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SOLAR IMPULSE 2 SAFELY LANDS IN HAWAII AFTER COMPLETING A DARING FIVE-DAY, 4,000 MILE FLIGHT FROM JAPAN TO HAWAII

 

Solar Impulse 2 has successfully landed in Hawaii after completing its audacious five-day journey across the Pacific Ocean.

The mission, which has been dogged by recent delays, touched down safely at Kalaeloa Airport just before 5pm BST (6am local time) with André Borschberg in the cockpit.

He had endured more than 100 hours alone in the plane with minimal sleep during the flight - smashing the record for the longest solo flight in aviation history.

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Coming in for a landing, Solar Impulse 2, powered by the sun's rays and piloted by Andre Borschberg, approaches Kalaeloa Airport near Honolulu after a 120-hour voyage from Nagoya, Japan.

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Swiss pilot André Borschberg has successfully landed in Hawaii (pictured). He spent more than 100 hours alone in the single-seater plane, smashing the record for the longest solo flight in aviation history. The journey from Nagoya, Japan had been severely delayed.

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Solar Impulse 2 began its multi-leg 22,000-mile (35,400km) round-the-world trip on 9 March this year, taking off from Abu Dhabi and landing safely in Oman 12 hours and 250 miles (400km) later after its first leg. Shown here is the path it has taken around the world so far, and its planned upcoming route.

The landing brings to an end the first of two five-day flights made by the plane as it attempts to circumnavigate the world powered by nothing other than the sun.

The next lengthy five-day stint - over the Atlantic - will be flown by Swiss co-pilot Betrand Piccard.

Solar Impulse tweeted, after the successful landing:

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Next up will be a four-day flight to Phoenix, Arizona, followed by a crossing of the US, the trip across the Atlantic, a journey over Europe or Africa and finally a return to Abu Dhabi, where the mission began on 9 March 2015.

Mr Borschberg left Nagoya, Japan at 7.23pm BST last Sunday (3.03 am local time on Monday) after a month of delays.

The plane had originally been intended to fly straight from China to Hawaii, but worsening weather on the way meant Mr Borschberg had to abort and land in Japan.

Bad weather had also kept the plane grounded in China for several weeks longer than intended.

Mr Piccard told MailOnline previously that the crossing of the Atlantic needed to be completed before 6 August, or there would not be enough light for the flight to occur.

If it cannot be completed by then, the journey will have to be postponed until spring next year.

This Vine video shows the Solar Impulse 2 landing in Hawaii (Click Image To View) 

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This was the second attempt at crossing the Pacific after the the first, a month ago, had to be aborted due to bad weather. The map above shows the actual route taken by the solar-powered aircraft as it flew to Hawaii in yellow and the planned route as a dotted white line.

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Before landing in Hawaii, Mr Borschberg (pictured) had to deal with a minor battery problem, and also had to fly the plane over a sizeable weather front.

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Pictured on the right of the image above, Prince Albert of Monaco applauds the safe landing of the plane at the Mission Control Centre.

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The plane is pictured here above Hawaii about an hour before the successful landing. Next up will be a four-day flight to Phoenix, Arizona, followed by a crossing of the US, the trip across the Atlantic, a journey over Europe or Africa and finally a return to Abu Dhabi, where the mission began on 9 March 2015.

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Swiss co-pilot Bertrand Piccard, pictured here, stayed in constant contact with Mr Borschberg from the control centre in Monaco throughout the flight.

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Mr Borschberg left Nagoya, Japan (pictured) at 7.23pm BST last Sunday (3.03am local time on Monday) on the five-day trek across the Pacific Ocean.

The plane, covered in 17,000 photovoltaic solar cells, has a top speed of just 50mph (80km/h), and can support only one pilot at a time. 

For this reason, the pilots are taking alternating turns to fly legs between countries.

The goal of the project is also to show the possibilities of renewable energy such as solar power.

Bertrand Piccard said on Twitter.

"This flight to Hawaii is not only an aviation historic first, but also a historic first for energy and cleantechs." 

The journey across the Pacific broke the previous record for the longest solo flight by two days.

