Author: Alan Wass

  • Boxer Floyd Mayweather Purchases Las Vegas Mansion for $10 Million

    Boxer Floyd Mayweather Purchases Las Vegas Mansion for $10 Million

    Former boxer Floyd Mayweather might be retired, but ‘Money’ is making the news more often than when he was an active fighter. The retired pugilist has just purchased a breathtaking Las Vegas mansion for a whopping $10 million.

    Over the past couple of days, Mayweather has been making the news in more ways than one. He has allegedly become embroiled in a lawsuit in regards to supposedly promoting what is now being reported as a cryptocurrency scam. How does Floyd respond to the bad news? He buys a $10-million house. That’s how he rolls!

    Luxury 16,357 Square-Foot Las Vegas Mansion

    Floyd might not be making the same cash as when in the fight game, be he’s still living big-willy style. The 42-year-old Grand Rapids native has just purchased a luxury 16,357 Las Vegas mansion on a private compound.

    Las Vegas Mansion
    Las Vegas Mansion / Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal

    Floyd Mayweather has lived in Las Vegas for the main part of the last decade, which is where he fought the last several fights of his career.

    The mansion comes equipped with a pool house, a small vineyard, two guesthouses, and an underground garage, as reported by the listing broker Kamran Zand.

    Floyd Mayweather Comes in Second Place

    Apparently, the sale was made on Monday, and although his new pad isn’t the biggest or most expensive in Vegas, it’s still pretty impressive.

    Another 12,945-square-foot mansion sold earlier this year in Las Vegas for a reported $13 million, which beats Floyd’s purchase into second place in 2018. We all know that ‘Money’ doesn’t like to come second to anyone. And he didn’t throughout his meteoric career.

    The 50-0 former boxer has a net worth of $285 million according to Forbes. Although his last fight was against Connor McGregor in August 2017, rumors have been rife that the star might make a comeback soon against former foe Manny Pacquaio.

    Former middleweight boxing kingpin ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler once said that it is difficult to get out of bed for training every morning when you’re wearing silk pajamas.

    No one is quite sure at this time if Floyd is serious or just flexing after the announcement that another former foe, Mexican golden boy Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, has scooped a $365-million megabucks TV deal with the streaming service DAZN.

    Featured image from Wikipedia.

  • Floyd Mayweather and DJ Khaled Allegedly Sued in Cryptocurrency Scam

    Floyd Mayweather and DJ Khaled Allegedly Sued in Cryptocurrency Scam

    Legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather and the New York rap producer DJ Khaled are allegedly being sued for promoting the $25 million Centara Tech cryptocurrency scam.

    No one epitomizes the ‘money first’ ethos of the modern world quite like Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather. It seems that the pugilist’s love for anything spendable might have gotten him in deep water this time as news of a lawsuit is rife across the internet.

    TMZ Reports Floyd and Khaled Crypto Scam Lawsuit

    The popular entertainment news site, TMZ has reported that both Mayweather and DJ Khaled have both been caught up in a lawsuit pertaining to their promotion of the alleged $25 million Centara cryptocurrency scam on their social media accounts.

    Although these two leading figures in the African-American community are not directly involved in perpetrating the scam, the TMZ report alleges that both Khaled and Mayweather are being sued for promoting Centara’s CTR token.

    In the report from TMZ, it detailed that investors in the cryptocurrency scam are looking to get some of their money back and also looking for damages from both Centara Tech and Khaled and Mayweather. And although the news is still sketchy on the subject, it has yet to be confirmed whether the lawsuit is part of the original class action filed in June against Centara Tech or if this is a new development.

    Promoting Cryptocurrency Scam on Social Media

    The three founding members of Centara Tech’s CTR token were initially arrested earlier this year as a magistrate released a report that claimed that the CTR token was violating SEC cryptocurrency regulations. They are currently being held for defrauding investors to the tune of $25 million and face a combined total of 65 years behind bars.

    The co-founding trio allegedly made lots of false claims in regards to its relationships with major financial institutions and also partnerships with Visa and MasterCard.

    The claims against Mayweather and Khaled relate to the pair using their social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram to promote the CTR token ICO in its pre-launch phase.

    DJ Khaled was seen promoting the CTR token on his Instagram and Twitter in September that said:

    Mayweather has also allegedly promoted the cryptocurrency scam on his Instagram account that called for potential investors to “join Centara’s ICO on Sept. 19th”. He was also reported as using his Twitter account to promote CTR:

    The TMZ article has said that Mayweather and Khaled are now being sued by former CTR token investors, but at the time of writing, we haven’t had an official statement from the pair to clear up the situation.

