Top 10 most expensive residential properties sold in the U.S.

Billionaire Yuri Milner’s recent purchase of a French chateau-style mansion in Silicon Valley has emphasized on the value of some of the luxury properties in the U.S. despite the housing slump. Last year, the world’s richest man Carlos Slim Helu purchased a century-old Beaux Arts townhouse on Fifth Avenue for $44 million, which is one of the most expensive townhouse sales ever in the city. After the jump are the top 10 most expensive residential properties sold in the U.S. over the last few years.

1. Yuri Milner buys Silicon Valley mansion for $100 million

Year of sale: 2011

This French chateau-style mansion in Silicon Valley was lately sold for a reported $100 million, which is the highest known price paid ever for a single-family home in the U.S. The buyer of the luxurious chateau is Yuri Milner, the billionaire founder of Moscow-based venture firm Digital Sky Technologies (DST). Mr. Milner has bought the house from Fred Chan, founder of ESS Technology, and he currently has no immediate plans to move into the new home. The 11-acre estate on Paloma Road in Los Altos Hills, California offers magnificent panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay.

2. Dmitri Rybolovlev buys Rybolovlev estate for $95 million

Year of sale: 2008

Donald Trump sold the Rybolovlev estate at 515 N. County Road in Palm Beach to Russian fertilizer billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev for $95 million back in 2008. The 33,000-square foot mansion enjoys an unobstructed oceanfront of 475 feet. Trump bought the property in 2004 for $41.4 million.

3. Gary Winnick buys a Bel Air estate for over $90 million

Year of sale: 2000-2001

Former Global Crossing chairman Gary Winnick purchased this Los Angeles estate in the Bel Air neighborhood in around 2000-01 for around $94 million. Built in 1938, the house is also known as the “Weber Mansion” after a prior owner. The mansion features 20 bathrooms and is spread oner 28,725 square feet on 7.47 acres.

4. Dwight Schar buys Palm Beach house for $70 million

Year of sale: 2004-2005

NVR Inc. chairman and chief executive officer Dwight Schar bought this property from billionaire Ron Perelman, and his then actress wife Ellen Barkin, for a cool $85.6 million. The 26,000-square-foot main house includes seven bedrooms, 18 bathrooms and a movie theater. The estate also has an oversized outdoor pool, a pool house, guesthouses, a spa and a gym

5. Anonymous LLC buys ‘Le Belvedere’ for $50 million

Year of sale: 2010

Developer Mohamed Hadid sold the 48,000-square-foot French chateau “ Le Belvedere” to an anonymous LLC for a cool $50 million. The lavish mansion was built in 2006 and features 19 fireplaces, 10 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms and a three-flight elevator. There is a Moroccan entertaining room, a Turkish steam bath room, an infinity pool, an industrial kitchen with pizza oven, a grand ballroom, a screening gym, a game room and a 5,000-bottle wine cellar.

6. J. Christopher Flowers buys a Manhattan townhouse for $53 million

Year of sale: 2006

J. Christopher Flowers, a private equity investor and founder of J.C. Flowers & Co., purchased a Manhattan townhouse on East 75th Street in 2006 for a whopping $53 million. The single-family townhouse sits over around 20,000 square feet.

7. Harry Macklowe buys $51.5 million condo at the Plaza Hotel

Year of sale: 2007

The 13,000-square-foot-condominium on the seventh floor of Manhattan’s Plaza Hotel was bought by developer Harry Macklowe in 2007 for a cool $51.5 million.

8. Len Blavatnik buys a Manhattan townhouse for $50 million

Year of sale: 2007

Russian oil magnate Len Blavatnik paid $50 million for his Seagram heir friend Edgar Bronfman Jr.’s townhouse at 15 East 64th Street, which makes it the second biggest New York townhouse deal in 2007. Mr. Bronfman was reported to have being paid only $4.375 million for the building in 1994.

9. Tommy Mottola buys Crystal Island Ranch for $47 million

Year of sale: 2006

Music-industry veteran Tommy Mottola paid $47 million for a 949-acre ranch near Aspen, Colo. In 2006. Called Crystal Island Ranch, the property is located about 33 miles northwest of downtown Aspen. Crystal Island Ranch is spread over 1,705 acres with a 12,000-square-foot home, a barn with a guest house, two cabins, four bedrooms and four bathrooms and more.

10. Roland Arnall buys Mandalay Ranch for $46 million

Year of sale: 2004

Mortgage company executive Roland Arnall purchased the 650-acre Mandalay Ranch from Hollywood movie mogul Peter Guber in 2004 for $46 million. The property includes wildflower meadows, ponds and the 15,000 sq. ft main home with seven bedrooms and 7 1/2 bathrooms.