This had previously been 76 hours, set by American Steve Fossett in 2006, when he circumnavigated the world in a jet, travelling 26,389 miles (42,468km).

Mr. Piccard said.  

"Can you imagine that a solar powered airplane without fuel can now fly longer than a jet plane,   This is a clear message that clean technologies can achieve impossible goals." 

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Use the following interactive tool to explore various features of the plane.

Solar Impulse Si2 by Solar Impulse on Sketchfab

Before landing in Hawaii, Mr Borschberg had to deal with a minor battery problem, and also had to fly the plane over a sizeable weather front.

Mr. Borschberg said from his cockpit, where he also tweets regularly.  

"The first 24 hours were very technical, but the second day was really getting me into the mission.  It took me a while to create a relationship of trust with the airplane, which allows me to rest and eventually sleep by periods of 20 minutes with the autopilot."

The short periods of rest, known as catnaps, are all Mr Borschberg was afforded.

He added.  

"The experience of flight is so intense that I can only focus on the present moment and discover how to deal with my own energy and mindset,"

After landing, Mr Piccard is to be tasked with the next leg, the four-day crossing to Phoenix, Arizona.

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Swiss pilot André Borschberg (shown in the cockpit of Solar Impulse 2) was in the air for more than 100 hours. This is a new record for the longest solo flight in aviation history.

COMMENTARY:   In 1986, Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager completed the first nonstop, non-refueled flight around the world in 9 days, 3 minutes and 44 seconds aboard Voyager.  I thought that flight was pretty exciting, but Rutan and Yeager took turns piloting the Burt Rutan-designed, single-purpose Voyager plane while the other slept.  

The planned round-the-world flight of the Solar Inpulse 2 has been a record breaking and historic mission that if completed successfully, will demonstrate what solar power technology can accomplish.  The Solar Inpulse is just about halfway through its journey to circumnavigate the globe.  Let's hope the pilots can do it.   

Courtesy of an article dated July 3, 2015 appearing in the Daily Mail

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VIDEO OF THE THREE BASE JUMPERS WHO JUMPED OFF OF 1 WORLD TRADE CENTER, SURRENDER TO N.Y. POLICE

Last September three daredevils (or crazy people, depending who you ask) jumped off 1 World Trade Center, 1,368 feet up in the air. All three turned themselves into authorities Monday, and this incredible footage of the long leap, shot from a helmet cam, was released for the first time. For those of you with a fear of heights, you might want to skip this one.

 

COMMENTARY:    Wow, that's one hell of a jump, and at night too.  That makes it even more dangerous than jumping during the day.  Makes you wonder how they were able to get into the construction area of the new building, then get up to the room of the building. 

• The trio have been identified as Marco Markovich, Andrew Rossig and James Brady - and their look-out was allegedly Kyle Hartwell
  
• Police believe the thrill-seekers climbed through the same hole in a fence to get to the top of the skyscrapper that a New Jersey teen, Justin Casquej, did last week

Courtesy of an article dated March 24, 2014 appearing in Digg

CHICAGO'S ADRIAN SMITH + GORDON GILL DESIGNS WORLD'S TALLEST SKYSCRAPER FOR THE SAUDI'S

The design, by Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, pairs radical developments in skyscraper technology with a sleek, tapered aesthetic inspired by the folded fronts of young desert plant growth.

Saudi Arabia is set to shatter the record for the tallest building in the world, with a slender, asymmetrical spire that'll rise at least 3,280 feet in the air. That's more than twice the size of the Willis Tower, the tallest building in the United States, and 568 feet taller than the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

The $1.2 billion Kingdom Tower will be built in north Jeddah, the major urban center of western Saudi and an historic gateway to Mecca just off the shores of the Red Sea. The building, by Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (Smith also designed the Burj Khalifa while at SOM), pairs new developments in skyscraper technology with a sleek, “three-petal” form inspired by the folded fronts of young desert plant growth. “The way the fronds sprout upward from the ground as a single form, then start separating from each other at the top, is an analogy of new growth fused with technology,” Gill says.

