If you've heard the phrase 'gig economy' bandied about on the news or the internet recently, this is one of the 'gig' jobs people talk about the most. In times gone by, it was necessary for businesspeople to have a physical office, in which sat physical staff answering the phone and responding to emails. The internet and technology have advanced beyond that point now. Some businesspeople don't even need an office anymore. They do, however, still need someone to handle their administration and correspondence. Many of them use someone they've never met, who might be sat at home on the other side of the world.
Virtual assistants will agree on different tasks for different employers. Handling phone calls and emails are generally part of it, but arranging flights, hotel bookings and travel plans is also a factor. Because the assistant works with so many clients, they can accumulate significant amounts of money in the role.
To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.
At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.
David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.
15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.
The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.