Filed under: Estates, Crimes and Misdemeanors

The mansion that Donald Trump sold in Palm Beach, Florida last year might be at the center of a major divorce battle. Russian billionaire fertilizer mogul Dmitri Rybolovlev and his wife bought the house for $95 million back in 2008. Now Elena Rybolovlev says her husband has been unfaithful and she wants 50 percent of the couple’s marital assets, a number she puts between $6 billion and $12 billion. One of the items at issue will be the 33,000-square-foot property. She has asked the court to take jurisdiction over property because she is worried her husband will begin hiding and transferring his assets. Already she says that an art and furniture collection worth around $670 million has been moved out of her reach.

The Palm Beach Post reports that in July 2008, through County Road Property, Rybolovlev paid $95 million cash for the home. Trump had bought the mansion for $41.35 million in 2004 and restored it, asking at one point, for $125 million for the home. Rybolovlev said he purchased the mansion as an investment, the couple spend most of their time in Switzerland. If he has to sell he might be in trouble. For a while Palm Beach was faring well amidst Florida’s real estate turmoil but lately it seems like the bigger mansions are slower to move. One that we’ve been keeping an eye on, Casa Nana, has been on the market for $72.5 million since last summer.

Trumps’s Former Palm Beach Mansion Part Of Major Divorce Dispute originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember, we asked you to send us questions for Matt Mullenweg? We were flooded with questions from our readers for the WordPress founder, and so swamped was Matt in launching new WordPress applications besides loads of other stuff, that we thought…

Filed under: Estates

Today’s Malibu, California beach home has a bit of celebrity provenance, this beach home high up on a bluff was once owned by rock star and restaurateur Sammy Hagar. Hagar’s former beach house has enviable waterviews. A rustic seaside garden leads to a staircase and the beach below. A sundeck on the bluff edge includes a hot tub and lounging area. The home itself has a funky and distinctive look that harks back to an older Malibu style when it was a surf-driven beach community rather than a celebrity enclave. There are beamed ceilings, a pitched roof, polished teak floors and fireplaces that look like they’ve seen a lot of use on foggy nights. The home has six bedrooms including a truly stellar master suite. The expansive suite has a fireplace and sitting area and a balcony that opens out to the ocean. The current decor is a bit eccentric in some places. The combination of a pot rack and greenery in the kitchen is the type of decorating move that makes the Real Estalker call for nerve pills. Overall though, this is a beautiful and private abode. It is listed at $10.9 million.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Continue reading Malibu Beach House, Estate of the Day

Malibu Beach House, Estate of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Art

If you put any faith in conventional wisdom, the best time to invest is when the market is at the bottom. So, there’s no time like the present to put some cash into the fine art asset class. Hey, what passes for a solid performance these days is more than 70 percent off last year’s levels. Before you invest anywhere, it pays (sometimes literally) to do your homework, and this is especially true with the art market. A fourth grade math education equips you to watch a stock prices ups and downs - and it is supplemented by what we pick up on the nightly news and (I hope) on the likes of BloggingStocks and DailyFinance.

Art, however, is different.

To understand this market, you’re staring down the task of learning thousands of years of product history, in addition to a relatively illiquid marketplace in which prevailing tastes play a major role. You can carve this mammoth amount of information into smaller pieces, but you still need to identify a starting place. It’s easy to get intimidated … and also unnecessary. Take a look at the 10 tips below to make the art market a bit more accessible.

1. Take a recreational interest in art
If you’re going to commit several thousand dollars to an art investment, you really ought to be interested in it. Start by going to museums, just to get a sense of the breadth available to you … and to decide what you like. Some of the most attractive pieces may be way out of your price range. I love Francis Bacon’s work, but there’s no way it will grace my walls anytime soon, not even with the help of the current art market slump. But, you can use the masters to get a sense of the styles that turn you on, which you can use to choose pieces that are closer to your price range.

2. Know where to find insights
Okay, my bias toward Luxist’s art market reporting is pretty obvious, but the articles here can help you get started. Also, check out art market publications like ArtInfo, ArtPrice and Art Market Blog. Bloomberg also provides solid art market coverage. Once you have the basics nailed down, spend some time on the auction house websites, like Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Get a feel for how the marketplace operates.

Continue reading Ten Tips for Investing in Art

Ten Tips for Investing in Art originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What better way is there to honor the passing of the King of Pop than attempting to make a quick buck on eBay? Truly, Swedish user “beosal” is the most respectful of all Michael Jackson fans as they are auctioning off what they believe to be the last unopened can of Jacko’s very own energy […]

On June 29, 2009, collectors from all around the globe gathered at the William Son luxury boutique in London Mayfair district to shop for some of the world’s most unique and exclusive watches. Pictured above is William Asprey (left), owner of the.

The Carl F. Bucherer brand combines the best in watchmaking craftsmanship with fine jewelry-making skills. The new Alacria Royal collection from the watchmaker is an expression of the brand philosophy of Carl F. Bucherer. The shimmering ladies watch..

We have earlier told you about the luxurious Kid Kustoms stroller that got an upgrade to be converted into a tricycle as your child grows. Kid Kustoms has added the buddy wagon and trailer to make sure your kid keeps company of his friends or siblings..

With designer Rasmus Gjesing’s “The Killer” racing bike, you can reduce your carbon footprint and show some style at the same time. Originally designed in 2008, this men’s racing bicycle features a sleek steel frame and fenders, aluminum…

In an interesting move, Dom Perignon, one of the world’s most esteemed champagne houses, is offering the wine connoisseurs a wonderful chance to taste its two exceptional wines side by side. Dom Perignon’s Twin Set includes the Vintage 1995 and…

Filed under: Handbags

Woo! I love this pink. How can you not? Hot pink has been popular for ages and here it is done up nice and classy by Michael Kors in sleek patent leather and contemporary silver hardware. The top is framed and opens on a hinge, with nothing more than a tiny logo embossed on the top closure. And if neon isn’t your thing (although you might want to take a look at the “Day Glo Orange” and “Acid Yellow” options before you decide) there’s also more subdued “Espresso” and even a python skin option. Runway Clutch: $595.