The tower’s got a slick, aerodynamic shape with tapering wings that’ll help slash structural loading caused by wind. A high-performance facade is expected to drastically reduce energy consumption, and notches in each of the skyscraper’s three “petals” will create pockets of shade, shielding occupants from the harsh desert sun and providing outdoor terraces with views of Jeddah and the Red Sea. Kingdom Tower will include a Four Seasons hotel and apartments, luxury condominiums, and Class A offices spread over roughly 3.5-million square feet. It'll also have a sky terrace on the 157th floor (the 157th floor!) and the highest observatory in the world.

Kingdom Tower is the linchpin of a larger, $20 billion waterfront development venture for Jeddah -- part of the Saudi monarchy’s ambitious efforts to diversify its economy beyond crude oil. (Financing for the Kingdom Tower results from a deal between the investment firm of Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and the Saudi Binladin Group, a construction conglomerate founded by the father of Osama Bin Laden.) The proposed Kingdom Tower Waterfront District -- the master plan of which is also designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill -- will include residential and commercial buildings, a shopping mall, outdoor spaces, and other amenities.

Additional photos:

 

Kingdom Tower, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

View more documents from turk5555.

COMMENTARY:  The Kingdom Tower, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is one outrageous, incredible and ridiculously tall skyscraper.  That's where the almighty near-worthless U.S. dollar goes after we pay the Saudi's for their light sweet crude oil.  (8/3/11)

Courtesy of an article dated August 1, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design

 

JOIN NO-FIN FREEDIVING CHAMPION WILLIAM TRUBRIDGE'S CRUSADE TO SAVE THE MAUI'S AND HECTOR'S DOLPHINS FROM EXTINCTION

No-fin freediving world champion is seen here playing with two dolphins

Fifteen times freediving world record holder William Trubridge calls for better protection of the world’s rarest marine dolphin.

William Trubridge is a New Zealander and feels a special connection with  Hector’s  and Maui’s  dolphins, which live nowhere else.  He says. 

“Hector's Dolphins are the world's smallest and most endangered dolphin. One of its two subspecies, the Maui's Dolphin, has a population of less than 80.”

 

William joined forces with German conservation group NABU International Foundation for Nature and the New Zealand Whale and Dolphin Trust in their campaign to stop the dolphins’ extinction.

“Hector’s and Maui’s dolphin numbers have been dwindling towards extinction for more than 30 years, mostly due to the deadly gill nets and trawlers that operate in their territory. Instead of defending this beautiful species, the current government has caved in to the fishing industry and further reduced their protection.”

Hector's blue dolphins inhabit the coastal waters off of New Zealand and are an endangered species. Let's help save this beautiful sea mammal from extinction (Click Image To Enlarge)

To launch his new role as worldwide Hector’s and Maui’s dolphin ambassador Mr Trubridge recorded a unique under water video message at his winter training ground in the Bahamas. Facing the camera without breathing equipment, he urges everyone to do their bit to save this troubled species by signing a petition to the New Zealand government and by joining the Facebook group Hector’s and Maui’s Dolphin SOS.  William also asks people not to buy fish caught using nets that harm the species, and to think twice about visiting New Zealand until the government acts to protect them.

“We don't have long to fix this.  Saving this species is a race against time.  Commercial and recreational gill nets and trawling must be banned in the dolphins' range for any water shallower than 100 meters.  Otherwise Maui's and Hector's Dolphins will be the first species of marine cetacean (dolphins & whales) to become extinct due to human causes.  We can't afford to lose a single one”.

Maui's dolphins are the rarest dolphins in the world.  They inhabit the waters off of the island of Maui in Hawaii. They now number less than 80 and are on the verge of extinction. (Click Image To Enlarge)

William was the first human to reach a depth of 100m without the use of fins, rope, weight, or any other form of assistance. It was the 15^th time that he broke a world record. Another dive to 121m earned him the world record in Free Immersion (line-assisted freediving).  Even the dolphins can’t follow him that deep. William’s other breathtaking accolades include his nomination as New Zealand athlete of the year in 2011, winner of 2010 and 2011 World Absolute Freediver, an annual prize for freedivers with the highest combined score across six disciplines,  and being the highest ranked athlete at the Team's World Champs in 2010.

