Rich

DUA LIPA has topped heat magazine’s annual Rich List – with a fortune of £129million.

And the pop star looks like she’s going to be keeping her crown as she’s miles ahead of second place Tom Holland whose £35.7m pot looks pretty measly by comparison.

Lewis Capaldi, Millie Bobby Brown and Molly-Mae Hague, and love rat Tommy Fury, make up the rest of the top five.

The magazine Rich List, which is made up of the 30 richest under 30s in the UK and Ireland, has also compiled the biggest international stars – with Kylie Jenner coming in at No1 with a fortune of £540m, beating Hailey Bieber, Billie Eilish, Blackpink and Kylie’s sister Kendall.

And they’ve also listed their top five most generous celebs, with Sir Elton John giving away £27m last year.

While Harry Styles raised a massive £5.2m for charity last year, with Ed Sheeran also giving away £2m to good causes.

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Katy Perry & Justin hold hands at strip bar during 1st public appearance

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Anne Hathaway ‘arrested’ by Sabrina Carpenter with fuzzy pink handcuffs in NYC

Last month Dua and her fiance Callum Turner were on the look out for a place in the sun.

I’m told the couple, who got engaged last Christmas, have called on a property expert to tap up a series of very posh holiday homes in Andalusia in southern Spain.

A source said: “Dua and Callum are looking for a sunny bolthole to enjoy with their families.

“Their preference has been pretty clear: nice weather and properties that have space.

“They have a man scouting for homes in Portugal and Andalusia, which have amazing weather all-year round.

“The house has to be able to comfortably fit Dua and Callum, as well as their family and friends.”

The rich, to paraphrase F. Scott Fitzgerald, are different. In California, they lose a lot of very expensive, very high-profile political races.

Over the past 50-plus years, a half-dozen fabulously wealthy men and women — William Matson Roth, Meg Whitman, Carly Fiorina among them — have clambered atop their hefty cash piles and, despite any significant political experience, tried to launch themselves into the office of governor or U.S. senator.

Every last one of them failed.

Others with at least some background in elected office — Michael Huffington, Jane Harman, Richard Riordan to name a few — sunk a goodly chunk of their fortunes and came up similarly short in their efforts to win one of California’s top two political posts.

That history is worth noting as the very-well-to-do Rick Caruso eyes a possible entry into the wide-open race to succeed Gavin Newsom. Caruso recently told my colleague Julia Wick he was “very seriously considering” both a gubernatorial run and a second try for Los Angeles mayor.

“I’m running down two parallel paths,” the billionaire developer said. “As we speak, there are teams very busy working on both of those paths.”

(Wealthy businessman Stephen J. Cloobeck, another political first-timer, has been campaigning for governor for months, spending liberally to little avail.)

There’s a common disclaimer in the field of investment — “past performance is no guarantee of future returns” — which certainly applies here.

Still, as waiting-for-Caruso replaces waiting-for-Kamala among political gossips, it’s worth asking whether there’s something — floating in the air, mixed in the water or soil — that has made California such an inhospitable place for so many lavishly monied candidates. Unlike, say, Illinois or New Jersey, which elected billionaire neophyte JB Pritzker and multimillionaire Frank Lautenberg, as, respectively, governor and U.S. senator.

Part of the reason could be the particular political climate.

“If you’re the rich outsider, you have to show up in an election cycle where people want the outsider,” said Rob Stutzman, a Republican strategist who worked for Meg Whitman’s failed 2010 gubernatorial campaign, which cost a cool $180 million.

(Yes, $180 million. The former tech CEO coughed up most of that sum at a time California’s median household income was about $61,000.)

All that lucre couldn’t override the prevailing sentiment among discontented voters who were ready, after nearly eight years of the uber-outsider Arnold Schwarzenegger, to embrace the tried-and-true experience of the reemergent Jerry Brown.

That said, there’s a lengthy enough record of futility to suggest more is at work than the changeable mood of a fickle electorate.

