-Austin Russell is the youngest self-made billionaire on Forbes' 2021 list of world billionaires.
-The 26-year-old runs a company that provides the technology for self-driving cars.
-Russell replaced Kylie Jenner, who was removed by Forbes in 2020 after falsifying documents about her assets.
At the fresh faced age of 26, Austin Russell has been crowned the world’s youngest self-made billionaire by Forbes, dethroning Kylie Jenner, who initially raised disputes about whether she was truly “self-made”, before facing removal entirely due to inflated figures in the documents submitted.
Here’s a quick rundown of how another college dropout managed to join the three-comma club virtually overnight.
Russell became a billionaire virtually overnight in December when his company, Luminar Technologies, was listed on the Nasdaq via an SPAC merger.
Forbes estimated Russell's net worth at $2.4 billion.
Russell received a $100,000 fellowship from the billionaire investor Peter Thiel in 2012 and dropped out of Stanford to found Luminar Technologies, which builds sensors for autonomous vehicles.
The company's sensors have been used to create self-driving cars at companies like Volvo and Toyota. Luminar's technology relies on lidar, which uses pulses of light to create a 3D map of a car's environment, allowing it to determine the best course and avoid obstacles.
In 2019, Tesla CEO Elon Musk called the technology "doomed." Instead of lidar - which has become popular with automotive companies including Alphabet's Waymo - Tesla relies on external cameras for its "Full Self-Driving" software.
Russell replaced Kylie Jenner on the list after Forbes' removed her last May, saying her net worth had been overvalued in the documents she provided.
"What am i even waking up to," she wrote in a tweet reacting to Forbes' decision. "I thought this was a reputable site.. all i see are a number of inaccurate statements and unproven assumptions lol. i've never asked for any title or tried to lie my way there EVER. period."
Jenner was on the cover of Forbes in 2018 as one of the richest self-made women in the US. That sparked backlash as some people questioned whether she was truly "self-made" because of her family's wealth.
Russell is one of four self-made billionaires on Forbes' 2021 list who are in their 20s; the others are the founders of DoorDash, Andy Fang and Stanley Tang, and the crypto investor Sam Bankman-Fried. All four are new additions to the list.
There were several developments in this year's list as COVID-19 shook up the economy. Former President Donald Trump dropped 298 spots in Forbes' ranking. Bloomberg has estimated that Trump's net worth plunged by $700 million during his presidency.
The youngest billionaire on Forbes' list was Kevin David Lehmann, 18, a German drugstore heir worth $3.3 billion.
A gang of armed thieves who tried to rob Arsenal stars Mezut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac of their £200,000 watches have been jailed for more than 100 years.
The eight men, who carried knives, machetes and firearms, terrorised wealthy north London neighbourhoods with a string of violent robberies between April 2019 and July 2020.
They wore masks as they broke into luxury homes and ambushed people in their cars before demanding they hand over jewellery and cash, often at knifepoint.
One of the gang, Jordan Northover, 28, had attempted to rob two Arsenal stars of their £200,000 watches at the point of a knitting needle on July 25, 2019.
Sead Kolasinac, 27, was a passenger in teammate Mesut Ozil's black Mercedes G-Class jeep when they were ambushed in Hampstead, northwest London.
CCTV footage shows Bosnian defender Kolasinac, known as 'The Tank', jumping out of the passenger seat of Ozil's £165,000 4x4 to fight off Northover who prods him with the needle.
But Kolasinac didn't flinch, instead squaring up to the thugs - who arrived on a moped - and attempting to knock them out before jumping back inside the vehicle.
Ozil, 32, who earned £350,000 per-week at Arsenal, sped away down the wrong side of a road in Childs Hill following the attack on July 25 and took refuge at a Turkish restaurant.
Northover was previously handed a six-year sentence for the attempted robbery.
The gang of eight were sentenced at Harrow Crown Court on Monday and Tuesday following the campaign of violence.
They are understood to have committed around 20 offences in total.
In one terrifying raid, five masked men armed with a knife smashed open the door of an 80-year-old woman's bedroom and demanded she told them where her safe was.
