Latest news with #Jong
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nevada couple allegedly promised dozens of victims eye-popping returns on luxury car, boat deals in $57M scam
A Las Vegas couple promised investors eye-popping returns on exotic cars and boats they claimed would be resold to wealthy buyers overseas, but the police now allege these buyers never existed. According to a 94-page arrest warrant obtained by 8 News Now, Jong Rhee, 45, and Neelufar Rhee, 34, were arrested on May 22, 2025 and are facing dozens of charges for setting up a multi-million dollar fraud scheme that allegedly netted $57 million through their businesses, Twisted Twins Motorsports and Lusso Auto Spa. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Investigators say the couple pitched investors on luxury vehicles and boats supposedly destined for high-paying clients in countries like Singapore, where import restrictions could supposedly generate enormous profits. In one case, Jong Rhee told investors a $57 million investment could yield $2.5 billion, but police say there's no evidence that any overseas buyers were ever contacted. Among the high-end items involved in the alleged scheme were luxury cars from Bugatti, Rolls-Royce and Porsche, as well as a $3.9 million boat that Jong Rhee said he could sell for $13.5 million. One of the couple's extravagant claims allegedly involved a 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre valued at $526,000. Jong Rhee reportedly told investors that if they bought the car, Rhee could sell it for $7.5 million overseas. In another instance, the couple took a private jet to Missouri for a boating trip, claiming the vessel would be sold to one of Jong's international 'connections,' but police say the sale never happened. Detectives believe investor funds were instead used for personal luxuries and travel. The Rhees also attempted to purchase a bar and a home in Lake Havasu, Arizona and allegedly made trips to California using money from investors. The investigation culminated in an October 2024 search of the couple's $2-million home in Henderson, Nevada, where officers seized dozens of exotic vehicles. Police also uncovered text messages between the couple that detailed the pressure the Rhees were under due to 'mounting debts, delayed payments, and unreliable business partners,' according to 8 News Now. In a text from April 2025, Jong Rhee reportedly wrote, 'We r [sic] big trouble money.' Another message allegedly read, 'Right now, our lives are on the line.' By mid-2024, police say the couple became so desperate that Jong gambled their last $10,000 at the World Series of Poker, hoping for a big win to solve their financial troubles. 'Jong frequently gambled and played poker,' police wrote in the arrest warrant, adding that he often entered high-stakes tournaments that further strained the couple's finances. The Rhees are reportedly facing 78 charges that include money laundering, racketeering and forgery, 8 News Now reports. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it With fraudulent investment schemes on the rise, it's important to keep an eye out for any potential red flags when someone is attempting to talk you into an investment. For one, be skeptical if the salesperson asks for secrecy, or if they ask you to bring people you know into the investment. A legitimate professional won't ask you to keep secrets, nor will they request you to recruit additional investors. You should also watch out for investing in unregistered products or assets. Scammers might say an investment is exempt from registration, which, even if true, means the risks are much higher. Bad actors who operate outside industry rules and regulations are behind many financial scams, so make sure the seller of an investment product is also registered and legitimate. Like with most things, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Make sure you protect your money by using some of the FBI's tips to avoid getting scammed: Before you dive into an investment opportunity, do your own research and don't just rely on the information that the salesperson provided for you. There's never a need to rush. If you're being pressured into an investment or told not to discuss a potential investment with others, that could be a red flag. There is never a guaranteed return on investment (ROI). All investments include some level of risk, so be weary of anyone who promises a guaranteed ROI. Don't respond to cold calls, text messages, emails or any other unsolicited contact that is either overly attractive or induces fear. It's not certain how many people were defrauded in the Las Vegas scheme, since some of the court records remain redacted. However, two other individuals — Crisfin Deguzman and John Baudhuin — are also facing charges related to the case. As for the Rhees, they've posted $100,000 bail and were due back in court June 9, 2025. Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now This tiny hot Costco item has skyrocketed 74% in price in under 2 years — but now the retail giant is restricting purchases. Here's how to buy the coveted asset in bulk Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Sign in to access your portfolio
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Erica Jong is a feminist icon, but to her daughter she's ‘an alcoholic narcissist'
MEMOIR How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir Molly Jong-Fast Picador, $36.99 Molly Jong-Fast is the 'only child of an alcoholic narcissist'. As it turns out, that narcissist is a second-wave feminist icon: American author Erica Jong. In 1973, Jong published Fear of Flying, a daring novel celebrating female desire and sexual pleasure through one woman's libertine search for herself. The freedom the protagonist finds in casual sex even led to the coinage of a term: the 'zipless f--k'. It would eventually sell more than 37 million copies. But behind the self-possessed image Jong projected was a mother whose addiction to fame and alcohol – in equal measure – fractured her relationship to her only child. How to Lose Your Mother retraces Jong-Fast's annus horribilis, the year her husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and her mother's mind was undone by dementia. The political commentator recounts a childhood relegated to the sidelines as her mother tried vainly to keep the spotlight shining after her book fell off the bestsellers list. Taking inspiration from Fear of Flying 's heroine, Jong would disappear into a hazy world of fleeting relationships, alcohol abuse and a fickle search for public attention while her daughter was parented by others. Jong would occasionally resurface to mine motherhood for writing material, often with comical and damning results. As a teenager, Jong-Fast is told by her mother to be careful driving on the icy roads as she doesn't want to have a dead daughter – at Christmas time. 'I would wonder if it was possible … my mother sort of wanted me to drive off the road,' Jong-Fast writes. Years later, when Jong-Fast almost dies giving birth, her agonising experience is retold as a delusion in her mother's new novel: 'Imagine that the worst thing that's ever happened to you is portrayed as a figment of your own imagination. By your own mother.' It's unsurprising then to hear that the same woman called Jong-Fast 'overdramatic' for wanting to go to rehab as a teenager abusing alcohol. (Jong-Fast is now 26 years sober.) With a loved one ravaged by dementia, levity is the relief-valve Jong-Fast must often pull to both blunt the torture of her new daily reality and the pain of thinking back to the years of neglect. When visiting her mother's New York apartment one day, it's the only comfort possible when she finds her sitting half-naked, reeking of urine and leafing happily through a newspaper.
