Top 7 Tallest Buildings of the World in 2013
March 30th
Back in 2010 when we first published the Top 7 Tallest Buildings of the World in 2010, we thought th[...]
Top 7 Tallest Buildings of the World in 2013
Back in 2010 when we first published the Top 7 Tallest Buildings of the World in 2010, we thought that the list would not last for the whole year, according to the number of buildings under construction at that time. It seems that the Real Estate crisis is also affecting this market, since the list just had one change after three years.
7. Nanjing Greenland Financial Complex
Height: 450 m (1 476 ft)
Location: Nanjing, China
Year Opened: 2010
Number of floors: 89
Use: Mixed use
6. Petronas Towers
Height: 452 m (1 483 ft)
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Year Opened: 1998
Number of floors: 88
Use: Offices
5. International Commerce Center
Height: 484 m (4 869 ft)
Location: Hong Kong, China
Year Opened: 2010
Number of floors: 108
Use: Mixed use
4. Shanghai World Financial Center
Height: 492 m (1 614 ft)
Location: Shanghai, China
Year Opened: 2008
Number of floors: 101
Use: Mixed use
3. Taipei 101
Height: 508 m (1 667 ft)
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Year Opened: 2004
Number of floors: 101
Use: Office
2. Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel
Height: 601 m (1 972 ft)
Location: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Year Opened: 2012
Number of floors: 120
Use: Hotel
1. Burj Khalifa
Height: 828 m (2 717 ft)
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Year Opened: 2010
Number of floors: 163
Use: Mixed use
Source: skyscraperpage Read MoreTop 7 World’s Least Visited Countries
This is new for out Top 7 list. For the first time, we are publishing a post ranking something from the bottom. In this particular post we will list 7 very interesting touristic destinations, but for some reason not visited. If you are still looking for that paradisaical place where to spend a very calm vacation, maybe these places are a good alternative. Take a trip to any of these places, and it’s a fair bet you won’t see too many umbrella-wielding tour guides… make that, in many cases, none.
7. São Tome and Principe
Location: Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa
Tourists per year: 12 000
Why people don’t go: Largely because no one’s heard of it. São Tome and Principe is arguably the one country on this list with the most potential – there are direct flights from Lisbon, and the island nation doesn’t have nearly as many problems as most African countries.
Why it’s worth visiting: A very relaxed island lifestyle, great diving and snorkelling, wildlife-heavy jungle trekking and cute fishing villages make for a seemingly endearing mix. If Cape Verde can become popular, there’s no reason that São Tome and Principe can’t.
6. Turkmenistan
Location: Central Asia
Tourists per year: 8 000
Why people don’t go: The bonkers dictator Saparmurat Niyazov has departed the scene after years of closing hospitals, naming months after his mum and building absurd golden statues, but Turkmenistan is hardly welcoming or friendly. Visas are a pain, independent travel is a no-no and most things seem designed to frustrate.
Why it’s worth visiting: Colourful canyons and black sand deserts are part of it. Jump through the requisite hoops, and Turkmenistan has a wild outbackish beauty.
5. Moldova
Location: Eastern Europe
Tourists per year: 7 000
Why people don’t go: Moldova is the poorest country in Europe by a long chalk, and it shows in the grim concrete jungle that is its capital city, Chisinau. There are reasonable flight connections and entry is painless in terms of visas – the problem is that it’s not really on any logical tour route, and you’d have to be pretty determined to come here to see Moldova alone.
Why it’s worth visiting: Moldovan wine is surprisingly good and the extraordinary Cricova complex is home to the largest wine cellar in the world – you have to drive around the underground vino maze. Meanwhile, Chisinau may be ugly as sin, but it knows how to have a good time – you may even see members of Zdob si Zdub (pictured), Moldova’s entry in the Eurovision Song Contest this year, walking the streets.
