Lebron hired his friend Rich Paul to be his agent with no experience or degrees in sports related fields. Everyone said it was the worst decision ever. Today, LeBron is worth $1 Billion in contracts and endorsements. His friend Rich Paul is now the #1 agent in the NBA and he's expanding to MLB and the NFL.

After graduating from high school, Paul bought his first house at 19 and was mentored by Distant Replays owner Andy Hyman on selling vintage jerseys. ... In 2002, he met LeBron James at the Akron–Canton Airport, where James was impressed by Paul's authentic Warren Moon throwback jersey.

Paul’s agency, Klutch Sports Group, is a part of United Talent Agency and represents LeBron James, Ben Simmons, John Wall and Anthony Davis, among other NBA players. Rich Paul is known for driving hard bargains for star clients, giving them new power in the N.B.A.

He launched the agency in 2012, with Forbes reporting that Klutch received over $1 billion in contract values and the company’s football division represented two of the first three players who were drafted in 2020.

See what happens when you sometimes give people a chance to prove their worth and put your friends in a position to win!! Uplift each other!
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Wall Street has amassed a considerable war chest to take advantage of the shifting housing market.
Institutional investors have earmarked up to $110 billion to purchase or build single-family rentals, Insider reported. The estimate comes from Zelman & Associates, which hailed the amount as the most ever accumulated by investors to acquire U.S. homes. Of the $110 billion, $30 billion has already been committed to properties being leased or developed, a Zelman investment banker added.
The money is enough for roughly 400,000 homes. Institutional investors already own about 700,000. That is only 3 percent of the nation’s 20 million single-family rentals, according to Roofstock, but MetLife Investment Management predicts it will grow to 40 percent by 2030.
The players gearing up for a homebuying spree in the $4.4 trillion single-family rental market run the gamut, but include major names. Invitation Homes, Tricon Residential, Blackstone and KKR are among them, as are wealth managers and pension funds such as CalPERS and Invesco.

Investors are looking for a better bet than their traditional property holdings, including office buildings, which are struggling. In addition to single-family rentals, they have been drawn to multifamily buildings and industrial assets.

Institutions pumped $50 billion into the single-family rental market during the first two years of the pandemic, John Burns Real Estate Consulting estimated. But the market has shifted in recent months as rising mortgage rates sidelined not only individuals but institutions.
Single-family rental transaction volume was down 70 percent year-over-year through November, according to an estimate by Adam Stern, the CEO of Strata SFR.

The housing market is presenting an opportunity for investors, though, as many individuals want to live in houses but don’t want to buy at the moment because prices and mortgage rates have jumped — or they expect to move in the near future.
Prices could decline in 2023 as more homes are listed for sale. Investors are also working with builders on built-to-rent communities, allowing investors to score deals and builders to ease inventory crunches.

​Source: The Real Deal

Given how impractical and unusual the footwear is, it’s been a surprise to see how quickly—and how widespread—the fashion world has hopped on them, before they’re even released no less. They’re certainly a commitment to wear: A number of TikTok videos show how much of a workout it is to get them on and off. But if fashion people love one thing, it’s a gimmick, and these boots had everyone talking and noticing them this season. Those who dared to wear them get bonus points for the risk-taking. Though something tells us they’ll be as obsolete as a Nintendo 64 come next season. ​

Source: Vogue

The 12,141-square-foot Royal Mansion residence at Atlantis The Royal Dubai will open to guests next month.​Looks like the crown jewel of Atlantis The Royal Dubai is Queen B–approved.
This past weekend, the lavish resort hosted a star-studded opening weekend that ended with a one-hour private concert from Beyoncé—who sparkled in $7.5 million worth of jewelry during the performance, which reportedly cost the hotel $24 million—and a spectacular firework display that could be seen from miles away. While the activities brought out A-listers such as Black Panther‘s Winston Duke, Kendall Jenner and Jay-Z, the real star of the show was the stunning Royal Mansion, the lush accommodation where the Renaissance singer resided during the extravaganza. And now you, too, can stay at the insane digs when the property officially opens next month—for $100,000 a night.

Upon your arrival, you’ll be chauffeured through the private entrance of the two-level four-bedroom penthouse. From there, feel free to roam around the 12,141-square-foot space, which includes a private white-and-gold-hued-foyer complete with 100-year-old olive trees and sky-high ceilings that allow an abundance of sunlight to entry the room. The residence is flush with modern details throughout, from the white-marble flooring to the terrace’s wood furnishings to the uniquely vivid chandeliers, that make the ultra-contemporary Royal Mansion feel just as its name suggests.