BMW 6 Series Convertible Dilancarkan Di Malaysia

• 
  
• Share
• 
  
• Email
• Shar

BMW 6 Series Convertible telahpun dilancarkan di Malaysia akan dilancarkan pada 16 April 2011 ini dan berita ini telahpun diakui oleh BMW Malaysia sendiri.

Dengan rekabentuk badan yang lebih panjang, lebar dan lebih rendah dalam siri ke-6 BMW yang lain, BMW 6 Series Convertible terbaru ini masih lagi mengekalkan ciri-ciri klasiknya seperti “automatic multi-layer cloth roof” dan juga “driver-oriented cabin”, yang memberikan ruang pemanduan yang lebih besar dari sebelumnya.

Hanya terdapat satu variasi sahaja yang akan dilancarkan minggu hadapan iaitu BMW 640i yang dibekalkan dengan enjin 3.0 liter “Direct-Injection In Line” induksi paksaan turbo 6 silinder yang mampu memberikan sebanyak 324 hp kuasa kuda serta 450Nm kuasa tork. Dibekalkan juga dengan transmisi automatik 8 kelajuan serta penukaran gear “sport shifters”, kuasa kereta BMW 640i ini sememangnya buas.

Ciri-ciri pemanduan yang hebat juga dilengkap kepada kereta ini iaitu ‘Multi-mode Dynamic Driving Control’, manakala peralatan tambahan dalam BMW EfficientDynamic seperti electromechanical power steering, brake energy regeneration dan fungsi engine auto start-stop adalah standard.

Apa-apa pun, layankan gambar BMW 640i Convertible ini dibawah.

Taiwanese woman pays husband RM10K for sex

Kuala Lumpur, Apr 4 (ANI): A woman in Taiwan has revealed that she had to pay her husband about RM 10,000 to have sex with her.

According to the Nanyang Siang Pau, the woman, who is demanding a divorce from her husband, revealed to the municipal council in Taiwan that he had sex with her only three times in the last 10 years.

The woman, who brought along her 10-year-old daughter to the council, claimed that she paid to have sex with her husband on the third time, as she wanted to have a son.

"Not only does he not play his role as a husband, he also does not give us a monthly allowance. I have to support the family," the Star Online quoted the woman, who sells bean curd to support her family, as saying.

She said she wanted a divorce as she could not live with her husband anymore but he insisted she wait until their daughter turned 18.

"So I had to resort to this method to force him to divorce me," she added. (ANI)

Bintang sukan dedah rahsia rambut unik

TROY POLAMALU memiliki rambut yang unik.

---

PITTSBURG, Amerika Syarikat - Seorang pemain bola sepak Amerika, Troy Polamalu berusia 29 tahun mendedahkan rahsia rambut uniknya yang memiliki nilai insurans sebanyak AS$1 juta (RM3.02 juta), lapor sebuah akhbar semalam.

Menurutnya, dia mula menyimpan rambut unik itu semasa di zaman pembelajarannya di kolej dan ia kini menjadi sebahagian daripada identitinya.

Polamalu berkata, semasa musim sukan bola sepak, dia syampu rambutnya selang sehari.

"Namun, semasa musim sukan itu berakhir, saya hanya membasuh rambut saya sekali seminggu tetapi saya menggunakan perapi rambut pada setiap hari," katanya.

Menurutnya, dia mempunyai rambut yang lebih panjang daripada isterinya.

"Isteri saya tidak terlalu gembira dengan rambut ini," katanya. - Agensi

Jumping cow is udderly amazing

Horsing around ... the unlikely pair vault over a jump

A TEENAGER whose parents refused to buy her horse is over the moo-n — after teaching a cow to showjump.

Regina Mayer has spent hours training dairy animal Luna and can now ride her with equine ease.

Not only do the unusual pair regularly go on long rides through the German countryside, they also hurdle over makeshift jumps created with beer crates and painted logs.

Regina, who lives in Laufen, southern Germany, said of Luna: "She thinks she's a horse."

The pals started off with gentle walks after the animal was born on the Mayers' farm two years ago.

Stubborn ... Luna understands commands but doesn't always follow them

Gradually the brown-and-white beast became more accustomed to human contact and riding equipment.

And six months later, Regina was able to sit in her saddle for the first time.

Now, Luna understands commands such as 'go', 'stand' and 'gallop' — if she feels like it.

SHOWJUMPING bovine Luna trained by German teen Regina Mayer

Regina said of her first ride: "She was really well behaved and walked normally. But after a couple of metres she wanted me to get off. You could see that she got a bit peeved."