Michael Kors Runway Clutch, Handbag of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Apparel, Jewelry, Shoes

Pink looks great any time of year but there’s just something about the heat and lushness of summer that really makes it pop and somehow more fun to wear. This summer the designers haven’t let us down and have come up with all kinds fashion fun done up in every shade from pale champagne to neon to deep fuschia. Of course we don’t recommend wearing them all at once (lest you look like a wayward Barbie) but we’ve compiled a pretty mix of pink dresses, shoes, handbags, and jewelry in the gallery below to keep your girly side rolling this summer in whatever way you see fit.

Pretty in Pink: This Summer Has it all originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A new concept in executive and luxury travel memberships is coming next month, which will open the doors to a fantasy world for super-rich seeking access to elite air travel. Called Air Platinum Club, the concept offers its members the access to a…

Filed under: Art

It’s not that often you see “Antiques Roadshow” in the news but this week both the version here in the U.S. and the one in England have big news to report. The U.S. version will be featuring a $1 million appraisal in the new season which starts next January on PBS.

A woman brought four pieces of carved Chinese Jade that she inherited to a Roadshow event in Raleigh, North Carolina over the weekend. The pieces of carved jade and celadon dated from the Chien Lung Dynasty (1736-1795) and included a large bowl crafted for the Emperor. Asian arts appraiser James Callahan said that a mark on the bottom of the bowl indicated it was created for an imperial order. The pieces were given a conservative auction estimate of up to $1.07 million. This is far and away the biggest appraisal in the show’s 13-year run, the previous record was a 1937 painting by Clyfford Still which was estimated at around $500,000. The excitement generated by this appraisal will doubtlessly send many people scrambling to the attic to revisit the treasures they’ve inherited. A word of caution though, an appraisal is no guarantee of a final sale price.

The British show of the same name produced by the BBC had its first million pound appraisal ($1.655 million) last November for a a scale model of Anthony Gormley’s artwork, “The Angel of the North.” But this week that show was also in the news when an expert from the show recognized a lost Thomas Gainsborough masterpiece at a Sotheby’s auction last December. He bid for the painting over the telephone, knowing that although Sotheby’s had estimated it at t £10,000 to £15,000 it was worth far more.Phillip Mould, who recently published a book called Sleuth: The Amazing Quest For Lost Art Treasures, paid around £50,000 for the painting. Now that the painting has been authenticated as a Gainsborough by several experts he is offering it to the Gainsborough’s House museum in Sudbury for £750,000. And Sotheby’s may be stuck with compensating the previous owner in some way for drastically underestimating the painting’s worth.

[Thanks, Lana]

UPDATE: Since there’s a spirited conversation going on in the comments about whether or not young people are interested in antiques, I’ve added a poll. Please vote.

View Poll

Antiques Roadshow To Feature First Million-Dollar Appraisal originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the month of June every year, about 200 woody cars participate at an event called Woodies On the Wharf in Santa Cruz. This year, the Woodies on the Wharf was held on Saturday, June 27 and there were over 200 wooden-bodied cars from as far away as..

Despite the economic downtown, the apartment rentals in popular travel destinations are on the rise. In Moscow, the most expensive rental apartment costs over 1.5 million rubles ($50,000) per month. The statement was given by a spokesman for the DOKI.

Filed under: Timepieces

These are not likely to be the most expensive quartz movement based watches out there, but they are up there. Priced between about $112,000 to $215,000 these jewelry watches for women don’t even have fine mechanical movements. To a degree this makes sense given their small stature and life in a jewelry box or safe unless taken out for special occasions, but for me this is in contradiction to what haute horology is about today.

Swiss watch maker Carl F. Bucherer did a nice job designing this colorful Alacria Royal limited edition collection of lady’s watches. They are colorful like candy, made of 18k gold covered with diamonds and either traditional blue sapphires, orange sapphires, emeralds, or rubies. The colored gems are placed in two parallel slight arches on the dial as well as on the bracelet. The shape on the dial looks somewhat like an hourglass - which makes sense on a watch. As for jewelry watches these are nice, though it makes sense that each of the four watches will be limited to just 25, because as the “Royal” name states, the price of these watches will likely keep them in the hands of ultra privileged only.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Carl F. Bucherer Alacria Royal Limited Edition: Expensive Quartz Watches originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s time to close the doors once again to the real world and enter the virtual world of racing. If virtual racing gives you an adrenaline rush, then you should be looking at the racing simulators. With these machines, you can fulfill your wish of..

Martell Cognac, one of the most honored of the major Cognac houses, has chosen Dragon Rouge to create the packaging design for the new L’Or de Jean Martell cognac, an epitome of Martell expertise. This cognac is a true rarity for discerning…

Filed under: Handbags

Here’s a pretty dose of neutral glam in the form of the Lamé Shoulder Bag by Chloé. Golden hues and opulence in every inch is the name of game here, with a simple fold-over design enhanced by subtle details like a delicate gold-tone double chain shoulder strap, logo-embossed (and uniquely designed) turnlock front closure, and shaped with just a couple of decorative seams to break the pattern of the fabric and add some interest. Lined in nude leather with a single interior pocket also featuring the Chloé logo. $1,250

Elsie Lamé Shoulder Bag, Handbag of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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