NABU International’s Head of Endangered Species Conservation, Dr Barbara Maas says.

“NABU International is delighted about William’s support.  We hope that the backing of this world-class athlete, with his genuine affinity for the sea and the dolphins, will inspire people around the world to call for their protection”.

COMMENTARY:    William Trubridge is without any doubt one of the greatest athletes in the world that competes in the most dangerous sports that many people don't know.  You will find William Truebridge's Facebook page HERE.   You can also find him on Twitter @WilTrubridge.

The above video is a plea to all people everywhere to help save these incredible, graceful and beautiful sea creatures.  The Hector and Maui dolphins are on the verge of extinction. We must not let this happen for the sake of future generations.   

William Trubridge is not only a no-fin free diving world champion, but a great person, very active conservationist and environmentalist trying his best to help save endangered sea life around the world.  You can read more about William Trubridge in my blog post of August 9, 2011.  If you saw the film The Big Blue, Wil is the real deal.

I hope you will join me in signing the by signing a petition to the New Zealand government and by joining the Facebook group Hector’s and Maui’s Dolphin SOS. 

Courtesy of a press release dated March 8, 2012 by William Trubridg and Vertical Blue

HOW FATHOM'S INFORMATION-VISUALIZATION TECHNOLOGY CAPTURES THE WORLD'S 7 BILLION PEOPLE IN BRILLIANT 'DENCITY' MAPS

In Fathom's latest visualization, bigger graphical elements mean fewer people. Wait, what?

In the visual syntax of infographics and maps, bigger equals... well, bigger. Large dots on a map or bars in a chart correspond to a proportionally large quantity of stuff being visualized--like, for instance, the number of people living in a certain geographic area. But its new visualization of world population density called "Dencity," Fathom turns this basic graphic language on its head. What if bigger dots on a map signified fewer people, sparsely scattered? As it turns out, this counterintuitive approach makes brilliant sense.

Fathom, the information-visualization firm cofounded by Processing inventor Ben Fry, created "Dencity" in response to a somewhat ambivalent milestone:  the world's population surpassing 7 billion souls. What does this look like, really? Well, it looks like a #$*&load of people squished into a relatively few urbanized patches of earth, and a whole lot fewer people spread thinly over everywhere else. Density, as the infographic's title rightly implies, is the real story here--not absolute quantity.

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In that light, Fathom's choice to represent larger quantities (the aforementioned #$*&load of people) with smaller graphical elements (smaller, brighter circles on the map) ingeniously captures the narrative of "what seven billion looks like." In densely populated parts of the world, every person has less space--just like each of those small dots takes up less room. But by being packed tighter, they're also brighter--literally (the light-colored small dots visually jump out of the map, just like glowing cities do in a satellite photograph). The smaller graphics also invite you to zoom in on those dense areas to really get a good look at what's going on. After all, it makes sense to look at human activity in Beijing on a scale of meters, not hundreds of kilometers.

Conversely, huge patches of barely settled land--like Saharan Africa, northern Asia, and the Australian interior--don't need that kind of detail to tell the same story. A zoomed-out perspective of darker-hued, larger dots (signifying the correspondingly less dense population) does just fine. And they recede into the background of Fathom's map, just like the real human presence in those parts of the world does in comparison to denser areas.

This reversed graphic language makes Fathom's map visually rich--the information-carrying graphic elements fill up the entire map, instead of clustering in pockets surrounded by neutral negative space. But it's also narratively richer, as well. Glancing at the entire map at once tells a different story than peering closely at one of those densely packed yellow and orange clusters. No wonder Fathom is selling "Dencity" as a gorgeous poster:  This is an infographic you won't get bored of looking at on your wall anytime soon.

China. The largest city in the world is Beijing, with 17.8 million people. China is home to six of the twenty most populous cities in the world, more than any other country.

India and Pakistan. Delhi and Karachi are the second and third most populous cities in the world. The two countries are almost uniformly dense until they hit geographic boundaries such as the Himalayas to the north, or political boundaries such as Afghanistan to the west.

New York City. The East Coast is the most densely populated region of the United States, but New York City is the only American city to rank in the top twenty of the world's most populous cities. It's one of only three in the western hemisphere on the list.

