Charity? Nah!
Taste? Of course not!
Humility? No chance!
Puke. I hope to see the Indians torch this place one day, French-Revolution-style.
Inside The World's First Billion-Dollar Home
Forbes estimated Ambani's net worth at $43 billion in March. Reliance Industries was founded by Mukesh's father, Dhirubhai Ambani, in 1966, and is India's most valuable firm by market capitalization. The couple, who have three children, currently live in a 22-story Mumbai tower that the family has spent years remodeling to meet its needs.
Like many families with the means to do so, the Ambanis wanted to build a custom home. They consulted with architecture firms Perkins + Will and Hirsch Bedner Associates, the designers behind the Mandarin Oriental, based in Dallas and Los Angeles, respectively.
Plans were then drawn up for what will be the world's largest and most expensive home: a 27-story skyscraper in downtown Mumbai with a cost nearing $2 billion, says Thomas Johnson, director of marketing at Hirsch Bedner Associates. The architects and designers are creating as they go, altering floor plans, design elements and concepts as the building is constructed.
May 04, 2008
What do you do when you're the most tasteless and tactless person in the world? Why, you build yourself a $2 billion apartment of course
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65 comments:
truly sick....
That is the most god-awful ugliest building eva!
And Jeebus saith unto them: "Caste thy net to the other side..."
BTW, when do the huddled masses start over-running the compounds of the fabulously wealthy? Maybe the rich are better than everyone else, no-one seems to mind being oppressed anymore.
And the world used to call us the Ugly Americans who flaunted and spent like crazy.
My vote for the ugliest is the UAE with Dubai and it's planned palm shaped community.
Those Arabs want to desperately surpass America as the most materialistic, most outlandish poeple on the face of the earth.
Sad that it's all funded with our wasted oil consumption and slave labor from Pakistan.
That's pretty ugly.
Keefer are you jealous?
Life is abundant.
Some people allow themselves to be successful.
Its a good thing.
This family worked hard to be in good financial shape,
they owe nothing to nobody..
Mr. You're begining to sound like an FBer
Needs granite...
Happy 60th Birthday Israel!
Like a Rose amongst its thorns, so are you beautiful among your disgusting and despicable neighbors.
May all your enemies martyr themselves together in Cartyrs backyard!
....same as it always was.
Truly a system of unfair distribution of income/weatlh. It exists everywhere and it just differs by the severity only.
This is the system favored by capitalists. Most of the people who post here vote for this type of behavior, support it and seek to reward the world's wealthy with even more of the world's resources and wealth.
I do appreciate your little foray into the realm of class warfare, though, with this post.
KILL THE RICH. STERILIZE THEIR CHILDREN.
At least they're spending the money in their own country. Grats to the workers who will get a 2 year job out of the construction of the home.
A more pressing issue is what are the wages being payed to the workers and do the wages represent fair value to the cost of living.
Self-indulgent?
Nah...
Decadent?
Nope...
Megalomaniacal?
No-way...
You see they need a good, panoramic view of the mass of suffering humanity as they hump doggy style and exalt themselves like gods and goddesses above the suffering mass of humanity...
It's a great aprodesiac!
Many Indians are uber-materialists, draping themselves in gold while living among the most desolate and horrible poverty on earth. I guess they justify it to themselves by believing they earned it in previous lives. As for aesthetics, Indians do tend toward "gilding the lily", and then some.
Unamed and unidentified informamts reported that Dick Cheney was seen sneaking off to the local Kinkos in the middle of the night with an allegedly stolen copy of the house plans. Cheney allegedly offered the Kinkos attendant 'an extra fiver' to finish copying the voluminous plans within the hour...
Unconfirmed intelligence said the attendant, who was said to be a young Dubai native, who is said to be applying for a low-level servant job at a local Halliburton plant, was pleased that the person he spoke with, who was reported to be, but was unconfirmed, the soon-to-be former and disgraced oil man, Vice President and avid shotgun enthusiast actually signed the five dollar bill tip upon receipt of his allegedly illegally copied stolen house plans and remarked 'he had some pull' within the Halliburton organization alleging he would help the young Dubai man secure a menial servant position... The young man never saw or heard from him again.
Reliable but un named sources say Shotgun Dicks' house is said to be a scaled up 3 billion dollar version with its own cardiac hospital required due to Cheneys reported faulty and failing heart which is said to be damaged from years of alleged guilt over monstrous lies, deception and outright theft he perpetrated while in power in Washington.