4. Marshall Islands
Location: Middle of the Pacific Ocean
Tourists per year: 6 000
Why people don’t go: The Marshall Islands are best known for the unfortunate atolls that became atomic testing sites, but isolation and lack of connections to the rest of the world are the main reasons for the paltry visitor numbers.
Why it’s worth visiting: You’ve got all your languid Pacific island paradise cliches here – lagoons, laidback locals, plenty of coral and some tremendous diving spots.
3. Tajikistan
Location: Central Asia
Tourists per year: 4 000
Why people don’t go: The big problem for Tajikistan is being so far away from anywhere else most people would want to go to – the country can hardly be tagged on as a side trip. Throw in one of the world’s most eye-gougingly bureaucratic visa application processes, and it’s obvious why hardly anyone bothers.
Why it’s worth visiting: Tajikistan has some of the world’s best walking. Spectacular mountain scenery is coupled with plenty of Silk Road history and cultural influences from Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.
2. Kiribati
Location: Central tropical Pacific Ocean
Tourists per year: 3 900
Why people don’t go: Kiribati is really hard work just to travel to. Part of the problem is working out which bit to visit. A map of Kiribati looks like someone has sprinkled confetti across a vast swathe of the Pacific Ocean, meaning getting between islands can be as tough as getting to them in the first place.
Why it’s worth visiting: Christmas Island got some publicity in 1999 when it was the first place in the world to welcome in the new millennium. It’s also renowned as one of the world’s best fishing and diving destinations.
1. Tuvalu
Location: Pacific Ocean, midway between Australia and Hawaii
Tourists per year: 1 100
Why people don’t go: Tuvalu is just a tiny nipple of land poking up above the South Pacific, and it’s predicted to be the first country to vanish beneath the waves when global warming pushes sea-levels high enough. It’s also very difficult to get to – you’re looking at sporadic, expensive flights from Fiji.
Why it’s worth visiting: Tuvalu does have eye-candy, in the form of very pretty lagoons. What to do when you get bored of snorkelling in them is another matter.
Source: MSN Read MoreTop 7 Most Powerful Business People in Asia
Fortune Magazine has a new list: The Most Powerful People in Asia. Considering that in the western regions the world is mostly in recession, it is now becoming more important to know who are the people who rules the business in the the only side of the world which is actually growing. But if you think that Japan, the Asia’s superpower, rules this list, think again (only one person from Japan made our Top 7 list!). Here please find an excerpt of the list with the Top 7 Most Powerful Business People in Asia:
1. Akio Toyoda
Company: Toyota Motor
Country: Japan
Title: CEO
Age: 55
Toyoda presides over Asia’s largest company — and perhaps its most influential. When Toyota Motor stumbles, as it did in 2010 when safety problems forced the company to recall several of its bestselling models, millions of consumers around the world feel the impact. And when it innovates, the rest of the auto world takes notice — and often follows suit. So 14 years after the arrival of the Prius, Toyoda is pushing the company to produce a lineup of 10 new hybrid models by 2015. He’s also keenly focused on growing in emerging markets such as China and India, which account for 40% of Toyota’s $223 billion in annual sales. Toyoda, who has been CEO for two years, has already shown he’s powerful; he survived the recall scandal despite speculation that he would be pushed to resign. Now shareholders hope he can steer the auto giant — safely — to more growth.
2. Ratan Tata
Company: Tata Sons
Country: India
Title: Chairman
Age: 73
If anyone can bring coffee culture to tea-crazed India, it is Ratan Tata, whose Tata Group conglomerate spans industries ranging from autos to steel to telecommunications. Tata recently inked a deal with Starbucks aimed at bringing the Seattle chain to India — the latest in a string of alliances that have helped the group grow from a loose federation of companies primarily serving their home country into a $67 billion multinational powerhouse. Joint venture partners include Lockheed Martin, AIG, and Cummins. But Tata also has acquired well-known businesses such as Jaguar Land Rover, Britain’s Tetley Tea, and New York City’s Pierre Hotel. It takes chutzpah to buy such storied brands. To turn them around as Tata has done takes persistence — and power.
