyeur now.

You can either say, oh wow, I want that, (and imagine that you can have it) or you can go, damn, that's pilfered right off the back of my work and efforts of everyone I know. We worked our fingers to the bone so that they could have it, and now, they are either shoving it in our faces and laughing at us, or we can be little children or delayed adolescents and imagine and hope that what they took from us is our fate, someday. You know, it's like the religion of winning the lottery and what you tell other people you would do, (but won't do now) for them when you win it.

Keep drooling. That stuff is not true happiness at all. It is just a carrot before a horse. It is, on the other hand, an icon of what has been taken from your personal contribution for another's sake.

When you see it that way, you should know that, as you descend more and more into a deep, abject misery, all the power and wealth that you somehow learned to accept as being funneled into the hands of a few, exists in direct proportion to how much suffering, frustration and difficulty you, (and those you are responsible for and care about) experience in so very many ways.

If you accept that only a small number of us can, "live like billionaires" then you accept the result as well. That's what politics and media are about. They keep convincing you in ways that blind you to the personal loss that extravagance requires, and they tease you into wanting the same thing while never realizing that you could be so very happy and satisfied with a life that was not based on giving up the fruits of your own labor in order to feed the extreme, (to pornographic proportions) and unsatisfiable cravings of lust for everything, by a few.

That is the fate you will enjoy as long as you accept the terms of the agreement.

[Blecht]

13. Exactly

Note to self: buy two lottery tickets instead of one today.

[Starry Messenger]

7. There they are--sharing the pain.

:sarcasm:

[BlueIris]

18. Yes, I can tell they are really suffering, too. nt

[MineralMan]

8. Those yachts are worthless. No trolling motor.

Now...here's a proper boat:

[FLPanhandle]

10. Far more practical too.

and no need for a crew.

[smokey nj]

9. Why would anybody spend a billion dollars on a house that looks like a game of Jenga?

[FLPanhandle]

11. My wife and I got to spend a weekend on a mega-yacht once

Amazing boat but we actually didn't enjoy the experience as much as we thought we would.

Having a crew around all the time kind of sucks. It's like being in a great hotel but the staff never leave the room. Having all those folks waiting on you is cool for an hour or two but gets old fast.

Lost any fantasy of ever having a crewed yacht. I'll stick with my sailboat.

[Courtesy Flush]

12. I can't talk. I own a yacht myself.

Apparently those guys aren't aware that you can get them a lot cheaper on the second-hand market. Let the other guy take the hit on the new-boat depreciation.

My yacht only cost $3000. Of course, there was also the cost of the new trailer hitch I put on my truck.

Don't be hating on me.

[Avant Guardian]

15. +1

[JVS]

21. Would you mind telling me about your yacht and how to get one cheaply?

[snooper2]

16. Those boats suck ass, any respectable rich person goes with a Wally

www.wally.com

Here's the 118 WallyPower

3 x DDCTF50 gas Turbines + 2 x Cummins 370HP (backup :) )
Each Turbine puts out 5,600 HP

cruises at 60 knots no problem..

[jmowreader]

20. Is that the same outfit that built the Ady Gil?

It does have that kinda sinister look Ady Gil had...

BTW, what do you use the 370-horse engines for on a boat like that? Trolling for bass?

[Mopar151]

17. The thing is - those are toys for DUMB rich people

Smarter rich folks may have toys that cost in the millions - but they are about activities that they share with friends, family, and those who appreciate their art/sport/pastime.
I know some vintage racers - and some are rich as Croseus! But knowledge and sincere appreciation of their hobby will have you eating cookies baked by a millionaires wife and drinking vintage wine out of paper cups - or talking about an old F-350 basket case project truck with a guy who drove in in a Newell motorhome.

[jmowreader]

19. Y'all really do not understand why someone would buy their own cruise ship

A $300 million yacht is not a plaything for the dumb rich. It is a very finely tuned tool used to convince other rich people to give you their money.

My company's president, Duane Hagadone, used to own this boat...



It's 150 feet long and features its own golf course. It was moored in California. He would fly people he wanted to cut business deals with down there and take them out on it. It worked, too.