Operatives close to the informanbts stated that, as a tribute to Cheneys former boss there will be a suite dedicated to the Bush Family in the new domicile. Its location is in the basement next to the trash dumpster...
Jenga anyone?
Gawd that is ugly ! The architects and designers are tasteless & tacky too.
With that kind of money can't the Mrs. get a decent haircut and dress that doesn't look like a dish rag? Kind of like Queen Elizabeth or ol' horse face Camilla, money can't always dress up a frumpy cow
Oh, and yeah, the 'house' is as tacky and in poor taste as an old Marriot hotel
You know that dude uses hookers
Party on, Wayne!!
Surface to air missles and RPGs would do the trick
Americans and Westerners ought to learn a few truths about India and Indians when doing business
- The elite in india use their wealth and power to consolidate and build even more wealth. Their goals are to hoard enough wealth for the next 10 generations,
- The Indians you see in the US and other Western countries are not the poor who escape India in search of better opportunities. The poorer you are, the more restrictions placed on you so that the elites and middle-class can continue to exploit labor. The naxalite movement in India is a response to this kind of situation ( I see a French revolution in India- the so-called democracy is actually a plutocracy for the elites)
- All Indians who are found working across the world do so with the intention of making more money and subtly proving that they are more successful than their relatives or neighbors . (" I have achieved more than you" syndrome) Some have even moved back to India these days because of the opportunity available to move faster up the chain.
- The poorer sections of Indian society may be mored in poverty, desperation and helplessness but they are amongst the most beautiful and kind people on earth.
- There are a lot of non governmental organizations in India doing good work to spread education among the illiterate and power but they are severely hampered in terms of ability because of lack of resources, interfering bureaucracy and aims that conflict with vested & powerful interests.
There are a lot more quirks on India that would absolutely appall people on this forum and I shall reveal them as we hear more such outrageousness for a land that is still dirt poor. The helpless in India are treated with contempt and a dismissive attitude that would break down the strongest and hardest of hearts.
It's an ugly building, but it's his money and he can do as he pleases. As long as he didn't steal it and he pays his taxes, what's the problem? His companies employ tens of thousands of people. Should we start criticizing you for buying $20 burgers and beers while there are people starving in Haiti? How about all the people buying $5 coffee drinks? Couldn't you make do with the $1 coffee from McDonald's and donate the other $4 each day to feed a hungry family in Somalia?
Next on "Flip this 2 Billion dollar House"
Oh I see,
The lazy ass ‘poor people’ are greater then those who are productive and successful.?
And what exactly is holding back the poor people in India from cleaning up their front yard and plant a veggie garden and some unique Indian spices and herbs?
If you don’t poop in your drinking water you’ll have less flies and mosquitoes.
Kudos, to those who add value to themselves and the world.
I personally would be very happy if I could afford my own luxury tower.
If this were another Arab sheiks palace I would agree and be grossed out as well, since they steal their peoples everything.
But a success story in India is actually a great thing.
If you think there will be French Revolution type happening in India forget it.
This Country has great patience to suffer due to their religion which teaches timidity and surrender to "fate" (for the poor only). Even the rich in this country will be fooled if they took pre-emptive actions expecting a revolution.
This Country will never face a revolution. It may still grow and progress with all these evils.
I fully endorse the free market capitalistic system, but. Yes, his company is a micro-economy in itself creating jobs, etc, and yes he deserves the wealth and benefits it generates. However, being a capitalist and being part of the human race do not have to be mutually exclusive.
What disgusts everyone, including other capitalists, is the obscene display of wealth. The flaunting of wealth causes an almost visceral, physiological wrench in one's gut...a feeling of being sick, because wealth is meant to provide security, and yes, the finer things in life - however, any country that permits the freedom to become a capitalist expects you, in an unwritten way, to use your achievements for the greater good. To realize that to win is not he who dies with the greatest number of toys, but he who makes the greatest positive impact on humanity and leaves the world perhaps slightly better than when he arrived.
So, when one sees billions of dollars spent in enriching oneself only and advertising it through a 20+ story apartment for the whole world to see, it appears as flaunting to the world that they are indeed that incredibly wealthy and they choose to spend it only on themselves. That although they "could" have a greater beneficial impact on humanity, they chose instead to use an incredibly large part of their wealth completely for their own gains.
Wield power and wealth for good purposes. Don't become martyrs or paupers, just quietly and humbly help the less fortunate. Buy the sports cars and a nice home, but feed the poor and bring warmth to the cold.
There is never a need to advertise how much you help the less fortunate, or how wealthy you are. Both are equally self-serving to one's ego. A power trip. Be wealthy. Make money. But be modest. Be humble. Be aware of how your actions will be interpreted by others.
