Abba
They certainly do not need the money, so Swedish pop group Abba’s comeback may actually be all about the music. Together, the awesome foursome have a net worth of more than $1 billion, with each member’s fortune estimated at between $200 million and $300 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Having sold nearly 400 million albums over the decades, Abba's total net worth places them just behind The Beatles. Royalties account for a significant percentage of their wealth, with a major share thought to come from their work as Abba.
As a movie producer and composer of musicals, Bjorn Ulvaeus has a net worth of $300m. He has an extensive portfolio of real estate investments across Europe, in addition to the homes he shares with his wife Lena Kallersjo in Sweden.
Anni-Frid Lyngstad’s wealth is also estimated at $300m and derives from her work with Abba as well as earnings from her solo career.
Benny Andersson, who co-produced Chess and Mamma Mia! with Ulvaeus, has a fortune of about $230m, including earnings from Abba and his traditional Swedish band, the Benny Andersson Orkester, and from writing music for films and TV.
Agnetha Faltskog’s net worth is estimated at $200m, which comes mostly from earnings from Abba and her solo music career.
They are certainly well off enough to have turned down several lucrative reunion offers over the years. In 2000, a British-American consortium offered the band, which broke up in 1982, $1bn to perform 100 shows around the world, but they turned it down.
At the time, Lyngstad said: “No amount of money would change our minds. Maybe we sometimes say it would be good to do a song together again, just a recording and nothing else, but I don't know if that will happen – so don't say that we will.”
Abba’s latest song, Just a Notion, was released on Friday, their third release after the chart-topping Don't Shut Me Down and I Still Have Faith In You, were released in September. All three tracks will appear on Abba Voyage, their first new album in more than 40 years, which will be released in November.
Ashton Kutcher
Disruptive business backer Ashton Kutcher has expanded his investment portfolio with new forays into cultivated meat production and paediatric health services.
Earlier this month, the actor participated in a Series B funding round totalling $219m in telehealth start-up Elemy. The US-based venture provides in-home and online care services for children with autism and other behavioural health conditions. The investment vaulted Elemy to unicorn status with a valuation of $1.15bn.
The That ’70s Show actor participated in the funding round alongside talent manager Guy Oseary through their Sound Ventures company.
The round, led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2 and co-led by Goodwater Capital and Premji Invest, drew additional investments from Amity Ventures, Avidity Partners, Chelsea Clinton’s Metrodora Ventures and Whale Rock Capital.
Launched in 2020 under the name Sprout Therapy, Elemy offers autism diagnosis and in-home behavioural therapy support in more than 30 cities across the US.
Also this month, a collective led by Kutcher, Mr Oseary and their Sound Ventures colleague Effie Epstein announced a partnership with MeaTech 3D to accelerate the Israeli start-up’s growth in developing and commercialising its proprietary cultured meat production technologies.
MeaTech positions itself as a sustainable alternative to industrialised animal farming and has developed alternative protein cell lines for beef, chicken and other meats. Their total investment was not disclosed.
The investors will also support MeaTech with business development and marketing, Kutcher said in a statement.
"We intend to work closely with MeaTech's management to help MeaTech implement its strategy and achieve its goals and global success by leveraging our marketing, strategic expertise and network,” he said. “The engagement with MeaTech is in line with our group's mission to provide sustainable solutions through company building, investment and acceleration of companies and technologies across various sustainability domains.”
MeaTech began operations in 2019 and is based in Ness Ziona, Israel, with a subsidiary in Antwerp, Belgium. The company focuses on bioprinting premium, centre-of-plate meat products, such as structured marbled steaks.
Kutcher, 43, may not have had a major film outing since 2013’s Jobs – notwithstanding Netflix’s The Ranch – but he has, nevertheless, built an enviable investment portfolio.
As one of Hollywood’s most famous side hustlers, the actor is estimated to have a net worth in excess of $200m thanks to investments through Sound Ventures and its predecessor, A-Grade Investments, which he launched with Mr Oseary in 2010. A-Grade investments included high-flying start-ups such as Uber, Shazam, Spotify, SoundCloud and Airbnb.
As an investor, Kutcher appears to target disruptive companies in the technology sector. “I look for companies that solve problems in intelligent and friction-free ways and break boundaries,” the actor told The New York Times in 2011.
Martha Stewart
Businesswoman and TV star Martha Stewart is homing in on the craze for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with the launch of a digital boutique, Fresh Mint, on martha.com.
The inaugural collection, which Stewart curated in collaboration with top artists, photographers and designers, features a dozen Halloween-themed pieces and was launched in partnership with NFT provider Tokns Commerce.