Garry South believes California voters are of two minds when it comes to super-rich candidates. In 1998, the Democratic strategist helped Lt. Gov. Gray Davis maneuver past two moneybags, billionaire former airline executive Al Checchi and Rep. Harman, to win the governor’s race. Four years later, South led Davis’ successful reelection campaign against another multimillionaire newcomer, William Simon Jr.

“Part of them kind of admires someone who went out and made a killing in our capitalistic society … and walked away filthy rich,” South said of voters’ dueling impulses. “But they also have a suspicion that, because of their wealth and because of the benefits that it confers on that person, they don’t really know how the average person lives.”

Call it an empathy gap.

Or, perhaps more aptly, an empathy canyon.

“If somebody has $150 million sitting around they can dump into a campaign for public office,” South said, channeling the skeptical sentiment, “what understanding do they have of my day-to-day life?”

Bill Carrick, a consultant for Harman’s 1998 campaign, agreed it’s incumbent on a rich candidate to “have something substantive to say and be able to articulate why you’re going to make people’s lives better.”

That’s no different than any other office-seeker. But unlike less affluent, more relatable candidates, a billionaire or multimillionaire has a much heavier burden convincing voters they know what they’re talking about and genuinely mean it.

Don Sipple, who helped elect Schwarzenegger governor in California’s 2003 recall election, said wealth often comes with a whiff of privilege and, even more off-putting, an air of entitlement. (To be clear, Schwarzenegger won and replaced Davis because he was Arnold Schwarzenegger, not because of his personal fortune.)

A lot of California’s failed rich candidates, Sipple said, appeared viable — especially to political insiders — “because of their money. And they really didn’t have anything to offer beyond that.”

“It’s the same as somebody who goes out and tries to earn a job,” he went on. “You never deserve it. You’ve got to out and work for it. And I think voters make the distinction.”

Of course, wealth confers certain advantages. Not least is easy access to the extraordinary sum it takes to become well-known in a place with more eligible voters — nearly 27 million, at last count — than the population of all but a handful of states.

California is physically immense, too, stretching approximately 800 miles from north to south, which makes costly advertising the only realistic way to communicate in a statewide top-of-the-ticket contest.

There’s another old aphorism about wealth, credited to the burlesque star and actress, Sophie Tucker. “I’ve been rich,” she famously said, “and I’ve been poor. Rich is better.”

That’s undeniably true, so far as it goes.

The singer and comedian never tried to be governor or a U.S. senator from California.

Dividend investing allows you to have the best businesses in the world automatically send cash to your account on a regular basis. Investors looking to boost their passive income can find attractive dividend yields right now in the consumer goods sector.

To give you some ideas, read why three Motley Fool contributors recently selected Home Depot (HD 3.84%), JD.com (JD 2.17%), and Target (TGT 1.98%) as strong buys right now.

Image source: Getty Images.

A clear industry leader

Jeremy Bowman (Home Depot): Long a leader in dividend growth, Home Depot could also regain its reputation for steady price appreciation soon.

The home improvement retailer has struggled over the last few years due to a sluggish housing market, but the business could reaccelerate soon. First, the company is delivering steady growth with comparable-store sales up 1.4% in the second quarter, and revenue up 4.9% to $45.3 billion. Earnings growth was flat.

Adjusting for one fewer week in the fiscal year, it sees full-year revenue up about 5%.

On the macro front, bets are increasing that interest rates could come down soon. As the labor market cools, investors have gotten more confident that the Federal Reserve will cut rates at its meeting in September, and mortgage rates have hit a nine-month low.

While Home Depot is showing that it can grow without help from the housing market, it would certainly benefit from a recovery in home demand.

Over the long term, the company has shown it can be consistently profitable as the leader in the huge home-improvement retail segment, with little direct competition aside from Lowe’s, and that duopoly seems to benefit both companies.

Home Depot should also benefit from pent-up demand related to the national housing shortage, which is now estimated at about 4 million homes.

It now offers a dividend yield of 2.3%, and its competition between growth and income is a great feature for any long-term investor.