As Google said, "Don't be evil."
Just because it's yours doesn't make it right to do whatever you want with it.
Anon 6:04, you are right to question the morality of a $5 coffee while your brother starves.
Noone works so hard that they have the right to kill someone, no matter how indirectly. We are just as guilty for our sins of omission as for our sins of commission.
There is still time to do what is right.
with all the poor around him, he does this? incredible waste. so much could be done to help his people (if they are his people). but instead he waste his money on extavagances like this. one would have to ask, just how this guy go to where he is?
Anonymous wings said...
Self-indulgent?
Nah...
Decadent?
Nope...
Megalomaniacal?
No-way...
You see they need a good, panoramic view of the mass of suffering humanity as they hump doggy style and exalt themselves like gods and goddesses above the suffering mass of humanity...
It's a great aprodesiac!
May 04, 2008 4:51 PM<<<
yeh what a geat view and when he or one of his imps walks outside they can smell the stench that is modern india....frankly, i think needs some cows and monkey's in that place to give it the real down home feel of india...
pretty in pink said...
Happy 60th Birthday Israel!
Like a Rose amongst its thorns, so are you beautiful among your disgusting and despicable neighbors.
May all your enemies martyr themselves together in Cartyrs backyard!
May 04, 2008 3:43 PM<<<
gee, they are 60 huh? imagine that. maybe one of these days we will not have to give them money and weapons every year. then we can spend our money on this country which is much more important than israel ever was.
Who are we to laugh? Our robber barrons built the castles in Newport and other great estates that were obscene. Many billionaires spend 5% of their net worth on homes/yachts/jets. Whats the big deal? At least they employ people, pay tax, create growth unlike credit card filled poor. Think big picture people
As Google said, "Don't be evil."
Real funny, from the guys who bought their own private Boeing 767 for personal use because they didn't want to sit next to filthy pigs like you. From the guys who are helping the Chinese government stamp out free speech through internet searches. From the guys who made tens of billions of dollars off their IPO while pretending to take a $1 yearly salary. From the company keeping and compiling every bit of data and website that ever came across your computer. Google is evil wearing a halo. Only sheep think that Google is any better than other companies out there.
Better looking and less expensive than the American embassy in the middle of Bagdad.
So the guy probably gathered all his needs into one building only (i.e., art collection, library, car collection, security and employees, etc). Meanwhile, Americans, Arabs, and other freaks have a zillion homes spread out with the same combined cost. Hell, Jerry Seinfeld even built a multimillion dollar parking lot in the middle of Manhattan just for his Porshe collection, in addition to his mansion in the Hamptons. Paul Allen from Microsoft has a superyatch with 2 helicopters on top and a submarine for 10 persons attached to it. The yatch alone costs $200 million. Oprah, always sooo concerned about Africans and Obama, is always renting entire islands in the Caribbean for $50k per day, or flying her pooch alone by private jet.
RE: Happy 60th Birthday Israel!
Like a Rose amongst its thorns, so are you beautiful among your disgusting and despicable neighbors.
great job! I couldna had said it better myself. WE LOVE YOU ISRAEL
::And Jeebus saith unto them::
that is a downright hateful statement.
Funny how the poor is always strong enough and never asks for my opinion or permission to breed like flies. The same thing with Obama's base. It's always someone else's fault, even when the ho's CHOOSE to be a factory of losers, popping 5 babies by 19. Pick up the trash and maintain their own neighborhoods gotta be done by someone else too, because they're too special or victims. God forbid if they grow a fruit garden to eat...Nope, gotta be done by the middle-class or by the rich. Obama wants your money to make the breeders even stronger for their factory of losers. And Bitter Renter wants a socialist regime so he and his friends can be dancing shirtless around the jacuzzi all day, with their cut-out denim shorts, listening to House Music, while the rest of us work to pay their socialist welfare.
No wonder Warren Buffet, the second richest in the world, is endorsing Hillary Clinton. Here we have a billionaire who has lived in the same simple home all his life, just traded his 10-year old Cadillac for another. Meanwhile, Oprah, the billionaire who loves to wear $10k handbags, diamonds, limo drivers, fly her little dog by himself in private jets, pay $30k per night to sleep in a hotel bed, is pushing Obama. Who would you better listen to, Oprah or Warren Buffet? I rest my case.
Unbelievably tacky, that building looks like hell. Such a grand display of wealth is so sickening and so childish. When will people learn?
