In today’s newsletter we discuss how Cristiano Ronaldo just bought a mansion in the exclusive gated community of Jumeirah Bay Island in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai, Honda just debuted two new futuristic EV concept cars, NASA delayed the Artemis return to the moon by another leading the everyone to wonder if they’ll make it to the moon before SpaceX, Jay-Z just won a Emmy for Rihanna’s 2023 Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show, and we wonder aloud who will be the new commissioner after the PGA/LIV Golf merger?

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Tesla Charges Up Their Supercharger Network

Business

Honda just debuted two new futuristic EV concept cars that it plans on producing on its new “Honda 0 Series” EV platform.

Honda’s plan as of right now is to introduce the Saloon version of their current concept car as the first model of the Honda 0 Series in North America, followed by model introductions in Japan, Europe and other countries.

Honda is developing their new “0 Series” based on their three core principles: “Thin, light and wise.”

Describing the looks of the new concept cars they say “The Saloon is a sleek, futuristic-looking vehicle that seems fit for “Tron” movies, with a large open-mouthed front-end light in neon lighting with a redesigned Honda “H” in the center.” And for their new Space-Hub they’ve modeled it after a “minivan/shuttle that includes the same type of design characteristics as the smaller Saloon but in larger formats. Its interior features a similar cockpit, but it has a cavernous back area with lounge-type seating.”

Both “0 Series” vehicles will include “driver-assistive system based on technologies first deployed in Japan, followed by a next-generation “automated driving,” or AD, system.”

“The next generation AD system is being developed based on Honda’s ‘human-centric’ safety concept. It will feature advanced AI, sensing, recognition and driver monitoring technologies to achieve more human-like, natural and high-precision risk predictions, making it possible to offer AD features people can feel safe and confident using,”

Honda teases new EVs with futuristic ‘Space-Hub’ and ‘Saloon’ concept cars

Space

Oh NASA, what are you doing now? How many times are you going to deploy Astronaut’s return to the moon?

It’s been 52 years since mankind walked on the moon. At this rate a private space company like SpaceX will beat NASA back to the moon.

I really think NASA needs to reevaluate continuing to use cost-plus contracts, and hiring companies like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Boeing to build next generation spacecraft when they’ve proven they aren’t able to work within the budgets they are given.

Astronauts won't walk on the moon until 2026 after NASA delays next 2 Artemis missions

Entertainment

Guess what Hip-Hop legend just won an Emmy for directing Rihanna's 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show?

Jay-Z won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special for his role in co-directing Rihanna’s 2023 Super Bowl halftime show along with his co-director Hamish Hamilton.

If you’re wondering why this Emmy was handed out months after the Emmy’s aired on TV, you can thank the SAG-AFTRA strike. The 2023 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards was held on Sunday  evening, January 7, 2024 - three months after the Emmy’s were originally scheduled.

Getting back to Rihanna’s performance.

Rihanna performed in the 2023 Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium on February 12, which also marked Rihanna’s first public performance in five years. On top of her amazing performance, her show also served as one of the biggest baby announcements in history. Rihanna danced on stage debuting a baby-bump, revealing that she was pregnant at the time with her and A$AP Rocky’s second child. Their two children are named RZA and Riot.

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation partnered with the NFL five years ago to produce their Super Bowl halftime shows, and Hamish Hamilton has been in charge of directing the halftime show since 2010.

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation got involved with the NFL’s commissioner Rodger Goodell, and signed a 5-year, $25-million deal with the league aimed at revamping the Super Bowl halftime show and amplifying the NFL's social justice agenda.
Guess what Hip-Hop legend just won an Emmy for directing Rihanna's 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show?

Jay-Z won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special for his role in co-directing Rihanna’s 2023 Super Bowl halftime show along with his co-director Hamish Hamilton.

If you’re wondering why this Emmy was handed out months after the Emmy’s aired on TV, you can thank the SAG-AFTRA strike. The 2023 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards was held on Sunday  evening, January 7, 2024 - three months after the Emmy’s were originally scheduled.

Getting back to Rihanna’s performance.

Rihanna performed in the 2023 Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium on February 12, which also marked Rihanna’s first public performance in five years. On top of her amazing performance, her show also served as one of the biggest baby announcements in history. Rihanna danced on stage debuting a baby-bump, revealing that she was pregnant at the time with her and A$AP Rocky’s second child. Their two children are named RZA and Riot.

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation partnered with the NFL five years ago to produce their Super Bowl halftime shows, and Hamish Hamilton has been in charge of directing the halftime show since 2010.

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation got involved with the NFL’s commissioner Rodger Goodell, and signed a 5-year, $25-million deal with the league aimed at revamping the Super Bowl halftime show and amplifying the NFL's social justice agenda.

Jay-Z Wins Primetime Emmy for Directing Rihanna's Super Bowl Halftime Show

Sports

Who do you think will be the new commissioner after the PGA/LIV Golf merger?

