Dick Costolo’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

Dick Costolo net worth: Dick Costolo is an American businessman who has a net worth of $300 million dollars. Dick Costolo was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, and graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Computer and Communication Sciences in the mid-80s. He became heavily involved in improvisational theater while in college, and subsequently moved to Chicago to focus on a career in improv comedy. He then returned to his technology roots, working for Anderson Consulting for eight years, and then launching his own technology company, Burning Door Networked Media. After selling Burning Door to Digital Knowledge Assets in 1996, he founded SpyOnIt. He sold the company four years later. He subsequently co-founded FeedBurner, which was bought up by Google. He worked for Google for a few years, and then became the COO of Twitter in 2009. He became CEO of Twitter in 2010, and in 2011, he was appointed to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee.
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Jeff Bezos’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

What is Jeff Bezos’ net worth?Jeff Bezos is an American philanthropist, businessman and space explorer who is probably best-known for creating Amazon.com. Jeff Bezos is the founder, chief executive officer, president and chairman of the board of Amazon.com. He first surpassed Bill Gates in terms of wealth in July 2017. He was the richest person in the world without interruption between October 2017 and January 2021.As of this writing Jeff Bezos has a net worth of $127 billion.According to the company’s most recent SEC filing, Jeff owns 55 million shares of Amazon, roughly 12% of the total shares outstanding. At his peak he owned 80 million shares of Amazon. As part of his April 2019 divorce settlement with MacKenzie Bezos, Jeff transferred 19.7 million shares to his ex-wife. The value of the shares at the time of the transfer was $36 billion. The settlement temporarily reduced Jeff’s net worth from $150 billion to $114 billion. Jeff was also an early pre-IPO investor in Google.com and owns at least $1 billion shares in what is now known as Alphabet Inc.For much of the 2000s, Jeff was not even in the top 10 or top 20 of the wealthiest people on the planet. Amazon stock began to sky rocket in late 2014. In July 2015, Jeff’s net worth was $50 billion. In under two years, his net worth (and the stock) had doubled. On July 27, 2017, Bezos took over Bill Gates as the richest person on the planet. In September 2018, Amazon’s market cap topped $1 trillion. This was prior to his divorce so he still owned 80 million shares. At that valuation, Jeff’s net worth topped an then-all-time high of $170 billion.Key FactsQuit his job in finance in 1994 to launch an online bookstoreWrote the Amazon business plan in the car as he drove across countryNet worth topped $12b the day Amazon went public in 1998Net worth sank to $2 billion after the dotcom bubble burstNet worth topped $50b for the first time in 2015Net worth topped $100b for the first time in 2018Owns $1b worth of Google thanks to a pre-ipo investmentWas worth $136b the day he and wife MacKenzie announced their separationMacKenzie received 20m shares of Amazon and is now the richest woman in the worldHad they never divorced, Jeff’s net worth would easily top $250bOwns The Washington PostOwns $300m worth of property in Beverly HillsOwns $60m worth of property in WashingtonHas sold at least $70b worth of Amazon shares to dateSells $1b per year to fund space company Blue OriginNet worth hits $211 billion in July 2021? Compare Jeff Bezos’ Net WorthWas Jeff Bezos Ever the Richest Person of All Time?When comparing Jeff’s peak net worth of $200 billion to our list of the richest people of all time after adjusting for inflation, Jeff is not even in the top 10. Using the $200 billion number, that would be the 11th largest fortune ever accumulated by a single human (counting inflation). For comparison, when oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller died, he was worth an inflation-adjusted $340 billion.Could Jeff Bezos Become a Trillionaire?Anything is possible! But it seems like an extremely lofty goal if he’s just relying on his Amazon shares to get trillionaire status. As the owner of 12% of Amazon’s shares, Jeff is essentially worth $120 billion (on paper) for every $1 trillion market cap milestone. So, in other words, for Jeff to become a billionaire based exclusively on his Amazon shares, the company’s market cap would need to top $8.3 trillion.Early LifeJeff Bezos