Sandwriting

Billionaire sheikh carves his name in
desert so big it can be seen from SPACE

A big name in the desert ... Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan's handywork

A DESERT sheikh has carved out a big name for himself — by having his moniker etched in capital letters visible from space.

View from space ... mega-rich sheikh's name

Workmen scoured "HAMAD" into the sand on the orders of Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan.

The name is two miles across — with letters a kilometre high. It is so huge that the "H", the first "A" and part of the "M" have been made into waterways.

The mega-rich sheikh, 63 — a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi — in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates — boasts a £14billion fortune that is second only to the Saudi king's.

His fleet of more than 200 cars — including seven Mercedes 500 SELs painted in different colours of the rainbow — is housed in a custom-built pyramid.

His name is etched on to an island he owns called Al Futaisi.

£3bn golden yacht is world's most expensive

Jewel of the sea ... gold-plated yacht has been sold for £3billion

THIS gold-plated superyacht is said to be the most expensive on the planet — worth a staggering £3BILLION.

The British-designed vessel is adorned with 100 tons of gold — covering more than half its surface.

The 100ft craft, which has been billed as the world's most unique yacht, has sleeping quarters covered in platinum and a statue made from the bone of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Luxury ... dining room with surround views

The deck, dining areas, rails and anchor were also made from precious metals including platinum.

The History Supreme — designed by Liverpool jeweller Stuart Hughes — puts even Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's swanky yacht in the shade.

Plush ... bedroom on super yacht

The billionaire's 533ft Eclipse, which has its own missile defence system and escape submarine, is the world's biggest private yacht — but at £750million it is a snip compared to this creation.

Stuart, 40, who took three years to build the History Supreme for a Malaysian businessman, said: "It was probably the most mammoth task ever."

Precious ... stunning gold and platinum-covered deck of History Supreme

Stuart — who also made a £5million diamond-wrapped iPhone — added: "I've covered all sorts of things in gold but this has got to be my most ambitious project yet. This will never be topped.

"The businessman just approached us and asked us whether we could do it. He wanted a plane doing as well, but the thing would never take off if we did.

"So he said, 'Can you do the yacht?' and I said, 'We'll give it a crack.' Then it was pretty much a case of can you make this gold, can you make that gold?

"We just did what we were told and are delighted with the result."

The yacht was built in Italy and completed in Malaysia two weeks ago.

Kapal mewah Roman Abramovich untuk disewa

KAPAL layar Eclipse milik Roman Abramovich.

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LONDON - Sebuah kapal mewah milik kelab bola sepak Chelsea, Roman Abramovich sepanjang 162.45 meter kini ditawarkan untuk disewa pada harga £1.25 juta (RM6 juta) seminggu, lapor sebuah akhbar semalam.

Kapal itu disewa enam bulan selepas kapal tersebut yang berharga £300 juta (RM1.45 juta) dihantar kepadanya untuk digunakan.

Abramovich yang merupakan seorang bilionair Rusia dikatakan hanya menghabiskan masa selama beberapa jam di atas kapal berkenaan.

Kapal itu yang diberi nama Eclipse mempunyai 70 kakitangan, sistem pertahanan peluru berpandu dan tingkap kalis peluru.

Jika kapal itu diceroboh, penumpang boleh melarikan diri dengan menggunakan sebuah kapal selam yang terdapat pada kapal tersebut.

Kapal selama itu mampu menyelam pada kedalaman 45.72 meter.

Isian penuh minyak kapal itu melibatkan kos £400,000 (RM1.93 juta).

Abramovich yang memiliki tiga lagi kapal layar menempah Eclipse pada 2006.

Ia belayar buat kali pertama dari dermaga Blohm Voss, Hamburg, Jerman pada Jun 2009. - Agensi

Bingkai iPhone berbentuk makanan

iPHONE dihiasi dengan bingkai telur dan daging.

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TOKYO - Bingkai telefon iPhone kini berbentuk pelbagai jenis makanan seperti mi, telur, sushi dan coklat, lapor sebuah akhbar semalam.