Before we get into a debate of who would be a better fit for a merged PGA/LIV Golf tour, let’s discuss a little background.

Jay Monahan has been the PGA commissioner since January 1, 2017, and

Under his leadership he successfully led the golf world through the COVID-19 pandemic, and showed how a sport league could operate in this new era of social distancing and contagion. Jay Monahan has worked predominantly in the golf industry since 2003 when according to Wikipedia he worked at “IMG Worldwide where he played an integral role in the development of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, and served as the tournament’s first director at age 32.”

Then in June of 2008, Jay Monahan came to the PGA Tour as the executive director of The Players Championship, and went on to hold a number of different positions before he officially took over as the PGA’s commissioner in January of 2017.

In 2022, Jay Monahan made a cool $18.6 million, which was broken down into a $1.8 million base salary, $9.2 million in bonuses and incentives, and an estimated $7.4 million for non-cash benefits that Monahan will receive when he retires (sign me up for that retirement plan!).

During that time, the PGA Tour reported a record $1.9 billion in revenue, which was up from $1.59 billion in 2021 in the wake of its new TV deals.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the PGA’s TV deal will see them receiving $700 million annually from CBS, NBC, and ESPN under their newest contract that began in 2022 and goes through 2030.

Now let’s talk about Greg Norman. What more can you say about a man who helped to define the sport of Golf in the 20th century? He’s by far one of the biggest GOATs in the world of golf, and has built a phenomenal business empire in the golf industry. He’s also been around the game and leagues long enough to know where all the bodies are buried, if you’ll indulge me for the analogy.

During his playing days in the PGA “Greg Norman won 91 professional tournaments (20 PGA and 71 international), registered 31 second-place finishes on the PGA Tour, and held the ranking of top golfer in the world for a total of 331 weeks; a record broken in 2004 by Tiger Woods.” according to Wikipedia.

These days he passes his time as the CEO of LIV Golf Investments, the official name of the company that LIV Golf Invitational Series that he started in 2022, which “consists of seven regular-season events where players compete both individually for points and as part of a team.” according to Wikipedia.

When news of the PGA Tour/LIV Golf merger was first announced Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced a framework agreement to merge their commercial operations with Jay Monahan appearing to be the future leader of the combined golf tour, and Greg Norman would no longer be running LIV Golf

Then things started to go sideways.

The proposed merger has blown through seemingly arbitrary self-imposed deadlines for negotiations on more than one occasion already. And the scuttlebutt going around in the golf world is some people wouldn’t be all that mad if Jay Monahan found himself without a job and new blood was brought in to lead the combined tour. Greg Norman is on the record saying the LIV Golf will not cease to exist following any merger, and that he would continue to lead the golf league. So make of that what you want, but I’m not betting against Greg Norman.

PGA Tour's Jay Monahan or LIV Golf's Greg Norman: Who gets fired first?

Real Estate

Word on the street is that Cristiano Ronaldo just bought a yet to be built mansion in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai in the exclusive gated community of Jumeirah Bay Island. 

Cristiano Ronaldo signed a 2 ½  year contract to play soccer for Al Nassr, with a guaranteed $75 million per year for his on-field services, with the potential to reach a rumored $200 million a year. That will bring Cristiano Ronaldo to his 40th birthday in 2025. After that he will be installed as a sports advisor with Al Nassr while still making an insane amount per year.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s home hasn't been built yet in the Jumeirah Bay Island, which is an exclusive man-made desert Oasis Island in what some people call Billionaires Island. The home is expected to be completed later this year in 2024.

No word yet on an exact figure Cristiano Ronaldo paid, but the going price for homes in this exclusive Island neighborhood typically go for tens of millions of dollars.

This isn’t even the 2nd or 3rd mansion Cristiano Ronaldo owns around the world, including a home in Madrid, Spain that he paid $6.2 million for, and it is a 8,600 square foot, 7 bedroom, 8 bath, and the home comes with an amazing swimming pool, a massive gym, and it even has a trophy room!

But back to news about his new unbuilt Jumeirah Bay Island home.

The home will be located in a gated community, which is important because when you’re as famous as Cristiano Ronaldo security is always a concern. That’s why many high-net-worth individuals have flocked to the Dubai located Jumeirah Bay Island in recent years, skipping other wealthy emirate enclaves, including Dubai Hills, Palm Jumeirah, and Emirates Hills. Jumeirah Bay Island is an über-affluent neighborhood featuring a private yacht club, a beach resort, and several fine-dining restaurants

This post isn’t even a paid promotion, although if anyone from Dubia’s tourism board is reading this I’m available for an all-inclusive paid speaking engagement. Hook a content creator up!

Cristiano Ronaldo Reportedly Scores a Multimillion-Dollar Mansion in Dubai

So much news, so little time. Until tomorrow we’re signing out.

— Chris