A dividend stock with tremendous upside potential

John Ballard (JD.com): JD.com is China’s second-largest e-commerce company, behind Alibaba. Macroeconomic headwinds over the past few years have weighed on consumer spending and sent JD.com shares down 71% from their previous highs. But this has driven its dividend yield up to an attractive 3.21% based on its last annual payout in April.

JD.com distinguishes itself from its larger competitor by using a direct-sales model. Unlike Alibaba, it invests in its own inventory that it can deliver through its extensive warehouse network to nearly anyone in China within one day.

It is investing in artificial intelligence to improve its supply chain efficiency, which could lead to margin expansion and benefit the stock. Management credited improving supply chain capabilities for increasing its operating margin from 3.9% in the second quarter of 2024 to 4.5% a year later.

Revenue is growing at healthy rates. The company reported a top-line increase of 22% year over year in the second quarter, with quarterly active customers growing 40%.

The improving financials of the retail business only make the stock’s yield more attractive. It pays a dividend only once per year, but the recent $1 payment could increase over the next few years if margins and revenue continue to rise, which is likely in a growing economy.

With JD.com trading at a low forward price-to-earnings multiple of 12, investors could see exceptional returns just from the stock climbing to a higher earnings multiple. The 3% yield is a nice bonus while you wait for the market to re-rate the shares with a higher valuation.

Low price, high yield

Jennifer Saibil (Target): Target stock continues to slide, and it fell further after results for the 2025 fiscal second quarter (ended Aug. 2) were reported last week. Revenue dropped less than 1% from last year, but comparable-store sales fell 1.9%. Earnings per share (EPS) of $2.05 were down from $2.57 last year, but they beat Wall Street expectations by $0.01.

The main disappointment for the market, though, wasn’t the quarterly report. CEO Brian Cornell had announced a few months ago that he was ready to step down, and along with the second-quarter report, the company announced the incoming CEO as current chief operating officer Michael Fiddelke. He’s a Target lifer, having started as an intern when he was in business school. The market was looking for an outsider to breathe new life into the company, not more of the same.

Fiddelke says that Target has fallen behind in leading with style, leaning into core categories without the extra touch that has always made it stand out. In addition to his goal of bringing back that magic, he noted that operations have become a bit messy, with stores often out of merchandise due to acting as delivery hubs. While that’s been great for its digital program, which continues to thrive, it’s been less so for the store experience.

Can Fiddelke bring Target back to growth? That remains to be seen. But it has nearly 2,000 stores, a successful digital business, and many loyal fans. So its turnaround chances are strong, especially once the economy becomes more hospitable. Over the long term, it offers excellent potential for the patient investor.

In the meantime, shareholders can enjoy an amazing dividend. Target is a Dividend King, having raised its dividend annually for the past 54 years, an impressive track record that means it’s super reliable. At the shares’ current low price, Target’s dividend yields a high 4.5%, making this an excellent entry point for years of passive income and wealth generation.

INDEPENDENT travel agency, InteleTravel, is answering questions about their business practices after The Sun’s investigation shined a light on the true cost of joining their organisation to sell travel.

With glamorous celebrities like Strictly’s Vicky Pattison and TOWIE’s Jess Wright promoting the scheme on their huge social platforms, it was revealed they could be earning over £200,000 as fans sign up to the scheme.

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However, our report showed that almost 90 per cent of people don’t make a single penny working as an Independent Travel Agent (ITA) – with many ending up out of pocket.

Those selling travel through the Vicky’s Vacay team will almost certainly have signed up with recruitment firm, PlaNet Marketing, who are a separate company to InteleTravel.

Even though they are different companies, The Sun could find no way of joining InteleTravel without signing up to PlaNet Marketing and paying an initial fee of £140 and then £30 per month thereafter.

Industry experts TTG, have reported that since The Sun called for clarity on how many Brits are affected negatively by joining the scheme, InteleTravel is now reviewing its partnership with the US-headquartered company that recruits agents on its behalf.

In our report, we looked at how likely it is for everyday women and fans of these glamourous celebrities to earn money selling holidays to their friends and family for a small commission.