3. Mukesh D. Ambani
Company: Reliance Industries
Country: India
Title: Chairman and managing director
Age: 53
Reliance Industries CEO Mukesh Ambani has a reputation as a dealmaker, and indeed, he’s gobbled up assets in telecom, petrochemicals, and energy as part of a strategy to rapidly expand the $45-billion-a-year conglomerate. But Ambani’s dealmaking works both ways: Earlier this year he persuaded British oil giant BP to invest $7.2 billion for a 30% stake in 23 oil and gas assets controlled by Reliance — the largest foreign direct investment India has seen to date. Ambani’s wealth (he’s worth an estimated $27 billion and recently moved into what’s believed to be the world’s first billion-dollar mansion, as you can check in our Top 7 Most Expensive Houses in the World post) makes him a popular subject in the local press, but his business prowess is earning him accolades abroad. To wit: Bank of America in March nominated Ambani to be the first non-American on its board of directors.
4. Kun-Hee Lee
Company: Samsung Group
Country: South Korea
Title: Chairman and CEO
Age: 69
Chairman Kun-Hee Lee transformed Samsung Electronics from a peddler of low-end gadgets to a global leader in cellphones, televisions, and computer chips. The $137-billion-a-year electronics company is most often compared with Hewlett-Packard, but in many ways Samsung is the Apple of South Korea, revered in its home country for its design and innovation as well as its financial performance (profits last year climbed 65% to $14.3 billion). As a result Lee enjoys tremendous clout — despite a corruption scandal that forced him to resign as chairman of Samsung in 2008. In December 2009, President Lee Myung-bak pardoned Lee for a tax-evasion indictment; a few months later the executive returned as chairman.
5. Ren Zhengfei
Company: Huawei Technologies
Country: China
Title: CEO
Age: 67
The public knows little about Ren Zhengfei, the former military officer who runs Huawei, China’s largest telecom equipment maker. But lack of visibility hasn’t stopped Ren from building a global empire that’s playing an increasingly important role in running the world’s phone and Internet networks: The company estimates it grew 28% to $28 billion in revenue last year. Roughly two-thirds of sales come from non-Chinese customers, including Britain’s BT. Huawei’s products and services help keep phone and Internet networks around the world up and running. But security concerns have largely kept Ren and his company out of the one market he covets: the U.S. A new R&D center in California may increase Huawei’s American presence, but analysts expect Ren himself to maintain his usual low profile.
6. Terry Gou
Company: Foxconn Technology Group
Country: Taiwan
Title: Chairman and CEO
Age: 60
If Apple CEO Steve Jobs is one of the most powerful people in business, then Terry Gou, the man who keeps Jobs supplied with iPads and iPhones, might not be that far behind. Gou’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Corp. (and its Foxconn subsidiary) is now one of the world’s largest manufacturers of electronics. Customers include Apple, of course, but also HP, Dell, Sony, and others. Though Foxconn garnered negative publicity for worker suicides in 2010, Gou eventually responded, doubling wages at his largest factories and relocating workers closer to their homes. Foxconn’s clients apparently have been satisfied with Gou’s actions: Hon Hai’s consolidated revenue for the first nine months of last year climbed 51% to $64.1 billion — and the full year looks to be just as strong thanks to demand for the Apple gadgets that Foxconn plays an indispensable role in producing.
7. Gao Xiqing
Company: China Investment Corp.
Country: China
Title: President and chief investment officer
Age: 57
Gao, China’s most powerful fund manager, oversees $332 billion in assets for China’s wholly state owned sovereign wealth fund, CIC. The fund was set up in 2007 with a mandate to earn a higher return for the government. Gao has been instrumental in transforming the fund from one that invested conservatively in public securities to direct private equity investments in foreign companies. In 2010, CIC spent $1.58 billion for a 15% equity interest in AES Corporation, a U.S.-based power company. This year it set up its first foreign representative office in Toronto, looking to invest in Canadian resources and infrastructure. CIC’s growing global investment portfolio returned about 12% in 2009, and the fund’s net income was up 80% to $41.6 billion.