They smashed her wardrobes and forced her to the floor on May 19, but eventually left when the horrified victim confessed she did not have a lock box.
On April 10 last year, a driver was waiting in his car when a machete was forced through the window. He ran from his car but was chased, threatened and made to hand over his Rolex.
And in June, a woman was at home with her two children in Golders Green when two burglars wearing balaclavas forced entry with a crowbar.
She tried to deter them from entering by holding up her phone saying that she was calling the police and then ran and hid upstairs as the raiders stole the keys to her black Audi.
Five of the gang struck again the next day in St John's Wood, forcing open the victim's locked bedroom door.
They ordered him to hand over cash and jewellery at knifepoint but he told them he had lost his belongings in a previous raid.
He was threatened with a gun before the gang fled as police arrived.
Two days later on July 16, four members of the gang terrorised a couple when they forced their way into a home in Brondesbury Park through a bathroom window.
The occupants awoke to find the masked men in their bedroom and were forced to open their safe after one of them threatened to 'go and see' a daughter who was sleeping next door.
Detectives had them under observation and watched on July 19 as four masked members of the gang carried out a burglary in Barnet Gate.
The raiders set off an alarm and fled empty handed in an Audi they had stolen in the previous Golders Green burglary.
Just over thirty minutes later, detectives watching them in an unmarked car in Hampstead were astonished as gang members approached the vehicle, intent on robbing them.
Officers called in reinforcements when the gang used a metal bar in an attempt to smash the car window.
The four raiders sped off in a stolen car with a police helicopter giving chase and they were all arrested nearby.
BBNaija 2020 star, Erica Nlewedim has no doubt been celebrated on her 27th birthday in ways that surpassed her imagination and would most likely be looking forward to her birthdays from now on.
On March 13, 2021, the pretty reality show star turned a new age and her fans went above and beyond to prove their love to her.
In previous years, Nigerians have seen fans of BBNaija housemates gives them VIP treatment on their birthdays but Erica’s fans seemed to surpass most people’s imaginations with the things they gifted her.
Some of her fans who identified themselves as the Elite League bought her stocks from companies like Amazon, Disney, United Airlines and Tesla and they are worth $10,000 (N3,810,000)
According to reports, she was initially pranked that her gift was a tricycle but she was so happy with it till they presented her with the real gift, the stock certificate.
Former Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli has said the club should look to offload Cristiano Ronaldo at the end of the season after they were knocked out of the Champions League at the round-of-16 stage for a second straight year.
Juve signed Ronaldo from Real Madrid in the summer of 2018 with the expectation that the Portugal captain would lead them to glory in Europe's elite club competition for the first time since 1996.
Ronaldo has scored 27 goals in 32 appearances in all competitions for Juve this season but failed to find the back of the net in both Champions League encounters against FC Porto, who progressed to the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
"Was CR7 [Cristiano Ronaldo] the wrong signing? Absolutely yes," Cobolli Gigli, who was Juventus president from 2006 until 2009, told a radio station.
"I said that on the very first day, showing that I have respect for a great champion. But he is too expensive ... it's up to Juventus whether to sell Ronaldo or not, but he costs €1 million per goal. Juve president [Andrea] Agnelli must be self-critical, but he doesn't have great collaborators.
"Juventus has a need to rebuild. I would free Ronaldo but also [Juventus sporting director Fabio] Paratici."
Ronaldo, 32, also faced heavy criticism from former Juve manager Fabio Capello for his part in Sergio Oliveira's free-kick in Juve's 3-2 win over Porto.
Ronaldo was in the wall, but he jumped and turned around with the ball going under him and beating Juve goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. Juve went out on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate result.
Juventus sporting director Paratici said prior to Tuesday's encounter that Ronaldo's contract extension is not on the club's agenda at the moment. The forward's deal runs out in June 2022.
Paratici also said Ronaldo will be the one to make the decision on whether he continues or not.
"Cristiano has his career in his hands," he said. "Always with these great players you know that when they decide to end their experience with one team and move on to another experience, it's they who decide, and you have to respect that decision. We have to consider how he will feel in order to continue or not once his contract expires."