Social media messaging flaunting a jet-set lifestyle and ability to ‘be your own boss’ is rife on platforms like Instagram.

And it’s not just the celebrities who are at it.

Many ITAs who say they make ‘big money’ from selling travel are, in fact, doing so with an elaborate recreruitment downline.

This means anyone they sign up to their ‘team’ must pay them a commission, as well as the commission to InteleTravel – an ABTA-approved travel agency – on anything they go on to sell.

InteleTravel came under criticism as recruiters for the network, appear to approach people, most-often women and mums, on social media.

Subtle messaging, which some women who spoke to The Sun allege they are trained for, is used to lure new agents in by telling them a glamorous lifestyle can be achieved while on their family holiday.

It’s heavily implied that a huge salary can be achieved while being a full-time mum or working in another job.

A recruiter told our reporter that she earned £27,000 alongside her full time job in a different sector.

Tricia Handley-Hughes, InteleTravel’s UK and Ireland managing director, insisted the agency’s partnership with PlanNet Marketing had “not run its course” but added: “discussions need to take place”.

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Senior industry agents also reacted to the story, calling it “deeply concerning”.

In a article published by trade publication, Travel Weekly, they raised concerns about InteleTravel’s recruitment methods and about the impact of the story on the professional reputation of other agents in the sector.

Advantage Travel Partnership chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said said: “It’s important to remember the vast majority of travel agents across the UK are highly professional and trustworthy”.

“Being a travel agent is not a hobby. It should never be treated as a casual side hustle to make some extra money”.

While marketing consultant Steve Dunne, chief executive of Digital Drums, said such stories “could push back the reputation of the travel agents a generation”.

A number of InteleTravel agents have reacted to our report in defence of InteleTravel.

They were keen to tell their followers that agents can ‘just sell holidays’ and do not have to sign up to be part of the business responsible for the recruitment of other agents.

James Pirie-Warsop said: “I’ve been with Intele for about two or three years and I’m glad I did [join them]. Yes, there’s a multi-level marketing side, but you don’t have to do it”.

Whilst no-one is forced to recruit a ‘dream team of travel agents’ like Vicky and Jess, official data from the Direct Selling Association reveals that 63 per cent of agents in the sector do go on to build a ‘team’.

InteleTravel’s own figures may differ from the UK wide average, but when asked directlt by The Sun, they declined to comment on the amount their agents earn.

Read our full InteleTravel report here.

Have you been approached to join InteleTravel or asked if you’d like to make money selling travel with a team of like-minded agents? Get in touch with us at

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A funny thing blocked the path to another Andrew Friedman midsummer triumph.

An Andrew Friedman midsummer failure.

The Dodgers and their renowned baseball boss came to bat at baseball’s trade deadline Thursday poised to knock another fat midseason pitch out of the park en route to a second consecutive World Series championship.

They never took the bat off their shoulder.

Strike out, staring.

The Dodgers needed a proven closer. Six teams picked up proven closers. The Dodgers weren’t one of them.

Mason Miller went to the San Diego Padres, Camilo Doval to the New York Yankees, Griffin Jax to the Tampa Bay Rays, Ryan Helsley to the New York Mets, Jhoan Duran to the Philadelphia Phillies and David Bednar to the New York Yankees.

Some other reliever went to the Dodgers. I think his name was Brock Stewart or something.

How does this make sense? Are they watching what we’re watching?

So you’re telling me they must forge ahead through the rest of the season hoping that Tanner Scott gets healthy or Kirby Yates gets consistent or Blake Treinen gets younger or, heck, maybe the Boston Red Sox cut Walker Buehler and he comes back for one more ninth inning! That’s crazy, but this entire situation is crazy, a $400-million roster with nobody to pitch the last out.

The Dodger also entered Thursday needing a defensive-minded outfielder. Four teams found one. The Dodgers did not.

Harrison Bader went to the Phillies, Mike Yastrzemski and Randal Grichuk to the Kansas City Royals, Austin Slater to the Yankees and Cedric Mullins to the Mets.