was born on January 12, 1964 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His mother was a 17 year old high school student when she gave birth to Jeff. His father owned a bike shop. His mother eventually divorced Jeff’s birth father. When he was 4 she married a Cuban immigrant named Miguel Bezos. Soon after the wedding, Miguel adopted Jeff and Jeff’s last name was legally changed from Jorgenson to Bezos. The family moved to Houston where Mike got a job as an engineer for Exxon. They were also closer to his mother’s parents who had a cattle ranch south of San Antonio. His maternal grandmother Mattie Louise Gise was first cousins to country singer George Strait.While growing up in Texas, Bezos used his parents’ garage as a laboratory for his science projects. He would also spend summers working at his grandparent’s ranch. Jeff would later claim to have learned his work ethic during his summers at the ranch. He would also later purchase the ranch and expand it from 25,000 to 300,000 acres.The family moved to Miami, around the time Jeff was entering high school. While in high school, Jeff worked as a short order cook at McDonald’s. He was high school valedictorian and a National Merit Scholar. In his valedictorian speech, he mentioned a dream that people of the earth would eventually colonize space.He attended Princeton University with a plan to study physics, but his love of computers shifted his studies. He eventually graduated summa cum laude with a 4.2 GPA, Phi Beta Kappa. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and electrical engineering.Upon graduating from college, Jeff went to work for a financial technology firm called Fitel. He then transitioned to the banking industry when he landed a product management job at Bankers Trust. In 1990 he was hired as a financial analyst for D. E. Shaw & Co., a hedge fund that had recently been launched with the idea that mathematical modeling could predict big market gains.Jeff worked at D.E. Shaw until 1994, by which point he had risen to the company’s fourth senior vice president. He was 30 years old.AmazonA year earlier, Jeff became fascinated with the nascent world wide web. He wanted to sell something online and he landed on selling books. Bezos created Amazon’s business plan during a cross country drive from New York to Seattle. He officially founded the company in 1994, setting up the original business in his garage. Other AccomplishmentsIn 2008, Bezos received an honorary doctorate in Science and Technology from Carnegie Mellon University, and in 1999 Bezos was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year. In 2000, Bezos founded Blue Origin, a human spaceflight startup company, partially as a result of his fascination with space travel. Blue Origin includes an early interest in developing space hotels, amusement parks, colonies and small cities for 2 million or 3 million people orbiting the Earth. The company was kept secret for a few years until it became publicly known in 2006 after purchasing a sizable aggregation of land in west Texas for a launch and test facility. In 2013, Bezos was discussing commercial spaceflight opportunities and strategies with Richard Branson, multibillionaire founder of Virgin Group – during that year he also purchased The Washington Post.Real Estate And AssetsIn 2007 Jeff and MacKenzie paid $24.5 million for a mansion on 2 prime acres in Beverly Hills, California. In 2018 they paid $12.9 million for the home next door. MacKenzie received this now-combined two-home property as part of their 2019 divorce settlement. In August 2022 MacKenzie announced that she had donated the properties to a charity called the California Community Foundation. At the time of the donation the combined compound was worth an estimated $55 million.On February 12, 2020, it was revealed that Jeff had paid $255 million for two properties in Beverly Hills. The first property, known as the Jack L. Warner estate, cost $165 million. The estate covers 10 lush acres in the heart of Beverly Hills and features a 13,600 square-foot main house. The seller was entertainment mogul David Geffen who bought the property in 1990 for $47.5 million.The second property Bezos was reported to have bought in February 2020 was a 120-acre vacant hilltop called Enchanted Hill. The seller was the estate of late Microsoft founder Paul Allen, who purchased the land in 1997 for $20 million. Though mostly overrun with weeds, the property does have a 1.5 mile driveway and manicured bluff at its peak. A month after the purchase was reported, the deal actually fell through. So Jeff’s total February 2020 real estate spree was the $165 