Source: FortuneRead More
Top 7 Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30
Forbes magazine just launched a new (and very interesting) list: The Best Paid Celebrities Under 30. At a time in life when many people are struggling to find their way, these 20 celebrities have already become multimillionaires. We estimate that together they brought in $667 million between May 2010 and May 2011. It is interesting that someone from the city where I’m living now made the list, and someone who still is “under age” legally speaking. Check the Top 7 Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30:
7. Cristiano Ronaldo
Age: 26
Earnings (from May 2010 to May 2011): $38 million
The Real Madrid star is using social media to expand his brand, which makes him more attractive to current sponsorship partners like Nike, Castrol, Clear Shampoo and Banco Espirito Santo. Ronaldo has racked up 25 million Facebook fans, more than twice as many as any other athlete. He also has nearly 3 million Twitter followers.
6. Katy Perry
Age: 26
Earnings (from May 2010 to May 2011): $44 million
The “I Kissed a Girl” singer married actor Russell Brand in a traditional Hindu ceremony in India in October. Perry’s album Teenage Dream, released in August, boasted four chart-topping singles making it one of only nine albums to accomplish that feat in the Billboard Hot 100’s 52-year history. No stranger to business, Perry shills for Proactiv, Adidas and Ubisoft, and has her own perfume line, Purr.
5. Taylor Swift
Age: 21
Earnings (from May 2010 to May 2011): $45 million
Whether you consider her music country, pop or both, there’s no question that Swift is a moneymaking machine. Her new album Speak Now was certified triple-platinum barely a month after its October release. Touring brings gross ticket sales of some $750,000 per night. Just don’t break her heart: scathing love ballad “Dear John” was rumored to be directed at former flame John Mayer.
4. Roger Federer
Age: 29
Earnings (from May 2010 to May 2011): $47 million
Arguably the greatest tennis player ever, the Federer era may be nearing its end. He has been passed by both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the rankings. Federer still commands the most impressive endorsement portfolio in all of sports with 10 major deals including Nike, Credit Suisse, Rolex and Wilson. He was the only one of Gillette’s original 3 “Champions” to have his deal renewed this year as the brand dropped Tiger Woods and Thierry Henry.
3. LeBron James
Age: 26
Earnings (from May 2010 to May 2011): $48 million
James’ reputation took a hit last summer when he announced he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat on a national televised special dubbed “The Decision.” His negative Q score soared 77%. Despite the animosity, James continues to be a hot ticket. His jersey was the NBA’s best seller this season and he has the No. 1 basketball shoe on the market. In April, James partnered with Fenway Sports Group to manage his business interests. As part of the deal James received a very small stake in the FSG-owned soccer club Liverpool.
2. Justin Bieber
Age: 17
Earnings (from May 2010 to May 2011): $53 million
Though he may not know where Germany is, the cherubic crooner has attained international superstardom: his new album My Life 2.0 quickly attained platinum status, his concert movie Never Say Never grossed $100 million globally and Bieber’s live shows around the world bring in $600,000 in gross ticket sales per night. The music video for Bieber’s hit song “Baby” has been viewed a YouTube record 500 million times.
1. Lady Gaga
Age: 25
Earnings (from May 2010 to May 2011): $90 million
Sometimes it pays to be weird. The Queen Monster grossed $170 million on 137 shows in 22 countries over the past 12 months and has sold an estimated 15 million albums worldwide. No surprise that advertisers want a piece: endorsement deals include Polaroid, Virgin Mobile, Monster Cable, Viva Glam and PlentyOfFish.com. A Russian billionaire reportedly paid $1 million to appear in her “Alejandro” video.