The Dodgers picked up an outfielder named Alex…is it Call?

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So now Dodger fans are haunted with the fear that Michael Conforto will lose a fly ball down the left-field line on Halloween with the season on the line.

This is all so weird. This is all so, well, arrogant.

Granted, the Dodgers have baseball’s best team on paper, but they’ve had its best team for several years and that hasn’t stopped Friedman from dominating the last week in July.

One could argue that Friedman actually won last year’s championship by brilliantly acquiring Jack Flaherty and Tommy Edman and Michael Kopech at the deadline.

This has always been Friedman’s strength, humbly adding talent to a group already possessing riches of talent.

Remember, this is the time of year he also once traded for Rich Hill, Yu Darvish, Manny Machado, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner and Evan Phillips, all of whom led them deep into the playoffs.

The only two years during which Friedman has fumbled the deadline? He failed to acquire pitching in 2022 and they were beaten by the Padres. He brought in only Lance Lynn in 2023 and they were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

This suddenly feels like one of those years.

“We felt like this is an incredibly talented group that, as we get healthy and these guys hit their stride, we feel like we’re in a great position for another deep run into October,” general manager Brandon Gomes said on a conference call with reporters.

In other words, they think they’re good enough that they don’t need to trade any top prospects for win-now talent.

But are they? And even if they are, why take a chance?

Mookie Betts reacts after striking out against the Milwaukee Brewers on July 20.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

If there’s anything the first 109 games of this season has taught us is that the Dodgers’ greatness, like all greatness in a sport that hasn’t had consecutive champions in a quarter of a decade, can be fleeting.

The window suddenly seems to be slowly closing on the Hall of Fame careers of Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Shohei Ohtani has been so physically stressed that he’s leaving games with cramps.

Teoscar Hernández doesn’t look like last year’s revelation. Max Muncy can’t stay on the field. And Edman is batting aches that may last all season.

The rotation is also shaky, with fragile Tyler Glasnow and aging Clayton Kershaw and underwhelming Roki Sasaki and injured Blake Snell and, really, just one sure-fire starter is Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

“Obviously there was a lot of action today throughout the game, and a lot of teams improved, but we feel really good about this group,” Gomes said. “Coming into the year, felt like this was as talented of a roster as we’ve ever had. We’re in a position where we’re in first place, and I don’t even think we’ve played our best baseball yet. So as we continue to get some of our starters back, and then adding these pieces, and our guys just kind of playing up to their potential, we feel like it’s still a really, really strong team, and we don’t feel any differently about our aspirations than we did at the beginning of the year.”

Through their stunning inaction Thursday, the Dodger clearly made the statement that they’re good enough to a championship without any more help.

All those teams that greatly improved don’t agree.

The baseball world is sensing a Dodger vulnerability, as if there’s blue blood in the water.

Given a chance to dissuade everyone of that notion the Dodgers sighed, shrugged and passed.

A strikeout of a day, a turning point of a season?

A former bustling resort loved by affluent holidaymakers now lies as a forsaken and crumbling ghost town.

Elkmont, Tennessee, was once a thriving town and popular holiday destination for wealthy tourists. The town now stands as an abandoned and derelict site within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Famed for its countless walking paths, the spectacular 80-foot Laurel Falls, and the yearly synchronous firefly display that illuminates the mountains, Elkmont is most celebrated as the “abandoned town of the Smokies”.

Initially called “Little River”, the US region covered 86,000 acres of terrain and was bought in 1901 by Colonel Wilson B. Townsend, who established the Little River Lumber company.

The building of a railway for his timber operations led to a surge of visitors and transformed this location into a sought-after holiday spot for well-heeled travellers, reports the Express.

Eventually, this weekend retreat developed into a permanent home for residents from Knoxville, and the settlement became recognised as Elkmont.

But when the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was formed in 1934, property owners faced an impossible choice.

They were forced to pick between selling their homes and moving away immediately, or disposing of their assets at a reduced price to the National Park Service in return for a lifelong lease. Homeowners continued to reside and negotiate lease renewals until the late 80s.