million Jack L. Warner estate.Other real estate assets: $23 million mansion in Washington D.C., acquired in 2018. A former museum comprised of two buildings that measure 27,000 square feet of living space 300,000 acres in Texas including multiple ranches 100,000 additional acres in various parts of the country Three units in 25 Central Park West in Manhattan $10 million 5-acre property in Medina, Washington, acquired in 1999 $50 million mansion next door to his property in Medina, acquired in 2005Net Worth Details And HistoryIn the 20 years since Amazon went public, Bezos has sold at least $70 billion worth of his shares. He sells roughly $1 billion worth of shares every year as part of a planned stock sale arrangement.The day Amazon went public, Amazon’s market cap was $300 million. Jeff owned 40% of the company at the time, giving him a net worth of $120 million (on paper, pre-tax). With a year he was worth $1 billion. At the peak of the dotcom bubble Jeff’s net worth topped $10 billion. After the bubble burst, Amazon’s stock price sank to an all-time low of $5 per share in October of 2001. At that point, Jeff’s net worth sank to $1-2 billion.If you had been smart enough to take $10,000 and buy shares of Amazon in October of 2001, today you would have more than $15 million before counting any dividends.Net Worth MilestonesMay 1997 – $120 million on the company’s IPO date.June 1998 – $1 billion for the first timeJune 1999 – $10 billionJuly 2015 – $50 billionJanuary 2018 – $100 billionJuly 2018 – $150 billionSeptember 2018 – $170 billionJanuary 2019 – Jeff announces he is divorcing his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie. Clearly the outcome of this divorce will have an enormous impact on Jeff’s $150 billion net worth.April 4, 2019 – Jeff and MacKenzie announced that they had reached an amicable resolution of their divorce where she will be given $36 billion worth of Amazon stock. Jeff will retain 75% of his former stake and will have voting control over MacKenzie’s shares. She will not have any ownership in The Washington Post or Jeff’s space company Blue Origin. It’s unclear how the couple decided to split their various homes and jets. Jeff’s net worth immediately following the announcement became $114 billion.March 9, 2020 – $111 billionJuly 1, 2020 – $172 billionJuly 9, 2020 – $190 billionAugust 26, 2020 – $202 billionIf you’re keeping track, it took Jeff just three years to become a billionaire after launching in 1995. It took him 20 years to make $50 billion, but then only 2.5 years to make his second $50 billion, for a total of $100 billion. And then it only took 7 months to make his third $50 billion, for a total of $150 billion. And then he lost $36 billion in an instant with the stroke of a pen.Jeff Bezos Net Worth Over TimeJune 1997$150 millionJune 1998$1 billionJune 1999$10 billionMarch 2000$6 billionDecember 2000$2 billionSeptember 2001$1.5 billionSeptember 2003$2.5 billionSeptember 2004$5.1 billionSeptember 2005$4.1 billionSeptember 2006$4.3 billionSeptember 2007$8.7 billionSeptember 2008$8.2 billionSeptember 2009$6.8 billionSeptember 2010$12.6 billionSeptember 2011$18 billionDecember 2012$23.2 billionOctober 2013$29 billionDecember 2014$30.5 billionJuly 2015$50 billionOctober 2016$45 billionDecember 2017$73 billionJuly 2018$150 billionSeptember 2018$170 billionApril 2019$114 billionJuly 2020$190 billionJuly 2021$213 billionMay 2022$130 billion
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Kurt Rappaport’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

What Is Kurt Rappaport’s Net Worth?Kurt Rappaport is an American real estate businessman, investor, and entrepreneur who has a net worth of $350 million. Kurt Rappaport earned his fortune as the co-founder and CEO of the Beverly Hills-based real estate brokerage Westside Estate Agency. Kurt has represented celebrity clients such as Ellen DeGeneres, Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Ryan Seacrest, and Larry Ellison.? Compare Kurt Rappaport’s Net WorthEarly LifeKurt Rappaport was born Kurt Fleming Rappaport on January 26, 1971, in Los Angeles, California. His father, Floyd A. Rappaport (who passed away in 2010), was an entertainment lawyer who represented celebrities such as Steve McQueen and Peter Lawford. Kurt worked part-time in real estate while attending the University of Southern California, and after graduation, he worked at Fred Sands Estates, Merrill Lynch Realty, and Stephen Shapiro and Associates.Westside Estate AgencyIn 1999, Rappaport and Stephen Shapiro co-founded Westside Estate Agency in Beverly Hills, and after they opened a Malibu location in 2006, they booked