A video making rounds on social media shows a lady rejecting the marriage proposal of her supposed boyfriend. According to her, he sold off his manhood to a spiritualist for riches and won't be able to make babies with him.
Pope Francis landed in Iraq on Friday for a historic tour of the war-ravaged nation, where he is meeting with members of the country's dwindling Christian community, aiming to draw attention to their plight.
The trip, which marks the first-ever papal visit to Iraq, also includes meetings with the country's top political and religious officials. It is the pontiff's first trip outside of Italy since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I am happy to start trips again and this is a symbolic trip. It's a duty," the Pope told journalists traveling with him on the papal plane. "It has been a martyred land for too long."
On Friday, the pontiff held meetings with Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and President Barham Salih. Rows of traditional dancers, none of whom wore masks, greeted the Pope as he arrived at Baghdad International Airport.
Pope Francis and his entourage have all been vaccinated against Covid-19.
He later met with clerics and other officials at a Baghdad church that was the site of a bloody 2010 massacre. A crowded of excited congregants greeted Francis in the churchyard, singing "the Pope is here, the Pope is here."
The Pope sat on a throne under a towering collage of the parish members who died in the terrorist attack. "We are gathered in this Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation, hallowed by the blood of our brothers and sisters who here paid the ultimate price of their fidelity to the Lord and his Church," the pontiff said.
The Pope said he has come to Iraq as a "pilgrim."
"I come as a penitent, asking forgiveness of heaven and my brothers and sisters for so much destruction and cruelty," said the pontiff during a speech on Friday. "I come as a pilgrim of peace in the name of Christ, the Prince of Peace. How much we have prayed in these years for peace in Iraq."
Francis was widely expected to cancel the visit after a surge in coronavirus cases gripped Iraq in recent weeks, and a spate of new rocket attacks deepened security fears. But the Pope insisted that the visit go on as scheduled, referring to Iraq's ancient Christian community as "that martyred Church."
For some time I have wanted to meet that people who suffered so much, Francis said on Wednesday. "The people of Iraq are waiting for us. They were waiting for St. Pope John Paul II, who was not allowed to go," he added, referring to a planned trip in 2000 which was canceled after a breakdown in talks between the Vatican and then President Saddam Hussein.
"The people cannot be let down for a second time. Let us pray that this trip can be carried out well."
Iraqi officials have hailed the visit as an important moment for the country, while privately admitting that the timing of the trip has proved a challenge for authorities.
One of the key parts of the Pope's itinerary is a Saturday visit to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a widely revered Shia cleric. Sistani will receive the pontiff at his residence in the holy city of Najaf, to the south of Baghdad.
The papal meeting with the 90-year old Sistani -- who is rarely seen in public -- can be seen as one of the most significant summits between a pope and a leading Shia Muslim figure.
Francis has met with leading Sunni cleric Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb on several occasions, famously co-signing a 2019 document pledging "human fraternity" between world religions.
The meeting with Sistani is expected by some to serve as the Shia Muslim component of the pontiff's efforts to bolster interfaith relations.
Tens of thousands of Iraqis staged months-long street demonstrations, some of which were violently quashed, in the months before the coronavirus pandemic began to spread here.
"The country needs services, security and peace," said 50-year-old Mohammed Jassem. "[The Pope] can't give us these things but we ask him to call on the leadership and the parties for these things."
"We call on him to unify its ethnicity ... the country requires unity and we hope he can bring us this," he added.
Iraqi authorities have been busy preparing for the papal visit, cleaning streets and re-paving others where the Vatican delegation is scheduled to go. New street lamps light the roads and many previously broken traffic lights are back in commission.
The irony is not lost on Iraqis. "The streets of Baghdad have become a lot better within a week," said 41-year-old shopkeeper Ahmad al-Assadi. "I wish he would stay for a month and tour all of Iraq ... maybe then they can fix the entire country."
WriterNig: A century ago, the First World War had just ended, and the world was a different place. Women entered the workforce in large numbers, a plane completed a non-stop flight across the Atlantic for the first time, and Prohibition began in the United States. Here’s a look back at life 100 years ago.
