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From NFL team owners to computer-science researchers: Meet the 12 billionaires who have won Oscars

Updated

  • These 12 billionaires are also Oscar winners.
  • Some are the famous filmmakers behind some of the most commercially successful movie franchises.
  • Others are billionaires who have accumulated their wealth through other avenues.

When thinking about Oscar winners, NFL team owners and computer-science researchers might not immediately come to mind.

But some of these icons of their industries have joined other, more famously creative billionaires to accept Hollywood’s highest honors.

Out of the hundreds of Academy Award winners each year, only a tiny minority have net worths comparable to those of tech and industry leaders who define the ultrawealthy class.

The “Avatar” and “Titanic” director James Cameron recently became the newest member of the exclusive club, with Forbes reporting that the filmmaker surpassed the $1 billion net worth mark in December.

Cameron, whose films have earned an estimated $9 billion at the box office, is joining the minds behind some of the biggest box-office hits, including director Steven Spielberg, “Star Wars” creator George Lucas, and “Lord of the Rings” creator Peter Jackson.

In February, Forbes also crowned Spielberg, who has a net worth of $7.1 billion, as the world’s wealthiest celebrity in 2026.

As you start getting ready for your Oscars’ watch party, see which 12 billionaires have won Academy Awards, and see the movies, documentaries, and short films they’ve worked on as directors, producers, writers, executive producers, or in other capacities.

We’ve ranked them on their estimated net worths, as reported by Forbes as of March 12.

Steven Rales

Rales has worked closely as a producer in Wes Anderson films since 2006.

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Estimated net worth: $7.8 billion

Rales, the chairman and cofounder of medical manufacturer Danaher, founded the film production company Indian Paintbrush in 2006 and has worked closely with director Wes Anderson ever since.

Rales also owns film distributors Janus Films and The Criterion Collection and has a 20% in the NBA Indiana Pacers.

He won the best live-action short film award in 2024 with Anderson’s “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” which he produced.

Jeffrey Lurie


Jeffrey Lurie looked on during a Philadelphia Eagles game.

Jeffrey Lurie purchased the Philadelphia Eagles in 1994.

Brooke Sutton/Contributor/Getty Images

Estimated net worth: $7.6 billion

The Boston businessman purchased the Philadelphia Eagles for $185 million in 1994 and has won two Super Bowls since. But Lurie has a background in film, and has produced and executive-produced more than a dozen movies.

His grandfather founded the General Cinema movie-theater chain, which operated 1,500 screens at its peak in 1991 before it was acquired by AMC in the early 2000s.

Lurie has won three Oscars for best documentary as executive producer of “Inside Job” in 2011, “Inocente” in 2013, and “Summer of Soul” in 2022.

Steven Spielberg


Steven Spielberg at the Oscars.

The filmmaker is regarded as the most commercially successful film director of all time.

Amy Sussman/WireImage

Estimated net worth: $7.1 billion

The film director and producer has worked on some of the most successful films of the past 30 years, including “Jurassic Park,” “Jaws,” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”

He’s regarded as the most commercially successful film director of all time and a pioneer of the modern blockbuster, with his films amassing a box-office total of over $10.7 billion over 37 films, as reported by The Numbers.

He won the Oscar for best director in 1999 with “Saving Private Ryan” and in 1994 with “Schindler’s List,” which also won best picture that year.

In February, he also achieved EGOT status when he took home a Grammy for best music film for “Music by John Williams,” which he produced.

Jeff Skoll


Jeff Skoll, Ricky Strauss, Davis Guggenheim, winner Best Documentary Feature for

The former eBay president (left) has executive-produced two best picture award-winning films.

Jeff Vespa/WireImage

Estimated net worth: $5.3 billion

Skoll, who was eBay’s first president from 1996 to 1998, founded film production company Participant Media in 2004 to create films that increased awareness of social issues.

He won best picture as executive producer of “Spotlight” in 2016 and “Green Book” in 2019.