Buffet hasn't endorsed Clinton or Obama and likes them both
Nice try fox news
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2007/05/09/warren-buffett-praises-clinton-obama/
Tax that shit Texas style at 3% per year and problem solved.
Higher property taxes would solve most of the problems in US and other countries. That guy would do something useful with his money if he had to pay 60 million a year for property taxes.
Who would you better listen to, Oprah or Warren Buffet?
Neither, because they are both filthy rich and out of touch with 99.9% of the population. Iwould rather listen to the problems of the average working people who did not spend themselves into bankruptcy.
Between Clinton and Obama, I would choose Clinton. Obama represents the metrosexual condo-tower, Starbucks, VW crowd. They are the useless eaters who produce nothing.
Maybe if the poor and hungry masses didn't have 10 children, they wouldn't be so poor and hungry. If I had 10 children, I'd be starving in a shantytown too. When are more people going to start pointing out this obvious fact?Just as with any other species, overpopulation leads to disease, famine, and a mass die-off. Only homosaphiens are stupid enough to think they can outsmart mother nature.
Keith, I don't know what your problem is. That is his money and he can do what he pleases. Now, spending that kind of money for an ugly house doesn't make sense. It can be used to help the poor. But that is his choice. His company Reliance is a very large Indian company and it employs thousands of people. At least this man is productive and took a company his father founded and made it into a corporate giant.
Get some class said...
With that kind of money can't the Mrs. get a decent haircut and dress that doesn't look like a dish rag? Kind of like Queen Elizabeth or ol' horse face Camilla, money can't always dress up a frumpy cow
May 04, 2008 5:27 PM
I've always thought clothes from K Mart on a fit person, look better than clothes from Gucci on a fat fook.
I never worry about OPM...but I would have tried to buy the Taj Mahal, cos she's a beauty.
Bitterenter,
Except India is a socialist country. That's why you can have those god-awful monopolists who essentially exploit a population who are used to monopolies. Those neuvo-riche oligarchs are enjoying the same kind of monopolistic privlegees that the top bureacrats use to enjoy and still enjoy today.
More competition is needed, so the wastful expending can be punished. The Mumbai stock market has already started the punishing process, much quicker than the old socialist correction process that took five decades before wrongs were addressed.
People are starving!
I'm having a $4 latte
I'm paying $4 a gallon for gas
One of my toughest decisions is, Where are we going to dinner?
Another Rolex?
New Car?
Should we do a weekend in Vegas?
"Gee, I can't finish my meal, should I doogy bag it....nah!
People are starving!
There are poor and there always have been and always will be...
if you have been blessed with plenty, give to the poor and/or homeless
A local charity is a great way to not only help others but it will make you feel great!
Try it!
Have any of you white losers,looked at the impact of that guy in India?
Read a little about how many people his companies employ, how they have changed the employment landscape in India. You know all those Refineries, chemical factories, cheap cell phones etc do some real good.
What about losers in hamptons who play with your retirement money? Where is your outrage? Well, is the problem that he is not white? GET USED TO THAT! That is the future..
You are the past. Accept that gracefully.
Can't speak for this specific guy but the culture is very different.
They will probably employee about 1,000 poor people in there 2 billion dollar home, at least.
In India you are looked down on if you DO NOT have servants because you are HOARDING your money and not paying others to wash your car, do your laundry, do your shopping, ...
I know many plain old programmers in India that have drivers, shoppers, full time personal assistants for everythings.
It is viewed as positive because it employees people.
In India this 2 billion mansion is seens as a sign of sucess for the entire community because they will all benefit, just the way things work over there.
In a way its no different from a wall street billion buy artworks, cigars, ... in the USA billionaires just spend thier money into the economy differently.
The worst are those that do not spend it.
Some moron said:
No wonder Warren Buffet, the second richest in the world, is endorsing Hillary Clinton.
-----------------------------------
Keith said:
Buffet hasn't endorsed Clinton or Obama and likes them both
Nice try fox news
-----------------------
misinformation like this happens a lot on blogs. I can't decide if posters are purposely misinforming or if it is honest mistakes/idiots.
I usually tend to agree with the famous quote (the are various versions over the centuries0
"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
That is one seriously ugly building.
Someone call Christo ASAP and have him put a bag over it.
India is has more hypocrasy and double standrds disquised as culture than any other country except China. Wake up people, these are predatory demons working to enslave America!
Meh.
Larry Ellison's $200 million Woodside CA home based on a fedual Japanese village is much, much cooler.
