We are currently living through one of the worst financial crises ever, but when it comes to handling money, the world is no stranger to messing things up. While the current economic situation is no laughing matter, there have been a slew of hilarious mishaps that have cost countries a bundle. From Superman's obscenely expensive CGI-ed mouth in 2018's Justice League, to Spain building a luxury submarine that was unable to resurface, here are some of the biggest money mistakes in history.
The 'Walkie Talkie' Building Melted Cars
20 Fenchurch Street's eyesore of a building was already hard to look at considering how reflective it was in the sunlight. But when Martin Lindsay returned to his new Jaguar on a hot day, the London skyscraper was actually so reflective that it had melted parts of the cars body and rearview mirror. In addition to the 946-pound payout to Mr. Lindsay for damage to his car, the building had come up with a way to give the already 200-million-pound building more sunscreen. Needless to say, the whole ordeal was quite expensive and embarrassing.
Henry Cavil's mustache
Tepid action actor Henry Cavil had just wrapped up filming for Justice League when he had started filming for Mission Impossible – Fallout, but Warner Brothers decided a few scenes needed to be redone for the former. Unfortunately, Cavil had worked very hard to grow out a pencil thin mustache, and the filming schedules were too set in stone for him to shave. Coordinating the reshoots, and CGI-ing out Cavil's facial hair all cost around $25 million, and they didn't even succeed, as fans were quick to point out how weird the actors face looked on the big screen.
French Train Company Made Trains Too Big For Track
(Photo by Frederick Florin/AFP/Getty Images)
French train company SNCF purchased 2,000 trains in 2014 for around 15 billion euros, but they soon realized their platforms were too narrow for the new orders, a mistake which cost them an additional 50 million euros. It was all at the fault of the operator, who didn't factor in measurements of train platforms that had been built more than 50 years ago.
Spain's Submarine that Couldn't Resurface
Spain coughed up around $2.2 billion to build a luxury submarine named The Isaac Peral. But before the vessel was completed in 2013, engineers discovered that the unfinished submarine was so heavy that it probably would not resurface if placed underwater. The design flaw was fixed, but it was embarrassing when news broke.
Mizuho Securities loses $225 million dollars Due to a Typo
In 2005 Japanese security company Mizuho lost an enormous sum when a single stockbroker mistyped some financial data. Instead of offering a single share in J-Com's stock for about 610,000 yen (or $5,000 dollars,) he offered 610,000 shares for 1 yen. The disaster meant investors were buying out Mizuho's stock for an insanely low amount of money, costing the company around $225 million in damages.
Airbnb is a great option while traveling, but you should protect yourself from damage charges from unscrupulous hosts.
Airbnb offers an affordable option for people looking to be more comfortable as they travel.
However, there are downsides to staying in a host's home rather than a hotel. Whereas hotels are designed for constant streams of visitors and often have furniture built to last, at an Airbnb, you may be staying on old or cheap furniture that a host is using in order to maximize their profits.
And while most reputable hotels will have regular room inspections from staff to check for any wear and tear, Airbnb damage disputes are oftentimes he said, she said situations. If you are in an Airbnb and something breaks, there are a few steps you should take in order to ensure that you are not on the hook for damages out of your control.
If you're keeping tabs on the art and tech worlds, you've probably been hearing whispers about "NFTs" for the past month. Just over the past week they've entered the mainstream lexicon.
Twitter founder Jack Dorsey made the news for selling his first ever tweet. The app has been teasing paid subscription models and newsletter-like features, but tweets for sale is "the next frontier."
just setting up my twttr— jack (@jack)1142974214.0
The 2006 tweet went up for auction as an NFT, and the current bid is $2.5 Million. But what does it mean to own that? Why would anyone want to? And what even is an NFT?
Long gone are the days when the majority of Americans dreamed about owning a home with a white picket fence.
The traditional American Dream may be on its deathbed, but that doesn't mean a core component of the vision can't survive. It simply takes a diverse perspective. People can still believe they can attain their own vision of success in society with hard work, knowledge, and risk-taking. Investing in today's American Dream may literally mean investing money in our modern economy, starting with our infrastructure.
Real estate investing in particular is a lucrative method that can boost income and secure a better financial future for many. There's always risk involved, but the payoffs can far outweigh the uncertainty. Selecting solid financial investments is about confidence and competence. If you're looking for some advice on this kind of investment, here are a few savvy tips for new real estate investors.
Stick To a Specific Strategy or Niche
Real estate is a challenging sphere of the business world, one that requires several key skills: groundwork knowledge, networking, perseverance, and organization. True knowledge of the real estate market will come with time and experience, but it's a smart idea to select one area of the market and stick to it. This is the best way to attain in-depth familiarity with your specific niche.
First, choose a geographical area close by and then a niche strategy within it, such as house flips, rental rehabs, or residential or commercial properties. By doing so, you can become aware of current inner working conditions in the market and you'll have a better idea of how these trends may change in the future.
Be Vigilant About Viable Financing Options
While it takes money to make money, you don't have to use all your own money. A common misconception about real estate investing is that you must be wealthy to start off. This isn't straight fact, however. A majority of people can test the waters of real estate investing without a lot of initial cash in their pocket.
Aside from traditional financing options from banks and institutions, private lending options can be worthy solutions. Hard money lenders are popular, reasonable choices, and they tend to have fewer qualification requirements upfront. However, be sure to strategically choose a hard money lender to find the best possible fit.
Master the Art of Finding Good Deals
There may be hundreds of thousands of available properties for sale on the current market, but the bulk of them will never amount to the final money-making result you desire. Another great tip for new real estate investors is to use good math to estimate profit. Taking risks is part of the process, but you have the ability to analyze properties and use networking sources to find the greatest deal. You can't win every deal, but you can steadily work towards a thriving financial future.