In total, Participant Media won 21 Academy Awards over 86 nominations, including best international film for “Roma.” The company shuttered in 2024.

George Lucas


George Lucas holds Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award at the 64th Annual Academy Awards

The founder of Lucasfilm sold his production company to Disney in 2012.

Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images

Estimated net worth: $5.1 billion

The creator of the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” franchises founded the film production company Lucasfilm in 1971 and sold it to Disney for $4 billion in 2012.

In 1992, he won the Oscars’ Irving G. Thalberg Award, which awards “creative producers whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production.” He was also nominated for best director and best original screenplay for “American Graffiti” and “Star Wars” in 1973 and 1977, respectively.

Oprah Winfrey


Oprah Winfrey speaks onstage during the 87th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on February 22, 2015 in Hollywood, California.

The media mogul was nominated for best supporting actress in 1985 and won an honorary award in 2011.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Estimated net worth: $3.2 billion

The TV host and media mogul has often been regarded as the most powerful woman in media and was once the world’s only Black billionaire.

She won the Oscars’ Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, which recognizes “outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes” in 2011. She was also nominated for best supporting actress in 1985 for “The Color Purple.”

Steve Tisch


The New York Giants co-owner (right) has produced over 40 films, including “Forrest Gump.”

Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Estimated net worth: $2.2 billion

The chairman, co-owner, and executive vice president of the New York Giants has produced over 40 films and has worked closely with Columbia and Sony Pictures.

He won the Oscar for best picture in 1995 with “Forrest Gump.”

Peter Jackson


Peter Jackson, winner of Best Director for

The “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” creator has amassed over $6.5 billion at the box office.

Albert L. Ortega/WireImage

Estimated net worth: $1.9 billion, per Forbes

The “Lord of The Rings” and “Hobbit” filmmaker has written, directed, and worked on over 20 films and is the fifth highest-grossing director of all time, with his films surpassing $6.5 billion at the box office, per The Numbers rankings.

In 2004, he won Oscars for best director, best adapted screenplay, and best picture for “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

Pat Hanrahan


Pat Hanrahan arrives at the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences' Scientific And Technical Awards Ceremony at Beverly Hills Hotel on February 15, 2014.

Pat Hanrahan has won multiple Academy Awards.

Valerie Macon/Getty Images

Estimated net worth: $1.6 billion

The computer graphics researcher, founding Pixar Animation Studio employee, and computer-science and electrical-engineering professor at Stanford University has worked on groundbreaking animation software that led to films like “Toy Story.”

He won a scientific and engineering Academy Award in 1993 and two technical achievement Oscars in 2004 and 2014.

Richard Anthony Wolf


Dick Wolf attends Variety Power of Law presented by City National Bank.

The “Law & Order” producer won best short film as a producer for “Twin Towers” in 2003.

Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty Images

Estimated net worth: $1.5 billion

The film producer, best known for creating the “Law & Order” franchise, founded Wolf Entertainment in 1988. It has become one of the most prolific companies in the television business.

He won the Academy Award for best short film as a producer with “Twin Towers” in 2003.

Tyler Perry


Tyler Perry holding his Oscar statue.

The Madea creator has an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion.

ABC via Getty Images

Estimated net worth: $1.4 billion

The filmmaker and playwright created the Madea character in 1999 and founded his own production company, Tyler Perry Studios, in 2006. In 2019, he unveiled the new 330-acre studio grounds in Atlanta. His films have made over $765 million at the box office.

He received the Oscars’ Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2021.

James Cameron


James Cameron Oscars win in 1998

The director of “Titanic” and “Avatar” has earned over $9 billion at the box office.

Getty Images/Bob Riha, Jr.

Estimated net worth: $1.1 billion

The director of “The Terminator,” “Titanic,” and “Avatar,” has directed three of the top five highest-grossing movies of all time, as listed by Box Office Mojo. Despite having directed only 10 feature films, Cameron is the second-highest-grossing director of all time.

He won the Academy Award for best director and best picture with “Titanic” in 1998.