  • Mega Millions Jackpot Expected to Reach $1.6 Billion by Tonight

    Mega Millions Jackpot Expected to Reach $1.6 Billion by Tonight

    Who wants to be a billionaire? Everyone of course, apart from the Dalai Lama who’s not that bothered. The Mega Millions Jackpot is apparently going to reach an earth-shattering $1.6 billion by Tuesday evening, which is turning heads quicker than the blond-haired girl from The Exorcist.

    The Mega Millions jackpot is expected to become the biggest lottery draw in US history, soaring past the previous highest lottery jackpot figure. Are you eligible to take part? And if so, how does it work?

    You’ve Got to Be in It to Win It!

    The previous largest Mega Millions jackpot prize in history was an astounding $656 million that was claimed in Illinois in 2012. The largest lottery prize pot in US history was the Powerball jackpot of 1.58 billion in January 2016. The latest Mega Millions jackpot is expected to go one better at $1.6 billion by Tuesday evening.

    If you are an individual winner of the jackpot, you could take home a lump sum of $904.4 million after tax.

    You’re already thinking: “How can I play?” The truth is, if you’re from outside of the United States of America, you’re not eligible to buy a ticket. However, if you’re 18 years old or over and live in the US, you can play across 44 states, and also Washington D.C. or even in the US Virgin Islands.

    When Is the Mega Millions Jackpot Draw and What Are the Odds?

    When we say you have more chance of being struck by lightning twice in the same place than winning the Mega Millions jackpot, it can be a bit of a downer. However, someone has to win the prize at some stage. The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are one in 302.5 million, regardless of the number of players or the stakes.

    The last winning ticket for the Mega Millions was on July 24, and ever since has been building to this gargantuan pot we see today.

    The six winning numbers will be broadcast at 11 pm Eastern Time on Tuesday night. You have up until 15-minutes before the draw to choose your numbers.

    It’s time to get out the four-leaf clover, wipe down the old rabbit’s foot, shine up the magic lamp and pray to your personal god for the first time in a decade. The Mega Millions jackpot draw is almost upon us.

    Featured image from Shutterstock.

  • Saudi Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Bids $5.2 Bn for Manchester United

    Saudi Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Bids $5.2 Bn for Manchester United

    It seems that rumors earlier last week that Saudi Prince Mohammad Bin Salman was to buy Manchester United were true. New reports are now circulating that a staggering $5.2 billion bid has been made for the legendary English football club.

    Last Tuesday, the uber-wealthy Mohammad Bin Salman had shown interest in purchasing Man Utd. However, the current owners, the Glazer family, were adamant that the club was not for sale. What a difference a few days make!

    Behind the Scenes at Manchester United

    Current Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is having a mixed start to the season on the pitch. His team currently sits in the 10th spot in the English Premier League (EPL).

    Mourinho has publicly struggled to handle high-profile players such as World Cup winner Paul Pogba off the pitch in an on-going power struggle story that has received much press attention.

    It seems that these are not the only behind-the-scenes things happening at United at this moment in time.

    If the circulating reports are true, the Saudi Prince Mohammad Bin Salman has made an earth-shattering $5.2 billion (£4 billion) bid for the club which will test the mettle of the current owners, Joel and Avram Glazer.

    Mohammad Bin Salman Makes Unbeatable Offer

    The Glazer family first bought the Manchester club back in 2005 for a reported $1 billion (£790 million). The latest alleged offer from Mohammad Bin Salman at over $5 billion would be a smart piece of business for the Glazers.

    When initially purchasing the club, the Glazer family came under fire from unhappy Manchester United fans who believed the club would lose a part of its soul in the sale to a foreign party. Times have changed across the football industry as billionaires now flock to purchase British football clubs, much to the excitement of the fans.

    Conflicting reports have surfaced that Avram Glazer was supposed to visit Saudi Arabia this week to attend an international business forum. But apparently, Avram has canceled because of the issues brought to the attention in the media of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

    One thing is for sure, though. When you have a supposed fortune of over $1 trillion like Mohammad Bin Salman, issues like this tend to evaporate into the ether.

    Featured image from Shutterstock.