The 15-year-old, who rides Luna every day, added: "It's a lot of work, but I enjoy it. When she wants to do something she does it, when she doesn't, she doesn't.

"And she is often very headstrong but can also be really adorable."

Regina said Luna's stubborn streak meant teaching her pony tricks wasn't always easy.

But the persistent teenager took the bull by the horns and taught Luna to behave after seeking tips from a cow expert in Switzerland.

Celebrity Couples: Who Earns More?

Question: Beyonce and Jay-Z: Each of this husband-and-wife team is a music icon in their own right, but who out-earns the other?

Answer: Beyonce does.

According to Forbes, in 2010 Beyonce made $87 million from a combination of touring, endorsements and her clothing line, House of Dereon. Meanwhile, her husband, former Def Jam Recordings CEO and winner of 13 Grammy Awards, Jay-Z, earned $63 million from his newest album, Blueprint III and its subsequent tour, as well as from investments in the 40/40 Club, the New Jersey Nets and the Broadway show "Fela!"

Question: Tom Brady or Gisele Bundchen: Does football or professional modeling bring in the bigger bucks?

Answer: Tom does.

As the world's highest-paid supermodel, Bundchen earns about $25 million per year, which beat out her hubby's $3.5 million football paycheck for the past several years. But in 2010, Brady signed a new four-year deal, complete with a $16 million signing bonus, that will garner him about $36.5 million this season alone. While this is the first time he has surpassed Bundchen in income, she can look forward to being tackled monetarily for years to come as his salary is set to increase throughout the term of the contract. However, the NFL lockout at the end of this year may hit Brady in the wallet because if there are no games, there will be little-to-no pay.

Question: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt: Passionate about their children and human rights, the acting careers of this supercouple have catapulted them into A-list stars. But who do you think makes more?

Answer: They both are equal.

Believe it or not, according to Forbes in 2010 they each brought home a $20 million paycheck. Talk about equals.

Question: Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart: This dynamic duo of Edward and Bella from the "Twilight" movie saga has also earned the love of teens worldwide. So who has a bigger bite?

Answer: Kristen does.

According to Vanity Fair, even with his smoldering vampire eyes, Pattinson sank just below his love, drawing in $27.5 million to Stewart's $28.5 million. But for those taking sides in the Team Edward-Team Jacob plotline, Team Jacob takes a win overall -- even if he doesn't get Bella's heart -- as Taylor Lautner out-earned Pattinson and Stewart, grossing $33.5 million last year.

Question: Cameron Diaz and Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod): She's the actress with the legs that never stop and he's baseball's stud third baseman for the New York Yankees. Together they make a winning combination of looks and athleticism. When not feeding each other popcorn at the Super Bowl, who outruns the other in the paycheck department?

Answer: Alex does.

A-Rod is just a little outside with $33 million to Cameron's $32 million. Talk about a close call.

Rare 'Highland Tiger' spotted

Rare ... a fleeting glimpse of wild feline

This is no ordinary fluffy feline — it is one of the world's rarest mammals.

The elusive Scottish wildcat was caught on camera by the National Trust for Scotland.

The NTS set up special surveillance equipment in the grounds of Leith Hall estate in Aberdeenshire after a handful of people reported seeing the animal in the area.

And the stripy "Highland Tiger" was snapped less than a week after the cameras were installed.

There are currently less than 400 of the critically endangered animals living in the wild.

Endangered ... Scottish wildcats

Rob Dewar, a nature conservation adviser, said the moggy was spotted in early March.

He explained: "Leith Hall nestles below open moorland and plantation forests deep in the Aberdeenshire countryside and is a haven for wildlife.

"Sightings of Scottish wildcats had been reported on Craigfall Hill but was it really here? That is why we decided to set up the new wildlife surveillance cameras in the hope of catching the Highland Tiger on camera."

He added: "Today, the greatest threat to wildcats is through hybridisation with domestic or feral cats rather than habitat loss and persecution.

"The concern that we may lose the pure strain of Scottish wildcat has resulted in research across the Highlands to determine the numbers, distribution and genetic make-up of the cats.

"We are really pleased that, less than a week after the cameras were installed, we had a result. There are a number of features used to determine how wild the cat is, notably the size, markings and shape of the tail.

"It would appear that the Leith Hall wildcat shows particularly strong features and is indeed especially wild."

Conservationists at the NTS said further research will now be carried out in the area to find out more about the under threat animal.

Moment Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas wrecked £100k Merc in smash

Crunch time ... Cesc Fabregas with crumpled Merc

ARSENAL skipper Cesc Fabregas stands by his smashed £100,000 Mercedes after escaping unhurt from a crash on his way to training yesterday.

The Spaniard's black SL500 limped into a side road where the midfielder climbed out to make a call on his mobile.