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Dan DeFrancesco

Why California’s billionaires are dreaming of going to Miami

They’re California dreaming of going to Miami.

A proposed California wealth tax on billionaires has some of the state’s wealthiest residents looking at real estate in South Florida, BI’s Jordan Pandy and Madeline Berg write.

I know what you’re thinking: Rich people moving to Florida for tax reasons? What a concept!

But this isn’t about the retired doctor you know settling down in Boca or Palm Beach. These people have three-comma net worths and are looking for nine-figure homes.

Larry Page recently spent more than $180 million on three properties, and Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin are also reportedly looking.

That’s led to a massive spike in purchases of these ultramansions. In 2018, one single-family home sold for more than $30 million in Miami-Dade County. In 2025, that figure jumped to 19.

With its many islands and inlets, Miami also offers plenty of unique neighborhoods suitable for the ultra-rich. Madeline and Jordy mapped out all the areas billionaires are eyeing. That includes the uber-exclusive Indian Creek, which is also known as … Billionaire Bunker.

“Miami is the new BLANK” is practically a meme at this point.

From Wall Street to crypto to tech, the city has toyed with becoming the new hub for various industries over the years. Some companies have actually moved their headquarters to the region, most notably Citadel, and, more recently, Palantir. But often the hype passes quickly, leaving little trace it was ever there at all — like one of the region’s sudden thunderstorms.

But maybe that was Miami’s issue all along. Instead of becoming the new iteration of something else, it should just focus on its own thing. Miami has plenty of characteristics that make it unique in its own right, and an influx of billionaires only makes it more interesting. If nothing else, we’ll likely get some drama. When you bring together a bunch of super-rich people who aren’t used to being told no, someone is bound to get upset.




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billionaires named in the Epstein files

Jeffrey Epstein shared emails, flights, and meals with some of the richest people on the planet. Here’s how these billionaires made their money and how they were connected to Epstein. Read more below:

A list of people facing consequences over the DOJ’s release:

https://bit.ly/46DOFOc

How emails between Jeffrey Epstein and powerful people ended up on your social media feeds:

https://bit.ly/4kxqkiM


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Peter Kafka

Billionaires like Jeff Bezos can save The Washington Post until they decide they won’t. We need a better model.

The cuts at The Washington Post are brutal.

They are brutal for the paper’s readers, who lose crucial coverage like sports and international reporting. And they are brutal for hundreds of Post employees, including lots of people whose work I pay to read with my Post subscription.

The Post’s cuts have also led lots of people to point out the obvious — that Post owner Jeff Bezos, who is currently the world’s fourth-richest man, worth an estimated $261 billion, could easily fund the paper’s losses … forever, without ever noticing the tab.

For the record: I also wish that Bezos would take his loose change and spend it on journalism.

Note that I didn’t say “journalism instead of” because when you are talking about Bezos-level wealth, you don’t have to choose: You can pay for journalism and rockets and superyachts and Venetian weddings and parties in St. Barts. (And yes, I realize that Bezos’ Amazon expenditures on things like the “Melania” doc are different from Bezos’ personal spending. The point is, he can afford it. In the same way that I can afford to buy a fancy coffee now and then.)

I’m also not weighing in on how much of the Post’s problems are the same problems facing every news organization, versus ones Bezos exacerbated by pivoting toward Trump. Or whether the new Post plan — focus on a handful of topics it thinks will resonate with a national audience, like politics and wellness — makes sense or is simply a too-late move already made by many Post competitors.

But the focus on Bezos underscores the problem the Post has been facing for years: It was a money-losing operation that relied on a billionaire’s goodwill. First, to buy it from its previous owners, who let it go for the price of a Joe Rogan podcast deal, and then to fund its losses for years.

Maybe Bezos really is sick of paying for the Post’s losses. Maybe funding the Post no longer syncs with a turns out, Donald Trump is actually good now, worldview. The point is that the Post has been in the can’t-win position of hoping Jeff Bezos would continue to fund those losses for years. Now he doesn’t want to. (Bezos has yet to comment publicly on the cuts; Matt Murray, the Post’s top editor, told his staff that the cuts are meant to help “reinvent The Washington Post for this new era. This work is difficult, but is essential.”)