  • Canada Runs out of Legal Cannabis Only 4 Days After Legalization

    Canada Runs out of Legal Cannabis Only 4 Days After Legalization

    Canadian cannabis stores in Alberta and other parts of the nation have run out of legal cannabis just four days after legalization came into effect. Annual sales for the cannabis industry in Canada are expected to reach $6.5 billion… but that won’t happen if stores are already ‘smoked out’ just a few days in.

    After the first day of cannabis legalization in Canada, Vice reported that pot stores across Canada’s Northwest Territories, Newfoundland, Quebec, and Saskatchewan were already struggling to keep up with the demand. It appears that when Canadians voted with their lungs to legalese weed, they were deadly serious.

    Running out of Legal Cannabis

    One of the ongoing issues that the cannabis industry faces is the amount of legally compliant growers is now not enough to feed the rabid demand for marijuana in Canada.

    Although cannabis legalization sounds great, there are only a handful of licensed growers and websites in Canada to stock the licensed stores. Stores can’t just buy weed from local unlicensed home-growers or black market green-thumbs.

    The owner of Waldo’s 420 licensed cannabis store in Alberta Patrick Wallace summed up the sentiments that Canadian cannabis stores are currently experiencing by telling CBC that:

    “It’s a mess. The supply is just a mess.”

    Vast Gulf in Supply and Demand

    Reports were surfacing after only one day of legalization that cannabis stores across the nation were already struggling to meet the high demand for legal cannabis.

    One company out of Winnipeg told Vice that they sold out on the first morning, selling more than $50,000 worth of products. Other news articles reported how Alberta ran dry of Cannabis oil on the first day, although some products were still available across Nova Scotia.

    Smaller unlicensed growers across Canada were initially concerned that legalization would affect their underground grow-ops as stores could only buy products from licensed growers of ‘legal’ weed. However, eager consumers might now look to the streets to solve the problem, which is the exact opposite of what the legalization was supposed to achieve in the first place.

    It seems that authorities were completely taken off guard by the supply and demand for legal cannabis in Canada. Maybe they were hitting the pipe too hard and thought it seemed like a good idea at the time. Let’s be honest, we’ve all been there!

    Featured image from Shutterstock.

  • AI Startup Raises $5 Million to Give Humans Digital Superpowers

    AI Startup Raises $5 Million to Give Humans Digital Superpowers

    The futuristic Norwegian AI startup, Memory, has just raised a further $5 million in its bid to give humans “digital superpowers” to solve the ongoing workplace problem of employee time tracking.

    You didn’t really believe that AI tech was going to turn you into the second coming of Wolverine, did you? However, if you’re an employer who is wanting to keep a track on the time abuses of your employees, you could turn into ‘super-boss’. I just made that one up.

    New Funding for AI Startup Time Tracking Tools

    Memory is the name of the Norwegian AI startup that has now raised a full total of $6 million in funding. The fundraising was largely led by the venture investment platforms Investinor, Concentric, and SNÖ Ventures.

    The company was initially founded by Norwegian entrepreneur Mathias Mikkelsen in 2013. The goal of the firm is to create AI-enabled tools that can track time abuses of employees in the workplace. Stalin would have loved this tool!

    The company’s key product, Timely, is being called a “fully automatic time tracking tool.” When linked to AI, the tool can become an intricate part of how business owners keep tracks on their staff.

    The product is currently being used by over 4,000 customers in 160 countries, seeking to get back any time lost time by recording everything the employee works on. The tool automatically creates time-sheets for the employee.

    The new influx of funds will allow Memory to double their 30-strong team as it plans to build further tools that will organize employees’ time more effectively to improve the overall productivity of the company. The funds will also be used to refine the already-existing Timely AI model.

    The story of the company’s owner is also very interesting. Mikkelsen turned down an opportunity to take his technology to Facebook, and also was forced to sell his apartment just to get his idea moving. The CEO and owner of Memory stated that:

    “As the one finite resource we all share, it’s imperative to definitively solve all the problems that steal time away from us. If Memory can build tools which effectively hand people back a 25th hour each day, we’ll have gone a huge way towards achieving that.”

    If you are one of those “there are not enough hours in the day” kind of people, Memory’s Timely tool will make your life complete again!

    Featured image from Shutterstock.

  • Britney Spears Becomes Highest Paid Entertainer in Las Vegas

    Britney Spears Becomes Highest Paid Entertainer in Las Vegas

    Do you want a piece of Britney? You’re not the only one. The world-famous pop songstress Britney Spears has become the highest paid entertainer in Las Vegas as details of her new residency at the MGM’s Park Theater emerge.