Not to be forgotten, the swanky four bedrooms, which hold three king-size and two queen-size beds, can accommodate up to nine people and come with their own exclusive Hermès bath products. The primary bedroom, found on the second level, has an en-suite bathroom facing the expansive terrace, so you can soak in the tub while taking in the sights. Don’t worry about checking in at the lobby: With your stay at the Royal Mansion, everything is completed in-room, so you jump right into relaxation. The personal butler service is also on call to cater to any and all your needs, along with 24-hour room service—just in case you get a late-night craving. And you can experience spa-like serenity without having to leave the massive penthouse, since you can choose to unwind in your personal steam room.
Outside, meanwhile, you can lounge in privacy on the 5,123-square-foot terrace that boasts sweeping views of Dubai’s skyline, as well as the Arabian Sea. To escape the city’s famous heat, you can dive into the glistening infinity pool to cool off. You can even choose to have your meals prepped in the outdoor kitchen or eat inside, thanks to the luxe 12-seat dining room. Back indoors, there’s also an entertainment room complete with a library and a bar, if you decide to keep the party at home.

And the hotel itself may be just as awe-inducing as its most luxurious suite. The 795-room property includes the largest jellyfish aquarium in the world, an insane water fountain that “breathes fire” and 17 different restaurants and bars for you to test out, including a few run by Michelin-star chefs.
Sounds like it may be time to plan your next trip to Dubai.
Rates for Atlantis The Royal’s penthouse suite start at $100,000 per night.

​Source: Robb Report

The big, red brick building down the road is where you get your groceries. You have to drive there, past the shiny chrome car dealership, turn left by the green gas station. The yellow fast-food place is your kids’ favorite. It’s in the same block as your grocery store. And that large brown building? That’s where you do your banking and keep your money.
But, as in the new book “The White Wall: How Big Finance Bankrupts Black America” by Emily Flitter (Atria/One Signal Publishers, October 2022), can you get that money out?

Some years ago, while covering her beat as a banking reporter for The New York Times, Flitter tried to follow a lead on a Black man who had been fired from his job at a major financial company. It turned out to be a weak lead, but along the way she met a lawyer who turned her toward a much bigger issue: racism in the financial industry.
Recent polls show that most Americans have no idea that a racial wealth gap exists in the United States. They know nothing about the Black/White gap in family wealth. Neither do they have a clue that Black families fared much worse than whites in the 2008 financial crisis, nor that Black families are struggling again in this post-Pandemic time.

​The truth is, racism thrives in banking institutions where, Flitter says, white bank employees often profile Black customers as “suspicious,” even when those customers have a paper trail of proof for their own money.
Black borrowers are often given inferior service and more wrong information. Flitter also found instances where skin color determined interest rates. Bank customers who are Black aren’t always offered the valuable perks that white customers get. Similarly, insurance companies are not servicing Black homeowners the same as they do white homeowners.

Not even Black business owners escape racism within the financial industry. Not to mention the proportionately low number of Black employees in those institutions, or the sparse number of high-level leaders.
Clearly, says Flitter, “Corporate America has a long way to go.”Pick up your copy of “The White Wall,” hold it tight, and make room on your lap for your jaw. It may be dropping a lot while you’re reading this shocking book.
Or maybe not.

What’s in this book may not be much of a surprise to readers who live this reality every day. Flitter has some words for those readers, starting with this: What you’ve experienced is no anomaly.
She also has words for Wall Street and every large business in the nation, devoting an entire chapter to ideas on how to do better by making financial services more accessible for Black Americans. There’s good news in Flitter’s final words on the ideas she puts forth, and that’s a happy start. But, judging by the many, many stories she shares, readers absolutely could be forgiven for any lingering pessimism.

“The White Wall,” Flitter’s debut book, is a powerful narrative about the demoralizing and dehumanizing actions of an industry that has yet to do away with redlining and other policies of the Jim Crow era (1877-1964) of legally enforced racial segregation.
Yet, the book is easy to read – and, hopefully, put to use – even for the busiest executive. With an essential message that shouts to be heard, it has the potential to create new consciousness.
To paraphrase Flitter, America’s financial system has a long way to go.

Source: The Network Journal