Which, again, points out how precarious a position just about every news organization in the US is in right now.

There are a handful of really excellent publications, which are controlled by billionaires or very wealthy families — The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg News — that are aimed at an upscale, national audience, and they are doing well. There are some thriving startups and niche publications that tend to focus on topics that rich people — or their employers — will pay to learn more about. (Several of them, it turns out, are focused on power and Washington, DC — a sector the Post should have owned.) And there are various forms of aggregators that make a living by repackaging news other people generate, like newsletter publisher 1440.

And that’s … kind of it. The local news market is so bad we routinely use the word “desert” to describe it. There have been many attempts to solve that, and people keep trying new ways to tackle the problem. I wish all of them well because we really, really need local news. TV news is contracting because TV is contracting. Magazines are now frequently “brands attached to hotels or travel agencies.”

Faced with this grim reality, it’s natural to look at Bezos and think: Just pay for it. And again — I wish he would. But relying on billionaire goodwill is a hope, not a plan.

Journalism — no matter how much we right-size, automate, and innovate — is expensive. And up until the internet, journalism usually existed in the US in spite of those costs because it was bundled with other things people (subscribers, advertisers) were willing to pay for.

Now that bundle has been torn apart, so we need both new models that support what we have today — and ownership structures that will be satisfied with self-sustaining businesses, not ones with huge profit expectations. If I knew how to do that, I’d be doing it. I just know that hoping a billionaire will fix it isn’t the answer.




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See the list of California’s 200-plus billionaires who could be hit by the proposed wealth tax

California has a lot of billionaires, more than any other state and more than most countries. So a proposed wealth tax on its billionaires could be a windfall, if they stick around.

Under the Billionaire Tax Act, California residents worth over $1 billion would face a one-time tax totaling 5% of their assets.

If the tax plan receives enough signatures, it will appear on the ballot in November and, if passed, would apply retroactively to billionaires living in the state as of January 1. The tax would be due in 2027, with the option to spread the payment out over five years, with interest.

The idea has drawn sharp reactions from lawmakers and business leaders.

Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin moved entities tied to them out of the state last month just ahead of the deadline, Business Insider first reported.

Nvidia CEO and billionaire Jensen Huang said he was “perfectly fine” with the tax. Palmer Luckey, the billionaire founder of defense tech startup Anduril, said it would force companies to “immediately pivot into profit obsession over mission or long-term sustainability.”

Critics of the tax have warned it will encourage ultrawealthy residents to flee the state and hurt California’s economy.

As of January 1, there were 214 billionaires in California, according to Forbes data compiled by Americans for Tax Fairness, a group that advocates for higher taxes.

Below is the full list of billionaires in California. Names with asterisks have recently moved at least some of their business entities out of the state.

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Larry Page is officially moving business out of California ahead of a proposed billionaire’s tax

Billionaire Larry Page is peacing out of California.

The Google cofounder has cut ties between California and many of his assets that risked exposing him to a proposed new wealth tax in the state, meeting an end-of-2025 deadline, according to filings reviewed by Business Insider.

Page’s family office, Koop, was converted out of California in late December and incorporated in Delaware, per filings with both states. Page converted several other entities to Delaware, including Flu Lab LLC — a vehicle he has used to fund research on tackling influenza and lists its principal office address in Nevada — and another entity named One Aero, which has funded his flying car ventures and lists its principal office address in Florida.

A filing was also made to convert Dynatomics, LLC from California to Delaware with a new principal address in Keller, Texas. Page launched Dynatomics, a new startup focused on applying AI to aircraft manufacturing, in 2023, Business Insider previously reported. A source close to Page said that the team, run by Chris Anderson, continues to work out of California.

Anderson and representatives for Page’s family office did not respond to requests for comment.