COMMENTARY:    India and China are just one gigantic blob of yellow, signifying their massive populations.   Very interesting visualization technology to show how things look in a very eye-pening way.

Courtesy of an article dated November 29, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design

WORLD RECORD GIANT PUMPKIN FOR 2011, WEIGHS 1,810.5 POUNDS, BREAKS PREVIOUS 2009 RECORD OF 1,725 POUNDS

Breaking the world record pumpkin weight has become an annual event. So, it's no surprise to learn that the record was indeed broken again this year. What is a surprise, was the weight, a record smashing 1810.5 pounds!

Chris Stevens of New Richmond, Wi. brought his 1810.5 pound pumpkin, to the Stillwater Harvest fest in Stillwater, Minnesota, on October 9, 2010.

The 2009 world record breaker was Christy Harp with a 1,725 pound pumpkin. The new world record beat it by a whopping 85 pounds!

After a one year respite, the annual event of breaking the world record weight for giant pumpkins was renewed.

Christy Harp brought a 1,725 pound pumpkin to the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers  (OVGPG) Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off on Saturday, October 3, 2009.

Cristy's new world record pumpkin, beat the previous record of 1689 pounds in 2007, held by Joe Jutras from North Scituate, Rhode Island.

COMMENTARY:   That's what I call a fucking huge pumpkin.

Courtesy of an article appearing in PumpkinNook

WILLIAM TRUBRIDGE, WORLD NO-FIN FREE DIVING CHAMPION, SETS RECORD DIVE OF 101 METERS OR 331 FEET WHILE HOLDING HIS BREATH

On the 13th December 2010, just before midday, using only his bare hands and feet, William Trubridge swam down 100 meters (328 feet) into the abyss of Dean's Blue Hole (Long Island, Bahamas) and back up to the surface on a single breath of air with a total dive time of 4 minutes and 10 seconds (photo ©Paolo Valenti)

"It was one of the hardest dives I've done, in less than perfect conditions, but the hectometer has officially fallen....It has been a long road to this magical depth, and I could not have done it without the support of an incredible team: deep divers Brian, Paul & Jason; safety freedivers Alfredo, Brian and Charlie; photographers Igor and Paolo; paramedic Tom; Nic, who traveled for 2 days from NZ to support me; and my loyal and loving wife and coach Brittany.Thank you also to the event sponsors Suunto and Orca - their support for myself and the sport of freediving has been incredible.

Thanks also to my other athlete sponsors Ex Drinks and Tenerife Top Training, and to Glorope for supplying the perfect freediving cord.

I have a relationship with the depths they beckon me beyond my means cold dark vacant pressure forever night, endless dreams"

Here's the YouTube video of that incredible free diving world record.  It's spiritual, transcendental and beautiful in its granduer, but yet painful to watch:

 

William Trubridge (born on May 24, 1980) is a world champion and world record holding  free-diver from New Zealand.

Trubridge currently holds the world record in the Constant Weight without fins discipline, and is the first human ever to break the 100m barrier unassisted. 

William Trubridge's Bio:

 

Born:   May 24, 1980

Nationality:  UK, New Zealand

Height:  185cm (6’)

Weight:  75kgs

Lungs:  8.1L

Education:   BSc (Physiology, Genetic

 Diving Training:  Apnea Academy Instructor

Languages:  Fluent English, Italian

William learnt to swim at the age of 18 months, and was freediving to 15m by the age of 8, however he did not begin serious training for the sport until 2003.  In 2004 he became the first non-Italian instructor at Umberto Pelizzari's prestigious Apnea Academy. Since then he has trained extensively with Pelizzari, and written the translations of 'Manual of Freediving' (Idelson & Gnocchi) and the Apnea Academy Instructors Manual.

William holds the world record in the discipline of Unassisted Constant Weight (no fins), and can dive to over 100 meters (330 feet) without the use of fins, rope, weight, or any other form of assistance. In 2010 he also broke the world record in the discipline Free Immersion, with 116m (380 feet). He currently trains in Tenerife, at Tenerife Top Training Center during the summer and Dean's Blue Hole in the winter.