However, by 1992, most leases had expired, forcing residents to vacate their homes. This resulted in 70 historic buildings being abandoned, and the once bustling town of 1500 residents earned the eerie nickname Elkmont Ghost town.

With the decision that no one would return to Elkmont, questions arose about the fate of the buildings and the town after everyone’s departure.

While history buffs wanted to preserve Elkmont due to its century-long history, environmentalists pushed for the demolition of these cabins to allow the land to revert to its natural state.

The National Park Service also favoured demolition, but it was decided that 19 of the 74 structures would be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, preventing their destruction and ensuring their restoration. The remaining buildings were demolished.

Buried within the Tennessee mountains, haunting photographs show rotting and deteriorating cabins that have remained undisturbed for more than 40 years.

Today, visitors are invited to explore this deserted town in the Smoky Mountains at their own pace and witness structures slowly being reclaimed by nature.

As the photos reveal, you’ll encounter broken wooden floors, flaking paint, collapsed roofs, and vacant cabins, all reminiscent of houses from a horror film. You’ll also have the opportunity to tour the restored structures during your visit.

Reddit users have taken to the site to talk about Elkmont’s slow demise. One user said: “Ghost towns never cease to amaze me… like a little sliver forever frozen in time.” Another said it was “cool” and gave them “Friday the 13th vibes”.

Despite this, many walkers and tourists add this hidden treasure to their must-visit list in Tennessee, finding Elkmont a surprisingly tranquil spot. Maybe you’d fancy stepping back in time and exploring this ghost town for yourself.

The social media user claimed to have found the most underrated city in Europe, sharing a short video of the destination, which is known for its incredible architecture

Praise has been lavished on an historic city dating back to the Middle Ages with a population of just 560,000 people and the largest designated cyclist area in Europe. In a short video on YouTube, @MarkEarthExplored shared a video of “a true hidden gem”.

With just 60 followers to his name, the intrepid explorer exclaimed in his latest offering: “I found the most underrated city in Europe.” Clocking in over 130 likes, the footage takes viewers on a visual jaunt through Ghent, the jewel of Belgium’s East Flanders province and its third-largest urban sprawl.

READ MORE: ‘Perfect’ Father’s Day present dubbed ‘must have for dads’ is £11

Steeped in antiquity as one of the nation’s eldest cities, Ghent boasts a tapestry of historical richness and awe-inspiring architecture epitomised by the towering Saint Bavo’s Cathedral, peaking at 292 feet.

Ghent’s treasure trove of landmarks features The Groot Vleeshuis, a grandiose former market hall, the ancient Gravensteen castle harking back to 1180, and the sacred walls of St Elisabeth Church, nestled within one of the city’s three beguinages.

If bricks and mortar history isn’t your cup of tea, Ghent has a smorgasbord of museums to tickle your fancy, reports the Express.

The prestigious Museum voor Schone Kunsten houses a staggering array of artwork amounting to 9,000 pieces dating as far back as the Middle Ages, majorly spotlighting Flemish masterpieces beside those of other European virtuosos.

Meanwhile, the Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst (SMAK), or City Museum for Contemporary Art in layman’s terms, parades a dazzling permanent exhibit featuring scene-stealing pieces from icons like Andy Warhol and Francis Bacon.

Alternatively, food enthusiasts can indulge in some of Ghent’s mouth-watering specialties, such as the sweet, cinnamon-spiced “mastellen” or “Saint Hubert bread” bagels.

A mastel is a soft, bagel-like treat flavoured with cinnamon and sugar, offering a delightful taste experience.

Another local delight is the praline chocolates, also known as cuberdons or “neuzekes” (little noses), which are cone-shaped and filled with a sweet raspberry-flavoured filling.

Visitors can easily reach Ghent by plane, train, or car. By train, the journey from London takes approximately three hours, while a flight takes around one hour.

Driving from London to Ghent takes roughly 4.5 hours, although the duration may vary depending on the specific starting location.

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‘More fearful’