Ia kini menjadi kegilaan terbaharu di Jepun.

Namun, terdapat sedikit masalah pada bingkai tersebut kerana ia menghalang lubang kamera pada telefon bimbit itu. - Agensi

London dibanjiri kereta mewah putih

TIGA buah kereta mewah, Maybach Xenatec (kiri), Ferrari 599 dan Bugatti Veyron diletakkan di Hotel Dorchester, London baru-baru ini.

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LONDON, Britain - Sekumpulan kasanova kaya dari Asia Barat tiba di pusat bandar di sini dengan menaiki puluhan kereta sport yang semuanya berwarna putih, lapor sebuah akhbar semalam.

Kumpulan jutawan berganda berkenaan singgah untuk menginap di sebuah hotel mewah, Hotel Dorchester, semasa mereka dalam perjalanan untuk menjelajah ke beberapa destinasi menarik di Eropah sempena percutian musim panas.

Antara kereta mewah yang dipandu mereka termasuk kereta sport Koenigsegg Agera R yang berharga £1 juta (RM4.8 juta), Bugatti Veyron berharga £1.2 juta (RM5.8 juta), Maybach Xenatec berharga £600 ribu (RM2.9 juta) dan tidak terkecuali, sebuah Ferarri 599 yang memiliki harga jualan £200 ribu (RM967,586) di Britain.

"Nampaknya putih menjadi warna trend pada tahun ini," kata seorang graduan kejuruteraan berusia 22 tahun yang berada di lokasi itu.

Ramai warga Arab kaya-raya memilih untuk melancong ke Eropah pada bulan ini untuk mengelakkan suhu ekstrem di negara-negara Asia Barat yang mengalami musim panas. - Agensi

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It’s a higher car

£150k flying motor to beat jams

Winging its way here ... car converts to 115mph plane in just 15 seconds

A CAR that can beat traffic jams by flying over them is poised to hit UK roads.

The motor boasts wings that fold out in 15 seconds - and has been declared street legal in the US.

Jam-buster ... the revolutionary Transition flying car

Twenty Brits have already contacted the American makers about buying one when they go on sale next year.

The £150,000 price of the wacky Terrafugia Transition is £85,000 less than a Rolls-Royce Phantom. Carl Dietrich, founder of the firm behind it, hailed his brainchild as the "first practical flying car".

Cockpit ... £150k motor's interior

Practical runabout ... wings folded for the open road

Practical ... motor's stats

He explained: "It can fold up its wings and drive on the road. It can gas up at a normal petrol station and park in a single-car garage. The Transition could bring a revolutionary new level of freedom to your world."

On the road the two-seater does 35 miles to the gallon and has a 65mph top speed. In the air it can reach 115mph, consuming five gallons an hour - giving it a 500-mile range. Drivers will need a pilot licence.

But the Civil Aviation Authority's Jonathan Nicholson reckons the cars could be a common sight here within five years thanks to the US giving approval. He said: "Safety standards are very similar between there and Europe."

Mansions of Powerful CEOs

In May 2011, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg bought a $7 million home in Palo Alto, Calif. He doesn’t move in for a few months, so the address remains a closely guarded secret until the current occupants move out. However, a few details have emerged -- the 5,000-square-foot home has five bedrooms, five bathrooms and a pool. It’s not quite on the same level as Bill Gates’ 50,050-square-foot Washington mansion, but it’s not a bad start for a man whose last few homes were rentals.

Zuckerberg’s new home is beyond the reach of the average person’s checkbook. However, it’s downright modest by the standards of some powerful American CEOs. Some of the biggest names in executive leadership live in extravagant mansions with 25 bathrooms, four-story guest homes and sweeping vistas of the Pacific Ocean, all visible from a garden dotted with flora grown by celebrity botanist David Bellamy.

Steve Jobs, Apple, Inc.
Estimated Price: $2.6 million
Location: Palo Alto, Calif.
Beds/Baths: 7 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom
Square feet: 5,678

Home belonging to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Photo: Bing Maps | Inset: Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

Like many tech giants, Apple CEO Steve Jobs lives in Northern California. When he’s not dreaming up the next generation of technological marvels, he relaxes in the 5,678-square-foot Palo Alto mansion that he calls home. Built in 1920, the single-family property is located on over half an acre of land, and has 7 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and one half bathroom.