Source: Forbes
Top 7 Celebrities in 2011
Back in February 2011 we published the list for the Top 7 Celebrities in 2010, listing the most powerful people in the entertainment business last year. As usual, Oprah Winfrey was the number 1 celebrity last year, but now things are different. Maybe because she is loosing popularity, or because this is the last year she runs the show (her last show was actualy on May 25, 2011), she did not make the top place for this years list. Another interesting thing about this years list is that an underage celebrity made the Top 3, and a British Sir is also on it!
1. Lady Gaga
Earnings (from May 2010 to May 2011): $90 million
Age: 25
Title: Singer and performance artist
Source: Music
Big Break: Poker Face, 2008
Residence: New York, NY
Country of citizenship: United States
Hometown: New York, NY
Education: Dropout, New York University
Marital Status: Single
Forbes Lists:
#1 Celebrity 100
#8 in Money
#3 in TV/Radio
#2 in Press
#1 in Social
#1 in Web
#7 Powerful Women
Sometimes it pays to be weird. The Queen Monster grossed $170 million on 137 shows in 22 countries over the past 12 months and has sold an estimated 15 million albums worldwide. No surprise that advertisers want a piece: endorsement deals include Polaroid, Virgin Mobile, Monster Cable, Viva Glam and PlentyOfFish.com. A Russian billionaire reportedly paid $1 million to appear in her “Alejandro” video. Her new album, Born This Way, hit stores in May; the title track clocked one million downloads in five days, making it the fastest-selling song in iTunes history.
2. Oprah Winfrey
Earnings (from May 2010 to May 2011): $290 million
Age: 57
Title: Media Personality
Organization: The Oprah Winfrey Show
Source: television , self-made
Big Break: The Oprah Winfrey Show, 1986
Residence: Chicago, IL
Country of citizenship: United States
Hometown: Kosciusko, MS
Education: BA/BS, Tennessee State University
Marital Status: Single
Forbes Lists:
#2 Celebrity 100
#1 in Money
#1 in TV/Radio
#7 in Press
#13 in Social
#13 in Web
#420 Forbes Billionaires
#135 in United States
#130 Forbes 400
#64 Powerful People
#3 Powerful Women
As her long-running syndicated show winds down, Winfrey is doing all she can to make her new cable station, OWN, a success. The network features shows like The Judds about the mother daughter country music team. Ratings so far have been anemic leading to the ouster of chief executive Christina Norman.
3. Justin Bieber
Earnings (from May 2010 to May 2011): $53 million
Age: 17
Source: Music
Big Break: Baby, 2010
Hometown: Stratford, Canada
Marital Status: Single
Forbes Lists:
#3 Celebrity 100
#24in Money
#4in TV/Radio
#8in Press
#3in Social
#2in Web
Though he may not know where Germany is, the cherubic crooner has attained international superstardom: his new album My Life 2.0 quickly attained platinum status, his concert movie Never Say Never grossed $100 million globally and Bieber’s live shows around the world bring in $600,000 in gross ticket sales per night. The music video for Bieber’s hit song “Baby” has been viewed a YouTube record 500 million times.
4. U2
Earnings (from May 2010 to May 2011): $195 million
Band Age: 35
Big Break: Sunday Bloody Sunday, 1983
Hometown: Dublin, Ireland
Forbes Lists:
#4 Celebrity 100
#2 in Money
#59 in TV/Radio
#10 in Press
#17 in Social
#16 in Web
The ageless rockers are wrapping up the most lucrative tour in the history of music. In April the group’s 360 Tour surpassed the Rolling Stones’ Bigger Bang Tour, which grossed $554 million from 2005 to 2007. By the time U2’s tour ends this summer, the band will have sold $700 million worth of tickets over two years and played to more than 7 million people.