over $1 billion in sales. The “Los Angeles Times” stated that Rappaport and Shapiro were the top two agents in L.A. County.Westside Estate Agency has more than 100 full-time agents, added a third office in Miami, and had over $3 billion in sales annually.Kurt represented billionaire Larry Ellison, who purchased 30 properties in Malibu worth more than $600 million.Rappaport invests in technology, and he is a partner in an online digital network. According to the Westside Estate Agency website, Kurt’s development company specializes in “the development of ultra-high-end luxury property with architectural or historical significance.” Rappaport was also a co-executive producer on the 2018 film “London Fields,” which starred Cara Delevingne, Theo James, and Amber Heard. In 2006, he appeared on the VH1 series “The Fabulous Life Presents: Really Rich Real Estate,” a spin-off of “The Fabulous Life Of…” that was about “the cutthroat Los Angeles real estate market through the eyes of high-end Westside Estate Agency.”Personal LifeKurt has three children, Jake, Luke, and Julia, with his ex-wife Juliette MacArthur, the daughter of actor James MacArthur. In 2017, Rappaport married Canadian model Sarah Mutch at his Malibu mansion, and he filed for divorce in 2019. In 2020, he paid $3.7 million for an ultra-rare Honus Wagner baseball card. There are fewer than 60 Honus Wagners in existence, and Kurt’s is considered in the top five in terms of quality. It’s the second-highest amount of money paid for a baseball card. Rappaport is a board member of the Larry King Cardiac Foundation.AwardsIn 2016, Rappaport was honored with The Friar’s Club Icon Award, and in 2018, he received Major League Baseball’s Dave Winfield Humanitarian Award. Every year from 2016 to 2021, the “Los Angeles Business Journal” named Kurt one of the “500 Most Influential People In Los Angeles.”Personal Real EstateFor many years, Kurt owned a 22,000 square foot mansion set on six aces in Malibu. The house features the longest private pool in California, at 168 feet. In August 2018, he sold this property to Canadian billionaire Daryl Katz for $85 million. At the time, this was one of the 10 biggest sales in L.A. history.In 2008, Rappaport sold his own home to actor Tom Cruise for $30.5 million. He previously sold a different mansion in Beverly Hills for $16 million. According to real estate records, Kurt purchased a Malibu mansion for  $7.7 million in 2015, and that year he also paid $35 million for a mansion in Bel Air.
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Frank Gehry’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

What is Frank Gehry’s Net Worth?Frank Gehry is a Canadian-American architect who has a net worth of $100 million. Many of Gehry’s buildings have become world-renowned tourist attractions, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California. The 2010 World Architecture Survey found Gehry’s works being some of the most important in contemporary architecture in the world, and in the same year Vanity Fair named Frank “the most important architect of our age”.Some of Gehry’s most well-known works include the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Span, the MIT Ray and Maria Stata Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Vontz Center for Molecular Studies at the University of Cincinnati, the Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington, the New World center in Miami Beach, Florida, the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Vitra Design Museum and the museum MARTa Herford in Germany, the Dancing House in Prague, the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, 8 Spruce Street in New York City, and the Cinematheque francaise in Paris. He is the designer of the National Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in Washington DC. Gehry has won an AIA Gold Medal, National Medal of Arts, Order of Canada, Pritzker Prize, and Praemium Imperiale.? Compare Frank Gehry’s Net WorthEarly LifeGehry was born on February 28, 1929 in Toronto, Canada. His parents were Sadie Thelma and Irving Goldberg, both Jewish though his mother was Polish and his father born into a Russian family. As a child, Gehry spent a lot of time with his grandparents who encouraged his creativity and interest in building structures and imaginary cities out of scraps of wood and other materials from his grandfather’s hardware store. He also enjoyed drawing with his father and his mother also encouraged his interest in art.In 1947, Gehry’s family moved to the United States and settled in California. Gehry began studying at Los Angeles City College and then enrolled at