The New York Times reported in December that Page had told people he was considering moving to Florida because of a proposed ballot measure that would tax the state’s wealthiest residents. The proposal, if passed successfully, would mean that any California resident worth more than $1 billion would be taxed 5% of their assets.

Under California law, residency is determined by the nature of a person’s ties to the state, with factors such as the time spent in the state and the maintenance of substantial business ties taken into account. If the ballot measure is approved in November, it would take effect retroactively for residents living in California as of January 1, 2026.

A source close to Page said the Google cofounder had already left the state. Whether Page’s move is temporary could not be learned.

Page is ranked the second-richest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Page’s family converts other entities to Delaware

Besides his family office and funding vehicles, Page converted out an LLC that Business Insider previously identified as being used to purchase islands in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, from California to Delaware, with a new address listed in Florida.

A separate LLC Page used to purchase an Island in Fiji was also converted out to Delaware.

Page’s wife, the scientist Lucinda Southworth, founded a marine-conservation charity named Oceankind. Filings show that Oceankind converted out of California to Delaware in December.

Delaware has become a popular state for businesses to incorporate due to its favorable tax structure, privacy, and its home to a court system specifically designed to handle corporate disputes. The state does not require LLCs to disclose the names and addresses of directors when incorporating, providing them with an extra layer of privacy.

Privacy is especially important to Page, whose family office is shrouded in a level of secrecy unparalleled by most and carefully managed by its CEO, Wayne Osborne.

Cristina Rosado, an attorney who handles many of Page and Southworth’s assets, signed several of the California filings.

Page incorporated three entities in Florida last year, as previously reported by The New York Times. A Koop LLC was incorporated in Florida in January 2025, per filings reviewed by Business Insider. It could not be confirmed if it belongs to Page.

California’s billionaire tax proposal

The California billionaire tax proposal faced some opposition from leaders in venture capital and politics. In a post on X in December, venture capitalist Vinod Khosla said the proposed measure would mean California would lose its most important taxpayers and “net off much worse.”

“Long term damage unless legislature bans wealth taxes,” he added. “Easier to equalize taxes on work income and capital gains at the national level.

Matt Mahan, Democratic mayor of San Jose, California, on Monday described the tax as “a political plan that will sink California’s innovation economy.”

White House AI czar David Sacks has criticized the proposal and said it will backfire. He has also said he believes Miami and Austin will overtake New York and San Francisco for finance and tech, respectively. He announced this month that his venture capital firm, Craft Ventures, had opened an office in Austin.

Last month, celebrity lawyer Alex Spiro wrote a letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, warning that the proposed billionaire tax would “trigger an exodus of capital and innovation from California,” Business Insider previously reported.

Have something to share? Contact this reporter via email at hlangley@businessinsider.com or Signal at hughlangley.01. Use a personal email address and a non-work device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.




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What it’s like visiting the island of St. Barts — a beloved party spot for billionaires and their superyachts

  • St. Barts, also known as St. Barthelemy, is a Caribbean island where billionaires often vacation.
  • The destination offers stunning beaches, luxury shopping, historic sites, and more.
  • A yacht belonging to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was spotted there at the start of 2026.

Where is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos kicking off the new year?

If the location of his $500 million yacht Koru is any indication, the answer is St. Barthelemy, or St Barts for short.

The French-speaking Caribbean island is a luxurious hot spot for billionaires, where visitors can relax on beautiful beaches, shop designer brands, and, naturally, enjoy some privacy.

Of course, many of us are waking up today at home, not on an island. But if you’re curious, here’s what it’s like to visit the destination.

St. Bart’s is an island off Saint Martin in the Lesser Antilles.

Gustavia Harbor in St. Barts.

Mark Mainz/Getty Images

Located in the French West Indies, the small island runs about 11 miles long and 2.5 miles wide.

It’s typically warm and sunny most of the year, with temperatures often in the 70s, 80s, or low 90s, and peak tourist season starts in late fall and lasts through the spring.

As a French territory, the official language of St. Barts is French, though English is also widely spoken.

It’s got rich beaches and a French flair.