5. Elton John
Earnings (from May 2010 to May 2011): $100 million
Age: 64
Source: Music
Big Break: Your Song, 1970
Hometown: Pinner, England
Marital Status: Married
Children: 1
Forbes Lists:
#5 Celebrity 100
#7 in Money
#18 in TV/Radio
#19 in Press
#54 in Social
#28 in Web
Sir Elton has sold 250 million records worldwide over the past 30 years and isn’t slowing down, he grossed $204 million performing 102 live shows in the past 12 months. The Rocket Man still has time for family. With partner David Furnish, he welcomed surrogate son Zachary in 2010. Lady Gaga is the tyke’s godmother.
6. Tiger Woods
Earnings (from May 2010 to May 2011): $75 million
Age: 35
Source: Golf
Big Break: Masters, 1997
Country of citizenship: United States
Hometown: Cypress, CA
Education: Dropout, Stanford University
Marital Status: Divorced
Children: 2
Forbes Lists:
#6 Celebrity 100
#14 in Money
#6 in TV/Radio
#5 in Press
#38 in Social
#40 in Web
Woods has struggled to win tournaments and sign new sponsorship deals since his November 2009 car crash and the infidelity scandal that followed. Yet Woods continues to be the world’s best-paid athlete thanks to $3 million overseas appearance fees and two sponsors that stuck with him: Nike and Electronic Arts. First week sales this spring of EA Sports’ Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters were the highest in the 14-year history of the popular video game franchise.
7. Taylor Swift
Earnings (from May 2010 to May 2011): $45 million
Age: 21
Source: Music
Big Break: “Tim McGraw,” 2006
Hometown: Wyomissing, PA
Marital Status: Single
Forbes Lists:
#7 Celebrity 100
#33 in Money
#14 in TV/Radio
#45 in Press
#6 in Social
#6 in Web
Whether you consider her music country, pop or both, there’s no question that Swift is a moneymaking machine. Her new album Speak Now was certified triple-platinum barely a month after its October release. Touring brings gross ticket sales of some $750,000 per night. Just don’t break her heart: scathing love ballad “Dear John” was rumored to be directed at former flame John Mayer.
Source: Forbes
Read MoreTop 7 Champions League Winner Teams
Last Saturday, F.C. Barcelona won its fourth Champions League trophy, becoming one of the most successful football teams in the XXI Century, considering the titles it won not only in Spain but Worldwide. This event brought to my curiosity to know which are the most successful teams of the Top European football prize and, guess what, Barcelona is not even in the Top 3! For the second time since we started this blog, this particular list (and because the number of teams that won the title the same number of times), will have more than 7 mentions (the first one was the Top 7 Highest Paid TV Artist in a TV Series):
1. Real Madrid C.F.
9 times
Years won: 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002
Years runner-up: 1962, 1964, 1981
Country: Spain (Madrid)
2. A.C. Milan
7 times
Years won: 1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007
Years runner-up: 1958, 1993, 1995, 2005
Country: Italy (Milan)
3. Liverpool F.C.
5 times
Years won: 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005
Years runner-up: 1985, 2007
Country: UK (Liverpool)
4. F.C. Bayer Munich (tie)
4 times
Years won: 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001
Years runner-up: 1982, 1987, 1999, 2010
Country: Germany (Munich)
4. F.C. Barcelona (tie)
4 times
Years won: 1992, 2006, 2009, 2011
Years runner-up: 1961, 1986, 1994
Country: Spain (Barcelona)
4. A.F.C. Ajax (tie)
4 times
Years won: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1995
Years runner-up: 1969, 1996
Country: Netherlands (Amsterdam)
7. Manchester United (tie)
3 times
Years won: 1968, 1999, 2008
Years runner-up: 2009, 2011
Country: UK (Manchester)
7. F.C. Internazionale (tie)
3 times
Years won: 1964, 1965, 2010
Years runner-up: 1967, 1972
Country: Italy (Milan)
Read More
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