the University of Southern California’s School of Architecture. He graduated with his Bachelor of Architecture in 1954. However, he did not begin working in the field immediately as he first served in the United States Army.CareerIn 1957, when Gehry was 28, he was given the chance to design his first private residence with a former classmate. The resulting “David Cabin” features some of the marks of what would later become synonymous with Gehry’s work and style, including protruding and exposed beams. In 1961, Gehry moved to Paris where he worked for architect Andre Remondet. The next year, he established a practice in Los Angeles which eventually became Frank Gehry and Associates in 1967.Some of Gehry’s earliest commissions were in and around Southern California. He designed Santa Monica Place in 1980 and a number of residential buildings, like the Norton House in Venice in 1984. His own residence in Santa Monica, which was originally build in 1920 but then purchased and redesigned by Gehry in 1977, has become one of his most notable designs. It features a metallic exterior that wraps around the original building.Throughout the 1980s, Gehry completed a number of notable projects like the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, the California Aerospace Museum, and the California Museum of Science and Industry. He was recognized for his work when he received the 1989 Pritzker Architecture Prize. He continued designing highly-celebrated structures throughout the 1990s, including the Chiat/Day Building in Venice and also began receiving commissions to build things in Europe. He completed the Cinematheque Francaise in Paris in 1994 and the Dancing House in Prague in 1996. He catapulted to a new level of international acclaim in 1997 when he designed the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Bilbao, Spain. A number of critics and commentators have praised the building as being one of the most impressive and aesthetically pleasing designs of the 20th century.Gehry’s career continued rising into the 21st century. He designed a number of concert halls for classical music including the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. He also designed the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago and the New World Center in Miami Beach. Other projects during the mid to late-2000s include the Peter B. Lewis Library at Princeton University, the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Washington, and the Beekman Tower in New York, which was Gehry’s first skyscraper. He also has been a point person on the multi-decade renovation of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.Other major international works include the Dr. Chau Chak Wing Building at the University of Technology Sydney and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. In 2014, two museums designed by Gehry opened: the Biomuseo in Panama City, Panama and the Foundation Louis Vuitton in Paris, France. In 2020, the LUMA Arles museum in Arles, France.Gehry has received a number of honorary doctorates throughout his life and career. Some of the institutions who have bestowed this honor upon him include the University of Toronto, Harvard University, Yale University, the City College of New York, Princeton University, Juilliard School, and the University of Oxford, among others. He also has received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, the Order of Charlemagne, the J. Paul Getty Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and has been inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.The impact that Gehry’s work and designs has had on the world of modern architecture cannot be overstated. He is even credited with helping some cities spark a revitalization – notably Bilbao, Spain. Following the opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the city and region experienced a large boost in economic growth. Some critics have referred to this effect as the “Bilbao effect.”Gehry has also does some design work in other fields. He has made a line of furniture and also collaborated with Tiffany & Co. to create a line of jewelry. He also was selected by French fashion house Louis Vuitton in 2014 to design a piece using their iconic monogram pattern.Personal LifeIn 1952, Gehry married Anita Snyder. The couple divorced in 1966. He then married Berta Isabel Aguilera in 1975. Gehry has four children. Having grown up in Canada, Gehry remains an avid ice hockey fan. In 2004, he designed the trophy for the World Cup of Hockey. He is also a member of the California Yacht Club in Marina Del Rey and enjoys sailing on his fiberglass-hulled yacht.