1. Soldiers return home from the war World War I came to an end on November 11, 1918, but with so many troops overseas, most would not return home until 1919.
2. General John J. Pershing leads a victory parade General John J. Pershing commanded the U.S. forces in Europe during World War I. On September 10, 1919, Pershing led the victory parade down New York City’s Fifth Avenue. Crowds gathered to cheer on 25,000 American soldiers who had served on the Western Front.
3. Peggy O’Neil participates in the Stage Women’s War Relief Irish-born actress Peggy O’Neil took part in the Stage Women’s War Relief, a New York organization to coordinate the efforts of volunteers among women in the theatre, providing hospital supplies and clothing for soldiers in Europe.
4. African-American soldiers from the 369th Infantry Regiment The French government awarded the U.S. 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the Harlem Hellfighters, the Croix de Guerre, its highest award for bravery
Nigerian football star popularly as Emmanuel Emenike recently took to his instagram page and shared pictures of how he hosted Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma and singer Phyno Inside his multi-million naira Mansion.
A video going viral on social media has revealed the heart-warming moment a guy surprised his male best friend with a car gift. The video revealed the best friend opening a multi-wrapped package containing the car key. He became excited and rejoiced as soon as he noticed that the package has a car key.
The best friend was left with no option other than to hug the guy. Their hug left many pleased as it was a passionate one. There were also some people present at the scene. They cheered up the guy's best friend while revealing the car to him. The car which was previously covered was opened up for the best friend to see.
A trending video has emerged showing the moment some brave officers of ‘Operation Tura Takai Bango’ discovered and countered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), in Kafan Ruwa town.
However, the video showed an army officer believed an expert in this field scraping up sand with bare hands to unearth an IED reportedly buried by Boko Haram terrorists.
Alhough, no anti-explosive body armor was worn by the soldier. Information gathered revealed that he successfully removed the explosives without any casualty.
- €115,225,000 as ‘renewal fee’ just for accepting the contract.
- €77,929,955 loyalty bonus.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo claims it has obtained a copy of Lionel Messi's Barcelona contract, saying figures confirm the star player's deal is the biggest in sports history.
According to the report, Messi would receive a maximum of €555,237,619 (US$673,919,105) over four seasons, if a series of conditions were met.
The contract was agreed in November 2017 and expires on June 30 this year, when Messi will leave Camp Nou if there is no agreement with the club over an extension.
Messi tried to leave Barcelona last summer, arguing that a clause in the deal allowed him to walk away for free, before eventually backing down.
The size of Barca's financial commitment to Messi, 33, is one of a number of deals that have left the club's accounts in a perilous position.
Their most recent set of accounts revealed that Barca's total debt is over a billion euros and player wages are responsible for almost three-quarters of the club's budget.
The El Mundo report which was released late on Saturday night -- said Messi's 30-page contract saw Barcelona agree to pay the forward €138,000,000 per season, including variables.
It included a signing-on bonus of €115,225,000 for accepting the renewal and a "loyalty" bonus of €77,929,955.
The newspaper claims that with five months still left to run on the deal, Messi has already earned €511,540,545.
The contract has coincided with Barcelona's decline as a force at the highest level in Europe.
Messi led the team to win La Liga in 2018 and 2019, but the Champions League has eluded them, being dramatically eliminated from the competition by Roma, Liverpool and Bayern Munich in successive seasons.
Those disappointments led Messi to attempt to force a departure in August 2020 in a move that shocked world football.
That was followed by the resignation of the president who agreed Messi's 2017 contract, Josep Maria Bartomeu, in October.
Club elections to choose a new president -- for whom resolving Messi's future will be high on the agenda -- were set for Jan. 24 but have been postponed until March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Sire Eneh Gozieboy, a Nigerian Borno state serving soldier, who celebrated his birthday with loaf of bread has received cake as his birthday present.
Recall that, Gozieboy had posted himself with loaf of bread on his birthday, claimed that, both bread and cake are all made from flour.