Boats anchored off Shell Beach, Gustavia, St Barts.

A view of Saint Barthélemy, the popular Caribbean destination.


Holger Leue/Getty Images


The exclusive-feeling island is home to more than a dozen beaches, where visitors can soak up the sun on smooth, sandy shores and in crystal-clear water.

“I always say if you want to have your toes in the sand and eat a croissant that feels like you’re in Paris, St. Barts is the place for you,” Elisabeth Brown, the membership director at the luxury concierge service Knightsbridge Circle, told Business Insider’s Madeline Berg.

Surrounded by shallow coral reefs, St. Barts has some top-tier snorkeling spots, such as Grand Cul-de-Sac — home to sea turtles and a range of tropical fish.

Local natural sights also include mountains and hills formed from volcanic eruptions. That said, there are no active volcanoes on St. Barts.

Billionaires like Jeff Bezos seem to love St. Barts.


Koru screenshot

Jeff Bezos’s yacht Koru has been spotted near St. Barts in the Caribbean

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Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, were photographed in St. Barts this week — and the Amazon founder has been spotted in St. Barts on multiple occasions over the years.

No matter the time of year, though, the island regularly welcomes the wealthy.

Celebrities like Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, and Leonardo DiCaprio have visited in the past, and influential banking families, like the Rothschilds, have famously purchased property there.

The influx of .001% travelers means yachts are everywhere.


yachts in st barths

St. Barths is a wintertime destination for superyachts.

Walter Bibikow/Getty Images

In addition to Bezos’ vessel, massive yachts owned by Playrix founder Dmitry Bukhman, Dallas Mavericks owner Miriam Adelson, and entertainment mogul David Geffen also parked in St. Barts during the recent holiday.

While the yachts are primarily used for transportation to the island, they’re also attractions in and of themselves, featuring amenities such as jacuzzis and movie theaters.

Travelers without private yachts can still reach the island by flying into an airport on a larger Caribbean island, like San Juan. From there, they could take a ferry or private boat to St Barts.

Hotels can get pricey, but they’re quite luxurious.


The Eden Rock hotel in St. Barts.

The Eden Rock hotel in St. Barts.

Education Images/Getty Images

Visitors have several options for accommodations, ranging from villa rentals starting at over $900 a night to luxurious hotels for an even higher price.

The Eden Rock hotel is just one example. It overlooks St. Jean Bay — home to one of the most popular beaches on St. Barts — and is home to fine-dining restaurants and holistic spas.

During holiday seasons like New Year’s, a single-night stay at its largest villa can cost upward of €13,000, or about $15,200.

There’s also the Rosewood Le Guanahani resort, located on a private peninsula that’s home to two secluded beaches, giving travelers the ultimate getaway far from crowds.

Such privacy comes at a price, as even its most basic room can run guests thousands of dollars a night.

Even shopping is elevated on the island.


Pastel green boutique shops with shutters Gustavia St Barts

St. Barts has some high-end boutiques.

Andrew Woodley/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

With billionaire travelers always on-site, the island’s retail scene largely caters to shoppers who can drop thousands at any given moment.

Some of the designer brands that have boutiques on St. Barts include Hermès, Cartier, Dior, and Louis Vuitton.

The island’s also home to luxury retailers like Patek Phillipe, which sells one-of-a-kind timepieces you can’t find anywhere else. Some retail for five, six, and even seven figures.

There’s even a club scene for those who want to party until morning.


Kygo performs at Nikki Beach in St. Barts on December 31, 2019.

A New Year’s Eve celebration in St. Barts.

Romain Maurice/Getty Images

A trip to St. Barts isn’t all about relaxation, though. There are plenty of places to party and experience live music.

One of the most popular spots for this on the island is Nikki Beach, an upscale restaurant and beach club. In past years, big-name musicians like Kygo and Mariah Carey have even performed at its New Year’s Eve celebrations.

It’s also a go-to for people looking to relax poolside with a drink in hand — though keep in mind that even just renting a lounge chair may cost you over $100.




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