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Jho Low’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

What is Jho Low’s Net Worth?Jho Low is a Malaysian fugitive criminal businessman who has a net worth of $150 million. Jho Low is wanted in connection with the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal. He is alleged to have been the mastermind behind a global scheme involving the systematic embezzlement of $4.5 billion from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. Claiming his innocence, Low has contended that he is being targeted by Malaysian authorities due to his support of former Prime Minister Najib Razak, himself convicted as part of the 1MDB scandal.As of this writing, he is a fugitive wanted by Malaysian authorities for his connection with the 1MDB scandal. He is believed to be hiding out in rural China. Soon after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School, he managed to convince the Prime Minister of Malaysia to launch a sovereign wealth fund that Low would control. The resulting 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal ultimately ended with Jho Low being charged with money laundering and diverting more than $4.5 billion with other conspirators.Jho Low diverted the 1MDB money to finance an incredibly lavish lifestyle for himself and Prime Minster Najib Razak. Low acquired a lavish portfolio of real estate that included mansions all over the world, a private jet and a $250 million yacht. Along the way he funneled money to help keep Prime Minister Razak in power and his wife Rosmah stocked with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of clothes and jewelry.Jho also used the stolen money to maintain friendships with many major entertainment super stars including Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beatz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx and Miranda Kerr. He actually dated Miranda Kerr and famously gave her tens of millions of dollars worth of jewelry which she ultimately was forced to return.Through his friendship with DiCaprio Jho Low financed the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Much of the film’s profits were ultimately seized by the government of Malaysia.? Compare Jho Low’s Net WorthEarly Life and EducationJho Low was born on November 4, 1981 in George Town, Malaysia to an affluent Malaysian Chinese family. He is the youngest of three siblings. Low was educated at Chung Ling High School and the International School of Penang (Uplands) in Malaysia, and then at the prestigious Harrow School in London, England. At the latter institution, he hobnobbed with many students from elite families. Following his time in London, Low moved to the United States to attend the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.Career Beginnings in BusinessIn the US, Low began managing funds for his family and friends. He also established an investment group through which he made a number of lucrative deals. By 2010, Low had consolidated his fortune into the company Jynwel Capital. As the steward of the company, he developed close relationships with some of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth funds, including the Kuwait Investment Authority and the UAE’s Mubadala. Through his company Jynwel, Low has been involved in such major transactions as the $660 million purchase of New York City’s Park Lane Hotel and the $2.2 billion takeover of Coastal Energy.1Malaysia Development Berhad Scandal Low is most notorious for his involvement with the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad. In 2015, a leaked document revealed that former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak had funneled more than $700 million from the company into his personal bank accounts, with Low being the alleged mastermind behind the scheme. Low helped to embezzle the money and move it internationally through a number of shell companies and offshore bank accounts. Later, the US Department of Justice calculated that over $4.5 billion had been diverted from 1MDB, and that the money had been used to purchase a host of luxury items and properties. Low also invested $100 million of the funds in the production of Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated film “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Moreover, it was found that attempts were made for the embezzled money to be used for political donations and lobbying in the US.The 1MDB scandal caused an uproar in Malaysia, prompting protests from the public and a purge of dissidents from the Malaysian government. On the international stage, at least six countries opened investigations into financial and criminal activity connected to 1MDB. In the US, rapper Pras and former Goldman Sachs chairman Tim Leissner were among those charged for their involvement in the scandal. Later, following the election of new Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in 2018, former Prime Minister Najib Razak was charged and convicted for his role in the scandal and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.FugitiveIn 2018, Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamad issued warrants for Low’s arrest. Claiming his innocence and contending that Mohamad and the authorities are after him for political reasons, Low became an international fugitive. He is believed to be living in China, where he remains involved with some of his companies; he also has been reported to have Cypriot citizenship. Meanwhile, a federal criminal case against him is ongoing in the US. In 2021, Low was charged for running a back-channel campaign to get Trump’s administration to drop its investigation of his involvement in the 1MDB scandal.Personal LifeBefore becoming a fugitive, Low was in romantic relationships with Taiwanese singer-songwriter and actress Elva Hsiao and Victoria’s Secret model Miranda Kerr. He also had associations with such celebrities as Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Paris Hilton, Alicia Keys, and Busta Rhymes, many of whom he gave lavish gifts funded by embezzled 1MDB money. In 2017, Low’s ex-girlfriend Kerr gave the US government $8 million in jewelry she had been gifted by Low. Other celebrities have surrendered their gifts as well, including DiCaprio, who gave back paintings by Picasso and Basquiat.