His birthday got the attention of so many Nigerians, who are well acquainted with the services the Nigerian soldiers are rendering in the face of Insurgency
In his recent post, he has received cake and other gifts from @rccolanigeria. He wrote;
I have waited for 26yrs of my life to cut a cake and it happened today cuz of the love my dearest country have for me and my colleagues here in battle front. “Thanks to @rccolanigeria for locating me no matter how far it was just to celebrate me. In as much as am happy right now, am a bit sad bcuz my Queenmother is not close to celebrate with me but I know she is happy today. I really appreciate u all Nigerians God bless Nigeria..
Nigerian soldiers on Tuesday, were seen jubilating over the removal of Tukur Buratai as the Chief of Army Staff in Maiduguri. As shared by Omoyele Sowore on Twitter.
See soldiers rejoicing over the removal of Tukur Buratai as the Chief of Army staff of @HQNigerianArmy imagine what’s #Nigerians will do when his incompetent boss @MBuhari is also retired permanently from #Nigeria’s political space. imagine it! #RevolutionNow
When Kamala Harris became the first Black female vice president in American history, her husband, Doug Emhoff, also became the country's first-ever second gentleman.
Emhoff, who was described as the Biden-Harris campaign's "secret weapon," is an accomplished entertainment lawyer. In a move that defies stereotypical gender norms, he's leaving his law practice in order to focus on supporting his wife's political career.
Emhoff lived in Old Bridge and Matawan, New Jersey, from 1969 until 1981. He tweeted that New Jersey "is still very much in my veins" in response to a Harris campaign worker returning home to the state for Thanksgiving.
2. He's been an entertainment lawyer for over 25 years.
Emhoff was a partner at DLA Piper in Los Angeles specializing in intellectual property and entertainment and media law. He earned his law degree at the University of Southern California.
A Michigan company named Wrench sued Taco Bell for breach of contract, claiming that Taco Bell had taken the chihuahua character they invented to another ad agency, TBWA, for adaptation into a television series. A federal judge ruled that Taco Bell — not TBWA, thanks to Emhoff — had to pay $42 million.
He also represented Jukin, a media company that owns the rights to the viral "Pizza Rat" video showing a rat dragging a New York slice down a flight of subway stairs, in copyright infringement lawsuits. As a result, GIFs of Pizza Rat were taken down across the internet.
4. He met Kamala Harris on a blind date in 2013.
The two were set up on a blind date by Harris' friend Chrisette Hudlin, who met Emhoff through work.
"The morning after our first date, @DouglasEmhoff emailed me a list of his available dates for the next couple of months," Harris wrote on Instagram on Emhoff's birthday in 2020. "He said, 'I want to see if we can make this work.' We've been making it work ever since."
Emhoff described meeting Harris as "love at first sight" in an Instagram post for her birthday.
Harris and Emhoff held their wedding at a courthouse in Santa Barbara, California.
The ceremony incorporated elements of each of their heritages — Emhoff wore a flower around his neck according to Indian tradition, and they stepped on a glass in a Jewish wedding ritual.
Doug and Kerstin divorced after 16 years and remain good friends. Kerstin is also friends with Harris — she even volunteered for Harris' campaign.
Cole earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Colorado College in 2017, and Ella is studying apparel and textiles at Parsons School of Design, according to Alma. Harris wrote in Elle that she and Emhoff's children didn't like the term "stepmom," so they began calling her "Momala."
7. He's the first Jewish spouse of a vice president.
He and Harris released a video for Hanukkah in which they discussed the meaning of the holiday and lit a menorah. Emhoff also shared a Rosh Hashanah message for the Jewish new year in September.
Emhoff will teach a class called "Entertainment Law Disputes."
"I've long wanted to teach and serve the next generation of young lawyers," he said in a statement. "I couldn't be more excited to join the Georgetown community."
9. He's an avid golfer.
Emhoff was a member at Hillcrest Country Club, a historically Jewish country club in Los Angeles that formed when other establishments would not admit Jews. For a time, his Twitter bio included the descriptor "wannabe golfer."
Business › Austin Russell Is Forbes Youngest Self-Made Billionaire (Photos) by WriterNig(op): 7:44am On Apr 08, 2021
