Where the "Richest of the Rich" Go to Vacation

There are high-end resorts and playgrounds all over the world for those who are used to experiencing the best of the best on a daily basis -- and "billionaire" is the magic ticket in.

Where does Steven Spielberg go when he wants to get away and relax (and maybe pow-wow off-the-record with some of the other powerful people in the world)? The Hamptons of course, because it provides that luxuriously secluded feeling without any pesky long-distance travel. And Oprah Winfrey, who obviously doesn't mind serious plane time, prefers spending time in South Africa.

But, for the ultimate in privacy and escapism, some billionaires such as Richard Branson simply buy a private island all for themselves. Well, Richard actually has two islands...

The 20 Most Expensive Celebrity Weddings

How much would you spend on a wedding if money were no object? For most celebrities it isn't, and the result is wedding costs skyrocketing into the hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars. Forbes recently compiled a list of the 20 most expensive celebrity weddings, going back as far as 20 years. Whether paying for 50,000 exotic flowers or renting an entire island to escape the paparazzi, celebrities spare no expense when it comes to having exactly what they want. The top 5 spenders, in order, are:

Liza Minelli and David Gest: $3.5 million
Paul McCartney and Heather MIlls: $3 million
Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar: $2.5 million
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes: $2 million
Elizabeth Taylor and Larry Fortensky: $2 million
Others on the list of 20 include David and Victoria Beckham, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, and of course Donald Trump and Melania Knauss.

Sadly, 40% of the couples on the list are now divorced (including obviously Brad and Jennifer above), so feel free to check out this list of the most expensive celebrity divorces -- a few made both lists!

The World's Most Expensive Cruises

People who have money and taste are ever looking for different and more exotic ways to relax and entertain themselves, and the world of cruises is no exception. Trips to the Caribbean and the Bahamas are all but mainstream, so luxury cruises are moving towards smaller more personal ships and less common locations. And the world's most expensive luxury cruises are no exception, with popular locations ranging from the Baltic to Africa to Antarctica, and prices soaring upwards of $2,000 per person per day in some cases. Money like that will get you the best rooms, interesting adventure options (like kayaking in the Antarctic), upscale shore excursions with exclusive perks and privileges, and of course travel at the peak of the sometimes short seasons. Where do you want to go? I don't think I could decide!

Cape Yamu

Cape Yamu, Another Ambitious Project In Thailand

Another luxury project that bears the unique stamp of Philippe Starck is Cape Yamu on Phuket's East Coast in Thailand. The project includes both villa residences and a five-star boutique hotel, the Yamu. The project has some serious design clout, both Adrian Zecha of GHM Hotels and Aman Resorts and architect Jean-Michel Gathy are also involved. The Yamu will have 63 hotel rooms as well as a large swimming pool, spa and restaurants. There are also twelve villa estates and 15 club villas for sale. Just two estate lots are left for purchase. The style is Thai-modern, clean, spare and yet tropical. Starck adds his own touch of whimsy but seems to have gone for elegant over wacky in this particular design using a more muted color scheme. The Yuma complex includes a restaurant and five other "glass cubes" around the hotel grounds that are host to a wine room with a wine cave, a cigar lounge, a private kitchen, a chocolate room and a private boutique. There is also a play area with chess, a lounge and a bar. The Yamu is set to open in 2008.

The Macallen

No, that's not a misspelling of one of my favorite whiskeys, the mountain-like building shown here is The Macallen, a sloping new condo complex near the Broadway Red Line station in South Boston. The building's unique design helps it dominate the nearby railroad tracks on one side (and catch a view of the Boston skyline) while letting it fit in with the low-rise brick buildings on Dorchester Avenue on another side. The brick and bronze building is the work of architecture firm Office dA , a partnership of Nader Tehrani and Monica Ponce de Leon, one of whom teaches at Harvard, the other at MIT. This building is a series of dramatic angles offering a variety of differently shaped units. Standard condo amenities like a health club, a pool and indoor parking are included. The Macallen is also one of the greenest buildings in Boston and is expected to, according to the Boston Globe, achieve a gold LEEDS rating . The building is home to 150 condos ranging in price from $550,000 up to $2.1 million, with 30 units reserved for affordable housing.

Is It A Sin To Own A Ferrari?

Is it a sin to own a Ferrari?

It certainly seems like the Pope thinks so, at least according to a 'rules of the road' document issued by the Vatican that warns against using cars "as a means for outshining other people and arousing a feeling of envy." Ferrari doesn't seem too ruffled by this news, with the general manager addressing the issue with the response that most Ferrari owners buy the vehicles because they love to drive, not because they see it as a status symbol. And although I can't say I disagree with him (and I admit I do not and have not ever owned a Ferrari myself) I think it's fair to say that there's at least a little "status symbol" to be found in every Ferrari.

World's most expensive mobile number

World's most expensive mobile number is 666 6666

The world's most expensive phone number was auctioned for charity yesterday in Qatar.The number, 666 6666, sold for 10m Qatari riyals or £1.5m.The previous record holder was Chinese number 8888 8888, which sold for £270,000. The Cantonese word for eight sounds very similar to the word for rich. It was bought by Sichuan Airlines.

The previous record holder was Chinese number 8888 8888, which sold for £270,000. The Cantonese word for eight sounds very similar to the word for rich. It was bought by Sichuan Airlines.

The auction started at a million riyals and interest quickly narrowed from eight bidders to just two, according to Kuwaiti News Agency (KUNA).

The auction was organised by national telco Qtel, which has run two previous auctions and plans to run another in September. More details here. We tried phoning Qtel for more details, but they'd all gone home because it was 6pm...

Having seven sixes as your mobile number might seem devilish to some, but interpretations vary. A brief dip into the weird world of numerology shows 666 is seen as holy in Judaism because it represents six directions - up, down, north, south, east and west. Others equate it with the Arabic word "ellah" meaning God.

On a techy note, the first Apple Computer sold for $666.66, the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is w - so www. shows how evil the internet is. And finally, Viagra has a molecular weight of 666.7g/mol. More nuttiness here. ®