Celebrity Net Worth: Jay-Z invests in luxury watch marketplace Wristcheck
In our fortnightly celebrity investment and wealth round-up, Amitabh Bachchan goes on a property buying spree in Mumbai and Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones list New York mansion for $12 million
The rapper joins a slew of other celebrity watch trading investors. Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and F1 driver Charles Leclerc are both investors in Chrono24, the biggest dedicated online watch-trading platform, while its US rival Bezel has attracted celebrity backers including Kevin Hart, John Legend and J Balvin.
Founded in 2020 by watch collector and Instagram influencer-turned-chief executive Austen Chu, Wristcheck is targeting buyers and sellers of high-end timepieces in Asia and also provides authentication services to eliminate fakes.
The company has so far raised about $13.6 million.
Jay-Z joined Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Gobi Partners GBA and K3 Ventures in Wristcheck’s pre-series A funding.
“As an entrepreneur, Jay-Z has always been an inspiration to me,” Mr Chu said in a statement.
“I remember growing up to his music – his lyrics not only introduced me to watch brands like Audemars Piguet, but also fuelled my love for watches even further, as he bridged the gap between watches and pop culture.”
The Empire State of Mind hitmaker has a net worth estimated at $2 billion, derived from music sales and business investments, according to wealth tracking platform Celebrity Net Worth.
Besides record sales of more than 100 million, Jay-Z’s main sources of revenue have been his beverage start-ups and investments, including the Armand de Brignac and D'Usse brands, and streaming service Tidal.
In recent years, he has sold controlling stakes in all three to corporations, including LVMH, Bacardi and mobile payments company Square.
As the founder of Macy Venture Partners, his other investments include blockchain platform Alchemy, wellness company Therabody and alternative meat company Impossible Foods, according to investor website Crunchbase.
He has also exited investments in mobile apps Uber and JetSmarter, which likely boosted his fortune by more than $1 billion from 2022.
Jay-Z also co-owns entertainment agency Roc Nation with concert business Live Nation.
The rapper and his wife Beyoncé Knowles have a combined net worth of $2.6 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Together, Beyonce and Jay-Z own at least $350 million worth of property in the US.
Amitabh Bachchan is reported to have a net worth of $400 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. AFP
Amitabh Bachchan
Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan has bought two apartments in a residential project in Mumbai’s Borivali suburb where his son Abhishek Bachchan recently acquired six apartments, according to Indian media reports.
The deal comes immediately after the actor recently purchased three more office properties in a commercial project in Mumbai’s western suburb of Andheri for 600 million Indian rupees ($7.2 million).
Bachchan, 81, purchased apartments in Borivali worth nearly 70 million Indian rupees from Incline Realty, a subsidiary of Oberoi Realty.
These apartments spread over 2,188 square feet are located on the 57th floor of the tower, the same floor where his son’s apartments are situated.
Bachchan is reported to have a net worth of $400 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Over the years, the veteran actor has become involved in a range of business ventures.
In 2013, he purchased a 10 per cent stake in Indian technology company Justdial. Over the years, his initial investment led to significant gains.
He also has a 3.4 per cent stake in cloud computing company Stampede Capital.
His family owns about $250,000 worth of shares in Meridian Tech, a US-based consulting company, Celebrity Net Worth said.
Bachchan has an extensive real estate portfolio with multiple properties in India. He owns five bungalows within the Juhu-Vile Parle Development Scheme of Mumbai.
In 2023, Bachchan and his wife, Jaya Bachchan, gave their Pratiksha bungalow, the first of their five family homes in Juhu, to their 49-year-old daughter Shweta Nanda as a gift, the Hindustan Times reported.
Pratiksha was the first bungalow the couple purchased shortly after the success of his blockbuster Sholay was released in 1975.
One of their bungalows was leased to Citibank for a considerable rental income. Citibank vacated the property in June 2019 after the expiry of the lease, according to the HT.
The same property has now been leased to State Bank of India for 1.89 million rupees a month for 15 years, the daily reported in 2021.
The actor reportedly also owns a number of agricultural land plots in Bhopal, Barabanki and Lucknow.
Bachchan has acted in more than 200 films in a career spanning more than five decades.
Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones are estimated to have a combined net worth of $350 million. AFP
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones
Hollywood couple Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones have listed their mansion in Westchester county, New York, for $12 million, Celebrity Net Worth reported.
The couple bought the property for $4.5 million in 2019.
The nearly 12,000 square foot home with eight bedrooms and 12 baths, which is built in a Georgian architectural style, also boasts 130 feet of Hudson River frontage.
Zeta-Jones said in a statement: “When I purchased our Irvington home, I knew our family would share many happy times here, and we have! Now that both our son and daughter have left the nest, it seems like the right time to sell.”
In addition to the property’s current famous owners, it also once belonged to Charles Lewis Tiffany, founder of the Tiffany & Co, according to the website.
The couple also own a large apartment in New York City with views of Central Park.
The Wall Street actor, 79, and Zeta Jones, 54, are estimated to have a combined net worth of $350 million.
Douglas owns a valuable real estate portfolio with assets globally. One of his most impressive properties is a 250-acre estate on the coast of Spain, which he bought in 1990 for $3.5 million, Celebrity Net Worth said.
A significant portion of Zeta-Jones' net worth comes from her various brand endorsements over the years.
In 2002, she became a global ambassador for cosmetics company Elizabeth Arden. Later that year, she signed a contract with T-Mobile for a reported sum of $10 million per year. This was one of the biggest endorsement deals at the time for any celebrity.
In 2017, Zeta-Jones launched her own line of home decor items.
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11 What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time. TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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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
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