Jobs was once the owner of a 17,000-square-foot mansion in Woodside, Calif. It was designed by architect George Washington Smith and built in 1925 for mining pioneer Daniel Jackling. In 2004, Jobs tried to have it demolished to make space for a new, contemporary home. After a dispute with local preservationists, the house was torn down in February 2011.

Bill Gates, Microsoft Corp. / Cascade Investment, LLC
Estimated Price: $122.4 million
Location: Medina, Wash.
Beds/Baths: 8 bedrooms, 25 bathrooms
Square feet: 50,050

Home belonging to former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. Photo: Google Maps | Inset: Sean Gallup | Getty Images

Microsoft founder Bill Gates is the richest man in America. He used to be the company’s CEO, but in 2000 he stepped down and handed the executive reins to Steve Ballmer. Don’t worry, though, Gates is still the software giant's chairman. He's also currently CEO of Cascade Investment, a holding company whose interests include Berkshire Hathaway, Coca-Cola and Microsoft.

Gates’ 50,050 square foot estate in Medina, Wash., has 8 bedrooms, 25 bathrooms and 6 kitchens. It also has a 1,000-square-foot dining room, a swimming pool that pipes in underwater music, and a domed library with concealed bookcases, according to Forbes magazine.

Michael Dell, Dell, Inc.
2010 Tax Assessor’s Value: $18.5 million
Location: Austin, Texas
Beds/Baths: 8 bedrooms, 8 full bathrooms, 13 half bathrooms
Square feet: 33,000

Home belonging to Dell Founder Michael Dell. Photo: Bing Maps | Inset: Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

Michael Dell is the CEO of his namesake company, Dell, Inc. The second-largest PC manufacturer in the world, it sits at number 41 on the Fortune 500 list, and according to The Austin American-Statesman, almost half of the revenue taken in by the city of Round Rock, Texas, comes from sales taxes generated by the company’s headquarters, which are located there.

Dell lives in a residence befitting a man who has brought so much revenue to his state. Built in 1997 at the height of the tech boom, his 33,000-square-foot Austin mansion is located on 20 acres of land, and in addition to its 8 bedrooms and 8 full bathrooms, it has 13 half bathrooms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and a conference room.

Evan Williams, Twitter, Inc.
Estimated Price: $2.4 million
Location: San Francisco
Beds/Baths: 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom
Square feet: 3,001

Home belonging to Twitter Founder Evan Williams. Photo: zillow.com | Inset: Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

Evan Williams is the founder and former CEO of Twitter, a social networking site that currently boasts well over 100 million users. He lives in the heart of San Francisco.

Williams recently relocated from a penthouse in the SoMa district to a property in the upscale Noe Valley neighborhood. The area is noted for its modern Victorian architecture, of which Williams’ home is a good example. The home, which Williams purchased for $2.4 million, occupies just over 3,000 square feet, and includes a yard and a guest house.

Hubert Guez, Ed Hardy
Price: $23.5 million
Location: Holmby Hills, Los Angeles
Beds/Baths: 7 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms
Square feet: 17,171

Home belonging to Ed Hardy CEO Hubert Guez. Photo: Bing Maps

When Michael Jackson died in June 2009, he was renting a 7-bedroom mansion for $100,000 a month. His landlord was Hubert Guez, better known as the CEO of the Ed Hardy brand, and even though Jackson was a mere tenant and not the homeowner, he was truly renting in style.

The mansion is located in Holmby Hills, an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood. It was built in 2002 and modeled after a French chateau. Guez bought it in 2004 for $18.5 million, and he originally listed it for $38 million. Despite the swimming pool, wine cellar, guest house and 12 working fireplaces, Guez simply couldn’t get a buyer at that price, and it was lowered to $28 million, and then $23.5 million. The listing remains active today.