The Fast And The Fashionable
© Lauren GreenfieldMONACO GRAND PRIX
It is the perfect recipe that attracts the rich, famous, and Psy impersonators alike to the French Riviera; free flowing champagne, million dollar yachts, private planes and helicopters, fashion shows, luxurious parties, and the most glamorous sporting event in the world, the Monaco Grand Prix.
Considered to be the ultimate Formula One race, it is also the most dangerous and demanding with its narrow course, tight corners, and elevation changes. But, the Circuit de Monaco only offers a glimpse of the real prestige that takes place in this playground built for the rich and famous. The $1.5 billion worth of yachts that fill Port Hercules represents the who’s who of the mega rich and where, lined next to each other, they compete for the unofficial title of best party, by outdoing each other with loud music and luxury amenities. However, no one could outdo the party held aboard Safari Force India owner Dr. Vijay Mallya’s Indian Empress, a four-story yacht with an open-air nightclub, that included dancers and models flown in from Bombay to perform a fashion show, DJ’s spinning into the late night, bracelets and scarves given as party favors, and endless amounts of champagne and whisky made by the brewery magnate Dr. Mallya’s $12 billion dollar spirits group.
Held in the country that has the highest number of millionaires and billionaires, the lowest poverty rate, and the airport with the greatest number of private jets in the world, what other sporting event has the president of the company, Formula One CEO billionaire Bernie Ecclestone, charged in an international bribery case, athletes and their wives modeling in fashion shows, race day looking more like the Hollywood red carpet, lunch with a view costing €1,200, and a charity benefit auctioneer asking, “Who here doesn’t have a Picasso yet?” as he offers an original Picasso drawing, with no chuckle from the audience.
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