As the cost of living shoots up, people in South Africa and around the world are struggling to pay for necessities and feed their families.
However, on the opposite spectrum, the wealthy have such an obscene amount of money that they spend it on things that the ‘average’ person might not understand or even deem as wasteful.
Here are five of the most common things the rich have spent their money on:
Automobile collection
Estimated price: R95,314,350,000 (about $5 billion)
The astounding number of cars belongs to the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah. The 77-year-old’s famed collection includes 5,000 to 7,000 of the world's rarest, finest, best-performing, and most costly automobiles. Among the most valuable pieces are 21 Lamborghinis, 452 Ferraris, and 604 Rolls Royces.
Superyachts
Estimated price: R22,910,700,000 (around $1,2 billion)
Roman Abramovich, a Russian tycoon, has a massive fleet. The greatest treasure of all, though, is his ownership of the Eclipse, the world's largest and most costly yacht.
The Eclipse, which debuted in 2010, has 557 square metres of living space spread between 11 cabins and suites. It also includes a landing pad for three helicopters. Amazingly, the ship also boasts a submarine that has a three-person capacity.
Double-decker super-jumbo jet
Estimated price: R9,533,850,000 (about $500 million)
This belonged to Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. The prince paid around R6,078,924,610 for the world's largest passenger airliner, an A380 double-decker super-jumbo.
He desired upgrades, such as space for his horses and two Rolls Royce vehicles. This addition led to the price soaring. But before the upgrades were completed, he sold it to an unidentified bidder.
World’s most expensive house
Estimated price: R19,047,100,000 (about $1 billion)
Mukesh Ambani, an Indian business titan, used his riches to construct the most costly residence in India and the whole world.
Forbes describes Ambani's home as a 27-storey structure with three helicopter pads and six subterranean parking levels.
The home, named after the fabled island of Antilla, is said to have a ballroom, a 50-seat theatre, and nine lifts in the foyer. Around 600 people are needed to keep Ambani's mega-mansion running.
Ghost-detecting device
Estimated price: over R952,000
Acclaimed singer and actress Lady Gaga (Stefani Germanotta) has her eccentricities, but none are more expensive than her ghost-detecting machine.
The global superstar is said to have an extreme fear of ghosts (phasmophobia), and to help herself be more at ease, she had an electromagnetic field meter made to spot the tortured souls.
IOL