William is the holder of the following deep diving World Records:

• 81 m (265.74 ft) Constant Weight without fins, 9 April 2007
• 82 m (269.02 ft) Constant Weight without fins, 11 April 2007
• 84 m (275.59 ft) Constant Weight without fins, 4 April 2008
• 107 m (351.04 ft) Free Immersion, 8 April 2008
• 86 m (282.15 ft) Constant Weight without fins, 10 April 2008
• 108 m (354.33 ft) Free Immersion, 11 April 2008
• 88 m (288.71 ft) Constant Weight without fins, 10 April 2009
• 90 m (295.27 ft) Constant Weight without fins, 3 December 2009
• 92 m (301.83 ft) Constant Weight without fins, 19 April 2009
• 116 m (380.57 ft) Free Immersion, 22 April 2010
• 95 m (311.67 ft) Constant Weight without fins, 26 April 2010
• 96 m (314.96 ft) Constant Weight without fins, 10 December 2010
• 100 m (328.08 ft) Constant Weight without fins, 14 December 2010
• 101 m (331.36 ft) Constant Weight without fins, 16 December 2010

William also held his breath in a STA (stationary breath hold) for an incredible 7 minutes 29 seconds.

So how is William Trubridge able to accomplish such incredible free diving feats?   Practice, lots of practice.  Mind over matter.  Just look at this video of him practicing his breathing:

 

William could not have performed these incredible free diving feats without Team Verticle Blue, a dedicated group of close friends and experienced divers.

Above (left to right):  Brian Pucella, Brittany Trubridge, William Trubridge, Alfredo Romo Hernandez, and Charlie Beede

Team Vertical Blue members includes:

• Mike Lott - Safety Freediver: Mike is an Apnea Academy Instructor and highly experienced safety freediver. He has trained extensively with Wiliam and assisted in almost all of his record attempts.
• Alfredo Romo Hernandez - Safety freediver:  Alfredo was a student in one of William's courses who went on to set several national record for Mexico. He now assists William in world record attemps as well as in VB courses.
•  Brittany Trubridge - Safety Freediver:  Brittany is vertical Blue's yoga instructor, and currently safetys William during his training in the Bahamas.
•  Charles Beede - Safety scuba diver: Charlie is a scuba diver, freediver and resident ofLong Island who often trains with William in the Blue Hole. 
•  Brian Pucella - Chief Safety Officer - Safety Freediver:  Brian assists as an organizer in the Vertical Blue events and has also assisted William in several World record attempts.  
• Michael Trousdell - Safety scuba diver: A PADI divemaster and close childhood friend of William, Mike works as an engineer in sustainable design in London.
• Brian Kakuk 

  - Chief Safety Scuba:

   A deep safety diver, a

  n ex-navy diver, Brian is 

  one of the topcave divers 

  in the world, having set 

  numerous records for 

  distance in cave systems 

  in the Bahamas.
• Paul Heinerth 

  - Deep safety diver: 

  Paul is a master cave diver 

  and instructor who lives in
  Tampa Florida, and dives in 

  Florida's mysterious springs
• Nic Rowan - Video & photography: A freelance photographer, and close childhood friend of William, Nic assists in surface video footage and photo-journalism.
• Igor Liberti - Photography: Most of the photos on the Vertical Blue site were taken by Igor Liberti, who photographs exclusivelywhilst holding his breath, and is an Apnea Academy Instructor

His website is www.verticalblue.net.  Trubridge is also sponsored by Suunto and Orca.

Though Trubridge's passion lies in the depth disciplines, he accumulated the highest total number of points for an individual at the 2010 Freediving Team's World Championships held in Okinawa, Japan.

On 18 January 2011, Trubridge won the World's Absolute Freediver Award (WAFA) naming him best all around freediver, with the highest combined score in six freediving disciplines: static apnea, dynamic apnea with fins, dynamic apnea without fins (pool disciplines), constant weight apnea with fins, constant weight without fins, and free immersion (depth disciplines).