Taken a battering up front ... Cesc Fabregas's sports car looks badly damaged

Fabregas, 23, had been driving 15 miles from his home in Hampstead, North London, to the Gunners' training ground at London Colney, near St Albans, Herts.

But he fell foul of a 50mph stretch of the A41 near Edgware, just before roadworks reduced three lanes to two.

Debrisgas ... pieces of Mercedes in street, left, while silent star Cesc Fabregas returns home by taxi

He appeared not to spot traffic slowing a-HEADER him, found it was too late to PASS and ended up SHOOTING straight into the back of an Audi A3.

Ace ... Cesc Fabregas
in action for Arsenal

Police said: "No one required hospital treatment and we are taking no further action." A witness added: "The Audi driver was in his late 20s and realised who had crashed into him.

"Cesc was in a red tracksuit top and trainers, pacing up and down with his phone. He didn't look hurt, just a bit shook up."

World Cup winner Fabregas got a lift the rest of the way while his car was carted off by a tow truck. He returned home by taxi, refusing to speak.

Perhaps coming to a shuddering halt reminded him too much of a certain team's season...

Netscape Billionaire Refits $100 Million Superyacht

At 295 feet, Netscape billionaire Jim Clark's Royal Huisman yacht Athena is the second largest sailing superyacth in the world. Just behind Barry Diller's 305-ft. Eos and just ahead of the famed Maltese Falcon at 289 feet, the stunning Athena is a sight to behold wherever she sets sail.

Now Clark, who's said to have paid under $100 million for the craft back in 2004, is having her refit in New Zealand – the largest such project ever carried out in the country – at a cost of tens of million of dollars including many high-tech additions.

Upgrades are reportedly being carried out at the behest of Clark's much, much younger new wife, former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue model Christy Hinze. He's 67, she's 31. We had dinner with the Aussie stunner once and found her charming.

Hinze apparently wants to freshen up the somewhat stodgy, old-guy interior done up in dark wood and hotel suite-type furniture. The yacht's deckplan features an open air lounge, media center, formal dining salon, library, main salon with wet bar and an alfresco dining area.

The Athena can currently accommodate ten guests in five cabins, with the lower deck comprised of a full-width master cabin with a Jacuzzi, study and walk-in wardrobe. Hinze will want to enlarge that, no doubt.

Tiada perjanjian praperkahwinan pengasas majalah Playboy

HUGH HEFNER dan kekasihnya, Crystal Harris

---

LOS ANGELES - Pengasas majalah Playboy, Hugh Hefner yang memiliki kekayaan bernilai AS$80 juta (RM242.08 juta) enggan membuat perjanjian praperkahwinan dengan bakal isterinya yang merupakan bekas model majalah bogel tersebut, Crystal Harris, lapor sebuah akhbar semalam.

Hefner yang berusia 84 tahun difahamkan tidak mengambil peduli nasihat orang lain tentang perancangannya untuk mendirikan rumah tangga dengan Harris.

Dia tetap berpendirian bahawa wanita berusia 24 tahun itu menyayangi dirinya tanpa memandang soal harta atau kemewahan.

Pasangan itu bakal melangsungkan perkahwinan pada 18 Jun depan selepas Hefner melamar Harris pada Krismas lalu.

Hefner menghantar komen di laman Twitter beberapa bulan lalu yang berbunyi: "Selepas saya memberi Harris cincin, dia terus menangis. Ini merupakan hujung minggu paling gembira dalam memori saya."

Ketika status perjanjian praperkahwinan mereka tetap diperkatakan, perkahwinan pasangan itu terus menjadi kontroversi.

Bekas teman wanita Hefner, Kendra Wilkinson berkata kepada E!: "Saya belum membuat keputusan untuk datang pada majlis itu atau sebaliknya. Saya tidak bergurau. Saya sebaliknya marah apabila mendengar tentang perkahwinan mereka."

Wilkinson bagaimanapun bertuah selepas Hefner membenarkannya menggunakan rumah agam miliknya untuk majlis perkahwinan bersama bintang bola sepak Amerika, Hank Baskett pada tahun 2009.

Seorang lagi bekas kekasih Hefner, Holly Madison pula lebih kecewa dan melepaskan kemarahannya kepada Harris.

"Dia (Harris) memiliki karakter misteri. Saya telah lihat ramai wanita yang cuba mengenali rapat dengan Hefner. Ada setengah daripada mereka yang bermotif jahat.

"Ramai kenalan yang mengucapkan tahniah kepada Hefner menerusi Twitter. Tetapi, saya ingin berada di sana bagi menyaksikan perkahwinan mereka," jelasnya.- Agensi