The move has proved a success. Several art pieces priced between $66 and $266 were marked "sold out" within hours of going live on October 19.
Others, such as photographs of Stewart in Halloween outfits or pumpkin portraits of the home interiors star, are open for auction bids until October 31. As of the first day, they had already received bids ranging from one to three Ether, or between about $3,812 and $11,437 at that day’s exchange rates.
I see NFTs as a new canvas for creativity and blockchain as a vehicle to protect artists' IP and support their incredible work
Martha Stewart
“I've been so fortunate to collaborate with talented artists, creators and entrepreneurs throughout my life. I see NFTs as a new canvas for creativity and blockchain as a vehicle to protect artists' IP and support their incredible work,” Stewart said. “By collaborating with Tokns, we reached an approach that feels authentic and aligned with my vision.”
Stewart, 80, was once a billionaire but her net worth is now estimated at $400m. The former Chanel model and stockbroker made her fortune by taking her media and merchandising company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, public in 1999.
The initial public offering raised $1.9bn, with the stock reaching an all-time high of $39.75 per share the following day, according to ABC News.
Salman Khan
Over in Bollywood, Salman Khan is moving into the NFT space with endorsements and tokens of his own. Earlier this week, the A-list actor tweeted the launch of static NFTs using a new token, Bollycoin, on a marketplace of the same name.
Seven million Bollycoin were sold within five days of launch, the company said in a Twitter post. As of October 19, 1 Bolly equals $0.1.
Khan has also been named brand ambassador of $Gari, an Indian cryptocurrency token that rolled out earlier this month. The token, launched by short video app Chingari, will be available on its own NFT marketplace.
The token has been developed in collaboration with the Solana blockchain and is being positioned as a social token rather than a financial one, with users able to accumulate coins based on their content and merchandise.
“The creators are shaping the future of entertainment," Khan said. "With the incorporation of $Gari reward programme, the creators will further get motivated to create newer and more engaging videos on the Chingari app. It's going to be an interesting journey hereon.”
Khan, 55, is thought to be worth $260m, although previous estimates have put that figure above $300m. His wealth principally comes from acting and production credits, as well as endorsement deals.
Khaby Lame
Silence is golden, but staying quiet has helped Khaby Lame to amass a net worth of $5m, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Considered the most popular man on TikTok with 116 million followers, the 21-year-old shot to fame and fortune during the pandemic.
Lame lost his job at a factory near Turin when Italy first went into lockdown last year and started tinkering with TikTok from his parents’ bedroom soon after.
While his early videos were in the same vein as others on the platform, he has achieved popularity with deadpan video responses that personify the term "shaking my head", or SMH in internet slang.
The Senegalese citizen, who does not have Italian citizenship despite living in the country since the age of one, has cashed in on his fame, earning millions from endorsements, appearance fees and merchandise.
This month alone, he is thought to have earned 20m Indian rupees ($266,975) for an Indian Premier League 2021 advertisement campaign for sports gaming company Dream11. Lame’s web shop currently sells a variety of products including "magic" candles, clothing and kitchen gadgets, such as a popcorn machine and a watermelon cutter.
Match statistics
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 36 Bahrain 32
Harlequins
Tries: Penalty 2, Stevenson, Teasdale, Semple
Cons: Stevenson 2
Pens: Stevenson
Bahrain
Tries: Wallace 2, Heath, Evans, Behan
Cons: Radley 2
Pen: Radley
Man of the match: Craig Nutt (Harlequins)
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
Roll of honour
Who has won what so far in the West Asia Premiership season?
Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
West Asia Cup - Winners: Bahrain; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
West Asia Trophy - Winners: Dubai Hurricanes; Runners up: DSC Eagles
Final West Asia Premiership standings - 1. Jebel Ali Dragons; 2. Abu Dhabi Harlequins; 3. Bahrain; 4. Dubai Exiles; 5. Dubai Hurricanes; 6. DSC Eagles; 7. Abu Dhabi Saracens
Fixture (UAE Premiership final) - Friday, April 13, Al Ain – Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPEC%20SHEET
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TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
Hot%20Seat
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What is an ETF?
An exchange traded fund is a type of investment fund that can be traded quickly and easily, just like stocks and shares. They come with no upfront costs aside from your brokerage's dealing charges and annual fees, which are far lower than on traditional mutual investment funds. Charges are as low as 0.03 per cent on one of the very cheapest (and most popular), Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, with the maximum around 0.75 per cent.
There is no fund manager deciding which stocks and other assets to invest in, instead they passively track their chosen index, country, region or commodity, regardless of whether it goes up or down.
The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five largest providers BlackRock’s iShares, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisers, Deutsche Bank X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash.