Trubridge is an Apnea Academy instructor and he currently operates a freediving school and annual competition both called Vertical Blue at Dean's Blue Hole in Long Island, Bahamas from September-May. During the summer he teaches courses in Europe and trains at Tenerife Top Training Center.

COMMENTARY:  I had never heard of William Trubridge until now.  I am now a big fan.  It taks incredible skill and super-human ability to do what William does.  God speed.

You will find William Truebridge's Facebook page HERE.   You can also find him on Twitter.

As a side note, Dean's Blue Hole is the world's deepest known blue hole  with seawater. It plunges 202 metres (663 ft) in a bay west of Clarence Town on Long Island, Bahamas.  (8/9/11)

Courtesy of Wikipedia, Team Vertical Blue and Deeper Blue

 

 

TEN FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT THE WORLD'S RICHEST PEOPLE, U.S. NOW HAS 2.7 MILLIONAIRES AND THEY ARE GETTING RICHER

Where do millionaires live?

Where will the millionaires be in 2020?

What are they invested in?

All those questions are the focus of a fascinating study from Deloitte Center for Financial Services on the state of millionaires, and how things will change over the next decade.

If you're a banker looking for wealthy clients, it's a must read.

The total wealth of world millionaires will go from $92 trillion to $202 trillion in 10 years.

U.S. millionaires will be the wealthiest by 2020.

The U.S. will still have the most millionaires by 2020.

Among super-millionaires, China is already #2.

Switzerland and Singapore will have the highest number of millionaires.

And Swiss millionaires are the richest in the world.

Here's how millionaires invest.

U.S. millionaires are back to pre-crisis levels.

There are 496,000 U.S. households with over $30 million.

New Jersey is the most millionaire dense state in the U.S.

But what do millionaires buy?  Click HERE to find out.

COMMENTARY:   I am flabbergasted at the obscene amount of wealth concentrated in such few individuals and families.  With the amount of wealth that they have, these millionaires are able to effect political influence to benefit their financial interests.  And, if I may say so, they have done a great job. Just look athe Bush tax cuts. Extended by Obama in 2011, but there is now pressure to reverse them.  

Look, I am not against wealth, just extreme wealth, sitting in some bank account, in some country to avoid taxes, or invested in expensive cars, houses, superyachts, land and precious metals. These do very little to create jobs.  The 496,000 U.S. millionaires worth $30 million or more, are worth a combined $15 trillion.  If they just donated 10% of that wealth to charity, provide universal healthcare, improve our educational system, and help the poor, that would total $1.5 trillion.  

There are another 2.2 million U.S. households worth between $5 million and $30 million.  If we assume they average $10 million, then their total combined net worth is $22 trillion.  If they donated 10% of their wealth for needy causes, provide universal healthcare, improve our schools and help the poor, that would total $2.2 trillion.  

On a July 20, 2010 blog article, I commented about Forbes List of Billionaires for 2010, and where they live. You might find that blog post very interesting.   Forbes also published a list of the Top 10 Richest Billionaires for 2011 (se below).

There are six Facebook billionaires who made the Forbes list, including Zuck, Dustin Moskowitz, Sean Parker (founder of Napster), Peter Thiel (venture capitalist and original angel investor in Facebook), Yuri Milner (venture capitalist and founder of Blue Sky Technologies, a Russian venture capital firm), and Eduardo Savarin (Harvard classmate of Zuck and one of the original founders of Facebook).

Paul Ceglia, who says he invested $1,000 in Facebook, and the terms of that investment agreement entitle him to a 50% ownership interest in Facebook.  That could definitely change things.  DLA, a high-powered legal firm, is representing Mr. Ceglia, and think he has a valid claim.  I can hardly wait for the decision or out-of-court settlement.  

I don't want anyone to get the idea that I am against wealthy individuals, or that I am some kind of socialist, but the last time America had so much wealth concentrated in the hands of so few individuals, was during the period that led up to the 1929 stock market crash and Great Depression. Hell, I would like to be wealthy myself, that would solve a lot of financial problems, but my main reason would be to help others.  Just remember, when you come into this world you enter with nothing, and when you leave it, you leave everything behind. 

Courtesy of an article dated May 4, 2011 appearing by SAI Business Insider