Dubai is nearing the record luxury apartment prices of cities like New York and London. In the last year, Dubai has renewed several of its own records, which it hopes to surpass in 2024. The article showcases the extravagant houses that are leading this luxury real estate race.

Jeff Bezos has invested in Perplexity AI, a San Francisco-based startup with less than 40 employees, confirming his interest in challenging Google's dominance in internet searches. The exact amount Bezos contributed to the $73.6 million funding round led by IVP is undisclosed, but Perplexity AI is now valued at about $520 million. Other participants include NVIDIA, Databricks, NEA, and Bessemer Venture Partners. Perplexity AI's search engine provides instant answers with sources, and its information retrieval is powered by various large language models, including OpenAI's and Meta's LlaMA. Despite rapid growth to 45 million visits in December, the company is not yet profitable. Its creators are optimistic, with CEO Aravind Srinivas stating that Perplexity AI represents the next generation and future of search engines.

Soho House, initially a social club for creative clientele, is halting new memberships in its ten London locations, three New York clubs, and four Los Angeles establishments due to overcrowding and loss of exclusivity. Founder Nick Jones informed members via email about efforts to improve service. The membership freeze will last at least until the end of 2024. Complaints about the clubs' exclusivity have surfaced on social media, particularly on the 'Soho House Memes' Instagram account. Despite these issues, Soho House plans to expand, with eight new locations set to open in 2024, including in the US, Brazil, the UK, and Australia. Current members will retain access to all global locations.

Marsha Garcés Williams, the second wife of Robin Williams and mother of two of his children, has put their San Francisco mansion on the market for 25 million. The couple lived in the mansion from the early 90s until 2010. The three-story house, built in 1926 and remodeled by the couple, offers views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Pacific Ocean, and the San Francisco Bay. Located in the Sea Cliff neighborhood, the mansion features a marble facade, terracotta roof, and a secret passage among other luxurious amenities. The property includes a one-bedroom guest apartment and is close to landmarks like the Lincoln Park golf course.

Matthew Perry's estate, primarily sourced from 'Friends' royalties and luxury real estate sales, faces uncertainty following his death on October 28 without direct descendants. Authorities are investigating the cause of death, while the absence of a spouse or children points to his parents as likely inheritors, unless a will states otherwise. Perry's earnings from 'Friends' and recent property transactions, including sales to Rihanna, are highlighted. His memoirs have surged to Amazon's number one in sales. The actor's struggle with addiction, spending $9 million on rehabilitation, is also noted. The potential involvement of the Matthew Perry Foundation in his estate is mentioned, dependent on family decisions.

British musician Elton John has put his luxury apartment in Atlanta, Georgia, up for sale after thirty years as his official base in the United States. The interior is as spectacular as his wardrobe, and the property is listed for five million dollars (4.71 million euros).

Taylor Swift has joined the exclusive club of billionaire artists at the age of 33, largely due to the success of her world tour, The Eras Tour, which is set to continue until November 2024. Bloomberg's conservative estimates place her fortune over $1 billion, with tour ticket sales exceeding $700 million. Swift's financial success is attributed to her music catalog, valued at $400 million, internet streaming earnings of $120 million, song usage revenue of $80 million, and properties worth $110 million. The documentary about her tour, 'Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,' broke records with a $128 million opening week. Swift is re-recording her first six albums to regain copyright control. Her father, Scott Swift, a former Merrill Lynch employee, is the principal architect of her business success, managing The Swift Group based in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Taylor Swift's economic impact was highlighted in the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's Beige Book, and she has 89 more shows to perform, including one in Madrid on May 30, 2024.

A buyer, whose identity remains anonymous, has purchased Jennifer Lopez's mansion for 34 million dollars, a reduction from the initial asking price of 42.5 million dollars. Lopez had bought the property in 2016 for 28 million dollars from actress Sela Ward and her husband, entrepreneur Howard Sherman. The French country-style mansion spans 1,300 square meters with nine bedrooms, home cinema, bar, wood-paneled library, private lake, sandy beach, guest cabin, swimming pool, and an outdoor amphitheater with 100 seats. Lopez and her partner, who married in July 2022 in Las Vegas and later in Georgia, previously spent around 61 million dollars on a megamansion in Wallingford Estates, Los Angeles, featuring 12 bedrooms, 24 bathrooms, a 12-car garage, and luxurious sports facilities.

President Joe Biden warned that the world is at a turning point in history and called on Congress to urgently approve a $100 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and the US-Mexico border. Following his trip to Tel Aviv and the deadly attack on a Gaza hospital, Biden defended Israel's actions and emphasized the need for US leadership in the world. The White House's support for Israel remains strong, with 61% of Americans in favor, according to a Quinnipiac poll. However, internal Congressional conflicts, particularly among Republicans, pose a challenge to passing the funding. Biden also announced a humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza with Egypt and Israel, although its opening is uncertain. Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East increased with US forces intercepting missiles and drones from Yemen and a drone attack on a US military base in Syria.

In the early hours of November 11, 2022, shortly after FTX's bankruptcy was finalized, unidentified thieves hacked into the company's computer system and stole between $415 and $432 million in cryptocurrencies. The theft occurred amid chaos as customers rushed to sell their FTX tokens, causing liquidity problems and the company's ultimate collapse. FTX staff and external consultants scrambled to save over $1 billion, moving $500 million to a USB device in a desperate attempt to prevent further losses. A 12-hour emergency meeting ensued, with the digital asset trust company BitGo creating offline wallets to secure the remaining funds. FTX's lack of a dedicated security director or team and its practice of keeping cryptocurrencies in active online wallets without encrypted keys or transaction logs were later identified as significant security lapses.

An auction of Freddie Mercury's possessions, including his piano and original 'Bohemian Rhapsody' manuscript, began at Sotheby's London and is expected to exceed the initial estimate of 7.4 million euros. The proceeds will partly benefit HIV/AIDS charities. The Barcelona City Council failed to acquire the original manuscripts of 'Barcelona', the Olympic anthem performed by Mercury and Montserrat Caballé. The collection, which remained largely untouched at Mercury's Garden Lodge for 30 years, was exhibited globally before the auction. Sotheby's Europe President Oliver Baker highlighted Mercury's enduring artistic legacy.

Lucovsky has left his position at Google, citing changes in leadership and unstable commitment and vision within the augmented and mixed reality teams as reasons. He was in charge of operating systems and software platforms at Google XR and the development of 'Android for augmented reality.' Despite unknown future plans, Lucovsky is eager to explore opportunities in augmented reality and AI. His departure follows challenges faced by his team, including layoffs and the resignation of former virtual reality head Clay Bavor. Google canceled Project Iris earlier this year, leading to 12,000 job cuts. The augmented reality device market has become more competitive with Meta's Quest 3 and the anticipated Apple Vision Pro. Google is reportedly shifting focus from hardware to software, developing the 'micro XR' platform and collaborating with Samsung and Qualcomm on a mixed reality project. Lucovsky previously worked at Facebook's Oculus VR and joined Google in 2021.

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, and his girlfriend, former journalist Lauren Sanchez, have become engaged, marking a significant milestone in their five-year relationship which began before they separated from their previous partners.

Harry and Meghan, along with Meghan's mother Doria Ragland, were chased by paparazzi in New York after leaving the Women of Vision Awards. The pursuit involved evasive maneuvers and was confirmed by a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who expressed their distress. The NYPD is investigating the incident, which included near collisions and involved other drivers and police officers. The couple and Ragland were eventually escorted to safety by the NYPD. The incident occurred shortly after the UK Home Office denied Harry's request to pay for police protection in the UK. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex currently reside in California with their children.