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Robert L. Johnson’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

What is Robert L. Johnson’s Net Worth?Robert L. Johnson is an American businessman, executive and investor who has a net worth of $650 million. Robert L. Johnson is best known for co-founding the cable channel BET with his wife Sheila Johnson in 1980. He also founded the asset management firm RLJ Companies, and was majority owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats from 2002 to 2010. Johnson is notable for being the first African-American billionaire, a status he achieved in 2001 upon the sale of BET to Viacom.He launched Black Entertainment Television (BET) in 1980. BET was the first major TV network aimed towards African-Americans. In 1991 BET became the first black-controlled company that was listed on the NYSE. BET was acquired by Viacom in 2000 for $3 billion. Johnson moved on from the company in 2006. He went on to found the RLJ Companies which is a holding company with a very diverse portfolio.In 2002 he purchased the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats, becoming the first African-American majority owner of a major American sports team. He sold his majority stake in 2010 to Michael Jordan.? Compare Robert L. Johnson’s Net WorthRobert and Sheila Johnson Divorce SettlementRobert and Sheila Johnson were married from 1969-2002. When they divorced, Robert paid Sheila $400 million. That’s enough to be one of 10 most expensive divorce settlements of all time.Early Life and EducationRobert L. Johnson was born on April 8, 1946 in Hickory, Mississippi as the ninth of ten children of farmer Archie and schoolteacher Edna. When he was a kid, he moved with his family to Freeport, Illinois. As a young adult, Johnson went to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, from which he graduated in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in social studies. He subsequently attended Princeton University as a graduate student, earning a master’s degree in public affairs in 1972.Career BeginningsFollowing his graduation from Princeton, Johnson entered the television industry as the public affairs director for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He also served as the director of communications for the Washington, DC office of the civil rights organization National Urban League. Johnson went on to become a press secretary to Congressman Walter E. Fauntroy. He later returned to the television industry to become the vice president of government relations at the National Cable and Television Association.BETAfter stepping down from the NCTA in 1979, Johnson launched the cable television channel BET in 1980. The first cable channel aimed exclusively at African-Americans, it originally aired for only two hours on Friday nights. Eventually, in 1983, BET became its own full-fledged independent channel. Two years after that, it turned a profit for the first time. When BET went public in 1991, it became the first black-controlled company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The channel expanded considerably over the subsequent years, launching digital cable networks and, in a joint venture with Starz, a multiplex service. In 2001, media conglomerate Viacom purchased BET for $3 billion, erasing its status as a black-owned business. However, from the sale, Johnson became the first African-American billionaire in history. He remained in his position as CEO of BET until 2006.RLJ CompaniesIn 2002, a year after becoming a billionaire, Johnson founded the asset management firm RLJ Companies in Bethesda, Maryland. The company’s portfolio contains a wide range of assets, such as hotel real estate, private equity, insurance services, car dealerships, and sports and entertainment brands. Beyond its Bethesda headquarters, RLJ Companies has additional offices in Little Rock, Arkansas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Los Angeles, California; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Monrovia, Liberia.NBA Team OwnershipJohnson ventured into professional sports team ownership in late 2002 when a group he led was awarded majority ownership of the NBA’s newly named Charlotte Bobcats. In the process, he became the first majority African-American owner of any major professional sports team in the US since the Negro leagues. Notably, hip hop artist Nelly became a co-owner. In 2010, following the Bobcats’ first-ever winning season, Johnson sold his majority stake in the team to Michael Jordan.Other Business VenturesAmong his many other business ventures, Johnson founded Axiom Bank in Maitland, Florida. He has also sat on numerous boards of directors, including those of KB Home; Think Finance; Lowe’s Companies; the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture; Hilton Hotels; and General Mills. Meanwhile, back in the television world, Johnson founded his own video-on-demand streaming service in 2014 called Urban Movie Channel. Operated by AMC Networks, it was created to offer original films and television series aimed at African-American audiences. In early 2021, the channel was renamed Allblk.PhilanthropyAs a philanthropist, Johnson partnered with actor Morgan Freeman in 2011 to raise funds for hurricane preparedness in the Bahamas. The following year, he released a neckwear line to benefit the charity Malaria No More. Johnson’s other philanthropic endeavors include the Liberia Enterprise Development Fund, which he founded to support entrepreneurs in Liberia.Personal LifeIn 1969, Johnson wed his wife Sheila Johnson, with whom he co-founded BET. Together, they had two children, and divorced in 2002. Sheila Johnson went on to found Salamander Hospitality, which has a portfolio containing resorts and golf clubs. She also became involved in sports team ownership, with stakes in the NHL’s Washington Capitals, the NBA’s Washington Wizards, and the WNBA’s Washington Mystics.In 2010, Johnson began a relationship with student Lauren Wooden, who’s 33 years his junior. The pair got married in 2016 and divorced in 2020.