The Mumbai house is just ticky tacky. Sure, it's obscene in it's scale, but that's not orginal. Ever seen the Vanderbilt houses? The Winchester house? At least the Gates mansion is unique in it's application of technology.
It's been often said that India has both the best and worst of humanity and often they are are jammed together within 1 city block. He is aready rich, and just chose to build a high rise in the most expensive Indian city. That is within his right.
And he only spent 3% of his net worth on this structure, contrast that with the US & British FBers who are mortgaged to the hilt with negative net worth as they are underwater. At least there is no danger of this guy walking way from the towering monstrosity and mailing the keys back to the lender.
Give credit where it is due Keefer.
-BC
...to the winner goes the spoils. And the winner this time is a Brown Man on top of it! If you can't play the race card, what card CAN you play??
He inherited his position in a country that is even more corrupt than the US, so don't give the guy too much credit.
Bravo, Keith. This single post has flushed out so many logical fallacies and such lack of depth of thought, it would take several pages to address it all.
The architects and designers are "making changes as the building is in progress". Even that one is worth an essay!
OK I'll try:
1) It's his money, he can do what he wants.No one "earns" a billion dollars, not without using the infratructure, labor of others, etc.
2) He's a superior person, and "deserves" this money. In fact, he is $2 B "better" than you and I are. Let's just say: dubious.
3) Other people are ostentatious, so this man is perfectly justified in his conspicuous consumption. Two wrongs don't make a right.
4) Capitalism is all good all the time. It has no flaws whatsoever. If you don't believe this, you are a traitor. Wannabe fat cat. Absolutist.
5) When you really look at it, buying coffee at Starbucks is the same as a $2B apartment. Starbucks has good benefits, treats workers right. And who goes there every day? How about once a week or less?
6) Multi-millionaires and greater should be the ones who determine what charities get money, whether or not there's an opera house in town, even who lives and who dies.
After all, they are wise and just people who deserve to be where they are and probably know better.
Do I even need to counter that one?
This gross eyesore takes the cake, but more importantly it establishes the fact that for at least some individuals, there truly is no such thing as "enough". That is, this is human nature on display. We are so often blinded by greed - another reason civilization is screwed (and I feel fine).
I overlooked another fallacious argument, which works somewhat in favor of the rich.
Because you overspend on one thing - a billion for a house, a fiver for a cuppa Joe - that means you don't give anything to charity.
It does mean you could have given more (the money wasted on conspicuous consumption).
Sorry I do not have time and patience to look up the names for all of these logical fallacies, but this entire thread is rife with them. Only a few good arguments above - I thought HPers were more intelligent than this. No, this is not a question of political slant, just clear, hard-nosed thinking using the lost art of rhetoric (logic). Have whatever opinion you want, but at least make an attempt to support it.
Yes, conspicuous consumption employs people, but should the economy be driven by the luxury market? That is a wasteful approach and does not help as many people as it could. Also allows for things like Tourre's short story about the gourmet restaraunt where ghoulish yuppies eat through a menu of rare and endangered spieces.
Let's try this mantra for a change:
"enough is enough". Or at least "too much of a good thing". Crikey, people!
isn't india the one with the caste system?
i think keith is more surprised that there are places out there "worst" than the u.s.
prefer the look on my ozark 54,000 dollar farm
All those great Vandervuilt, Rockefeller, Post, Biltmore, The Breakers, San Simeon, Getty homes, i.e. "America's Castles", etc. are torn down or are museums. The heirs and/or their foundations could not afford to maintain them.
If you are not the Sultan of Bruinei, why bother?
Keith,
Just got back from the Berkshire Shareholders meeting.
Warren Buffet is a class American act, unlike most of the world's and history's tycoons.
He lives in the same home he bought with his wife nearly 60 years ago for 31,000. Had a California vacation home but sold at the peak in 2005.
An Asian looking guy asked Warren Buffet about how to raise ones kids with all the pressures of "keeping up with the Jonses". Buffets immediate response was "tell them to keep up with the Buffets."
Not to mention, he's giving most of his money to a charity that will not hold his name.
Amazing, once in lifetime kind of man. Who else in history earned so much on thier own and then so gracefully exited?
I can't think of any.
A thread on this topic might be in order. He has much to teach all of us.
I echo Keith's sentiments regarding Warren Buffet, he's J.P. Morgan 2.0 for our generation. And I even think he's a more humble, caring and generous larger than life person than J.P. Morgan was. They've both had their chance to take part in huge economic slowdowns, I'm so glad we have Buffett around to help our government (when they ask for it) - he's such a tremendous role model.
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