    Oops, she’s only gone and done it again!

    At $500,000 per show, Britney has now overtaken Celine Dion as the highest paid entertainer in Sin City. Whether it’s bare-headed, bare-crotched or even barely sober, any version of Britney is always worth a look.

    Britney Spears Las Vegas Residency

    Britney made an appearance in Las Vegas on Thursday to announce her “Britney: Domination” residency at the Park Theater of the MGM’s new Park MGM resort. The residency starts in the New Year and will see a total of 32 shows over the course of February to August.

    Britney’s Domination show will be 90-minutes in length, and at $500,000 per show, that breaks down to a staggering $93 per second. Not a bad night’s work. And just goes to show the music industry can still generate big bucks with the right product.

    Britney Spears stated in a press release in regards to Domination that:

    “I am so happy to be returning to my second home — Las Vegas! I’m working on a brand-new show and I’m so excited for my fans to see it! It’s going to be so much fun being back on stage and I can’t wait to perform at Park Theater.”

    Traveling Without Moving

    The 36-year old singer also talked about how this show has more dancing than any other she has performed. She also talked about how grueling it can be on tour and how staying put in one venue in Las Vegas has made this the perfect deal for her.

    This is not the first time the ‘Toxic’ singer has taken a residency. She finished a four-year ‘Piece of Me’ residency at Planet Hollywood on New Year’s Eve in 2017 and then took the tour nationwide and across Europe from July 12 to August 24, 2018.

    Britney now enjoys the mantle of the highest paid entertainer in Las Vegas, knocking middle-of-road rival Celine Dion off top spot. Tickets go on sale from Friday, October 29 onwards.

    Britney Spears joins an illustrious list of people who can also claim to be the highest paid performers in Sin City throughout history, such as Elvis Presley, Sammy Davis Junior, and ‘old blue eyes’ Frank Sinatra.

    Featured image from Facebook.

  • Mexican Boxer Canelo Alvarez Signs $365 Million Contract with DAZN

    Mexican Boxer Canelo Alvarez Signs $365 Million Contract with DAZN

    Ginger-haired Mexican boxer Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez has just signed the largest TV deal in sports history with the sports streaming service DAZN. The deal is reported to be worth a startling $365 million over a five-year period as DAZN is looking to revolutionize the way boxing and sports content is consumed in America. Canelo Alvarez is the biggest name in world boxing and the darling of the Mexican public.

    The news that Canelo has signed this groundbreaking deal with DAZN is a massive boon for the sports streaming service who now cements itself as a major player in televised sport across America.

    The move by DAZN is also a firm indicator that online streaming services could well be taking over sports coverage in the next few years as the traditional broadcasting and cable businesses still struggle with the changing ethos of modern-day content consumption.

    Boxer Canelo Alvarez Is Going Online

    At a glitzy press conference on Wednesday in New York, Canelo’s promoters, Golden Boy Promotions became the focal point of the sporting world. DAZN and Golden Boy announced they have signed an 11-fight-deal to stream Canelo’s fights over a five-year period that will be worth at least $365 million.

    Not only will it become the largest TV deal in sports history, but Alvarez could well be finishing his career on DAZN.

    Since HBO recently announced it was pretty much removing itself from boxing coverage for the first time in over 40 years, the only major player in the industry was Showtime Boxing. Smaller boxing promotions in America such as PBC and ESPN make some noise and are great for hardcore fight fans, but they are not on the same level as Showtime or DAZN.

    Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez is the biggest name in world boxing with the highest-paying deal ever, alongside the unified British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, who sells out 80,000 people stadiums in the UK.

    Joshua has also recently signed a multiple fight deal with DAZN to stream his fights in America. The British heavyweight kingpin is part of the Matchroom Boxing USA stable who recently secured 1-billion dollars to stream over 30 fights per year on DAZN over the next two to five years.

    A Sports Content Revolution

    We’re currently watching a sports content revolution happen before our eyes. Fighters such as Canelo usually command in the region of $80 to $90 for PPV fights. But this new service from DAZN is a game-changer.

    The new DAZN streaming app is only $9.99 dollars per month and will now include 11 Canelo fights over the next five years, several fight cards per year from Golden Boy, Anthony Joshua fights and a total of 32 shows from Matchroom boxing from the US and UK. When you couple this with DAZN’s Bellator MMA coverage and fight fans are in for a real treat.