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Yevgeny Prigozhin’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

What is Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Net Worth?Yevgeny Prigozhin is a Russian oligarch who has a net worth of $1 billion. Yevgeny Prigozhin is known for his close association with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He runs a network of companies that include the paramilitary organization Wagner Group and a number of companies accused of interfering in the US elections in 2016 and 2018. Integrally tied to Russia’s Ministry of Defence and the GRU, Prigozhin’s operations have drawn sanctions internationally and criminal charges from the US.? Compare Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Net WorthEarly Life and Prison TimeYevgeny Prigozhin was born on June 1, 1961 in what was then Leningrad, Russian SFSR in the Soviet Union. As a youth, he went to an athletics boarding school where he participated in cross-country skiing. Following his time there, Prigozhin became involved in crime, including theft and fraud; he was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 1981. Ultimately, he served nine years of his sentence.Restaurants and CasinosFollowing his release from prison in 1990, Prigozhin opened a network of hog dog joints with his stepfather that became hugely lucrative. He also started investing, taking a 15% share in a Contrast grocery store chain franchise. Prigozhin went on to expand his operations to the entertainment hospitality industry, co-founding the first casinos in St. Petersburg. In 1995, he founded Concord Management and Consulting, which owns and operates Concord Catering and a number of restaurants. That same year, Prigozhin and Contrast director Kiril Ziminov opened the restaurant Old Customs House. Two years after that, the pair opened a floating restaurant called New Island, inspired by the waterfront restaurants in Paris. There, Prigozhin personally served food to such political leaders as Vladimir Putin and Jacques Chirac; he also hosted George W. Bush in 2002. In 2003, Prigozhin parted ways with his business partners and established his own independent restaurants. Moreover, he became Putin’s close confidante and chef.Wagner GroupSince 2014, Prigozhin has been a leader of the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization that serves as Putin’s de facto private army. Its contractors have reportedly taken part in numerous conflicts around the world, including in civil wars in Libya, Syria, Mali, and the Central African Republic, where they have fought on the sides of forces allied with the Russian government. Operatives of Wagner have been widely accused of war crimes, such as robbery, rape, and torture. In 2022, the group was tied to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where members were alleged to have been ordered to assassinate Ukrainian leaders. Although Prigozhin denied his involvement with Wagner for many years, he finally conceded to founding the group in September of 2022.Over the years, Prigozhin and the Wagner Group have been heavily involved in business and political endeavors in Africa, especially in the Central African Republic and Madagascar. In the former country, his associated company Lobaye Invest has mined for gold, diamonds, and various other minerals.Internet Research AgencyReportedly, Prigozhin has been a financer and director of the Internet Research Agency, a Russian online propaganda organization accused of interfering in the 2016 US presidential election and 2018 midterms. Prigozhin has also been involved with two other companies alleged to have worked to undermine political events in the US and abroad.Sanctions and Criminal ChargesPrigozhin and his companies have been the subjects of numerous sanctions and charges. In 2017, Concord Management and Consulting was sanctioned by the US in connection to the war in Eastern Ukraine. Other companies owned by Prigozhin that have been sanctioned include Evro Polis, Beratex Group, Autolex Transport, and Linburg Industries, many of which were sanctioned in response to interference in the 2016 US election. Meanwhile, the Internet Research Agency and some other companies were indicted by a US grand jury in early 2018, and Prigozhin was charged with funding and orchestrating operations to undermine the US electoral process.In early 2021, Prigozhin was added to the FBI’s wanted list; the following year, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, his assets and the assets of his family were frozen.Personal LifePrigozhin is married to Lyubov Valentinovna, a pharmacist who owns a network of boutique stores in St. Petersburg called the Chocolate Museum. She also runs the luxury day spa Crystal Spa & Lounge, the boutique hotel Crystal Spa & Residence, and the company New Technologies SPA. Prigozhin and Valentinovna have a daughter named Polina. They live on a compound in St. Petersburg with a helicopter pad and a basketball court. Prigozhin also owns a private jet and a 115-foot yacht.
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