    DAZN already has a firm foothold in Germany, Japan, and Canada, but is now targeting the US with more deals apparently in the pipeline for other American sports.

    Featured image by Presidencia de la República Mexicana.

  • Golden Nugget Casinos Owner Seeks Merger with Caesars Entertainment

    Golden Nugget Casinos Owner Seeks Merger with Caesars Entertainment

    In an exclusive scoop by Reuters, it has been reported that billionaire Golden Nugget Casinos owner Tilman Fertitta has approached Caesars Entertainment Corps to discuss a merger between the two companies.

    Fertitta has apparently reached out to the US casino operator Caesars Entertainment in regards to combining their empires in a reverse merger. Caesars Entertainment stock (CZR) jumped 10% on Wednesday as speculation of the merger mounted.

    Reverse Merger for Golden Nugget Casinos Owner

    The billionaire Golden Nugget Casinos owner also has holdings in the Houston Rockets NBA team and the Landry’s company that operates in the restaurant and entertainment sector. His other interests include Morton’s steakhouses, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, and many more. The billionaire is worth a reported $4.5 billion by Forbes.

    Fertitta is pushing for a ‘reverse’ merger that would see Caesars acquire the Golden Nugget Casinos where the combination of shareholders of Caesars and private equity companies Apollo Global Management LLC and TPG Global would remain shareholders of the combined firms. The deal could be worth between $2 billion and $3 billion.

    The idea of the merger has been bouncing around for a week or so, positively affecting Caesars Entertainment stock prices. And if the merger is a success, it would see a vast slew of Fertitta’s restaurants and brands being opened in locations owned by Caesars.

    Caesars has a total of 49 casinos in various locations throughout the US, alongside another 13 in countries such as Canada, Egypt, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. The company currently has a market capitalization of $6.3 billion.

    Alternatively, the Golden Nugget Casinos owner has five casinos in the United States in locations that include Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Laughlin, Nevada, and Biloxi.

    If the two companies did merge, it would become one of the largest hospitality and casino companies on the planet. The plan is that Fertitta would become the chairman and also the majority shareholder of the new company.

    Does that sound like a backdoor takeover to you? Time will tell if the Golden Nuggets’ head honcho can pull off this multi-billion dollar deal of a lifetime.

    Featured image from Casino.org.

  • $100 Million Superyacht Archimedes Will Definitely Float Your Boat

    $100 Million Superyacht Archimedes Will Definitely Float Your Boat

    If you can afford $100 million to buy a balance-busting luxury superyacht, you probably have your servants reading this article to you right now. The mammoth superyacht Archimedes is worth $100 million (£75m) and recently stopped traffic, (or should I say the schooners?), when visiting Bristol Harbor in south-western England.

    Towering over everything like the endearing image of LeBron James in platform heels, the Archimedes wowed onlookers with its dominating stature and untold luxury fit for a king, or queen.

    On Board the Superyacht Archimedes

    How something floating on the water can cost in the region of $100 mil is beyond staggering. The superyacht Archimedes is 68-meters long and houses eight cabins sleeping up to 16 guests and 18 staff.

    The twin Caterpillar engine spits out an earth-shattering 4,000 BHP, which is four times more power than a Bugatti Veyron, reaching up to 16 knots at top speed.

    The vessel weighs approximately 1,100 tons and costs its owners almost $500,000 per year in docking fees alone, not to mention the $320,000 per year for insurance on superyachts of this ilk!

    Although the yacht looks fantastic on the outside, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. And that’s where this vibrant vessel excels.

    From the majestic tip of its ice-strengthened blue hull to its modern stabilization system and everything in between, this superyacht is built to survive and glide on the waters even in the most frightening of weather conditions.

    The boat comes with a stylish sundeck with a luxuriously crafted marble mosaic Jacuzzi, next to a bar and entertainment zone for partying the night away on the seven seas. Keep fit with its onsite gymnasium or dine in style in one of the boats dining and social spaces.

    Little billionaire touches like marble floors in the six bathrooms, a grand piano, elevators, and a real fireplace give the superyacht Archimedes a certain elegance you don’t often see. Hell, you are on a $100 million boat, so what do you expect?

    And if you get bored with all this untold luxury or your own company, you can use the two smaller attached boats to make your escape. Or alternatively, the ship’s helipad to fly you into Monte Carlo to see Prince Albert II of Monaco.

    Featured image from Yacht Harbour.