The Age
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Erica Jong is a feminist icon, but to her daughter she's ‘an alcoholic narcissist'
MEMOIR How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir Molly Jong-Fast Picador, $36.99 Molly Jong-Fast is the 'only child of an alcoholic narcissist'. As it turns out, that narcissist is a second-wave feminist icon: American author Erica Jong. In 1973, Jong published Fear of Flying, a daring novel celebrating female desire and sexual pleasure through one woman's libertine search for herself. The freedom the protagonist finds in casual sex even led to the coinage of a term: the 'zipless f--k'. It would eventually sell more than 37 million copies. But behind the self-possessed image Jong projected was a mother whose addiction to fame and alcohol – in equal measure – fractured her relationship to her only child. How to Lose Your Mother retraces Jong-Fast's annus horribilis, the year her husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and her mother's mind was undone by dementia. The political commentator recounts a childhood relegated to the sidelines as her mother tried vainly to keep the spotlight shining after her book fell off the bestsellers list. Taking inspiration from Fear of Flying 's heroine, Jong would disappear into a hazy world of fleeting relationships, alcohol abuse and a fickle search for public attention while her daughter was parented by others. Jong would occasionally resurface to mine motherhood for writing material, often with comical and damning results. As a teenager, Jong-Fast is told by her mother to be careful driving on the icy roads as she doesn't want to have a dead daughter – at Christmas time. 'I would wonder if it was possible … my mother sort of wanted me to drive off the road,' Jong-Fast writes. Years later, when Jong-Fast almost dies giving birth, her agonising experience is retold as a delusion in her mother's new novel: 'Imagine that the worst thing that's ever happened to you is portrayed as a figment of your own imagination. By your own mother.' It's unsurprising then to hear that the same woman called Jong-Fast 'overdramatic' for wanting to go to rehab as a teenager abusing alcohol. (Jong-Fast is now 26 years sober.) With a loved one ravaged by dementia, levity is the relief-valve Jong-Fast must often pull to both blunt the torture of her new daily reality and the pain of thinking back to the years of neglect. When visiting her mother's New York apartment one day, it's the only comfort possible when she finds her sitting half-naked, reeking of urine and leafing happily through a newspaper.
Rakyat Post
03-06-2025
- Business
- Rakyat Post
Woman's Perseverance In Oyster Mushroom Farming Leads To RM37,000 Monthly Income
Subscribe to our FREE Mushroom farming can indeed generate significant income, as proven by a Malaysian woman who has shown that agriculture can be a high-income industry. Together with her husband, 41-year-old Jong Siew Kuen manages an oyster mushroom farm in Sarawak that now generates an impressive monthly income of RM37,500. It began five years ago with an initial investment of RM1.5 million and 60,000 mushroom cultivation blocks. After years of hard work, they've expanded their operation to 100,000 blocks, with each block yielding approximately 8,000 kg of mushrooms per harvest. Like Raising Children: The Meticulous Care Behind Mushroom Cultivation The business, operated under the company name Perfect 10 Fresh Mushrooms, is managed with the assistance of five employees who help with daily operations. Jong revealed that her deep interest in oyster mushroom cultivation, combined with the mushrooms' high protein content and health benefits, motivated her to enter this field. This isn't some amateur hour hobby, Jong said, shooting down any notion that mushroom cultivation is a walk in the park. When she compares growing these fungi to raising kids, she's not being cute – she's dead serious about the round-the-clock attention these organisms demand, treating each cultivation block with the same vigilance a protective parent gives their children. From Crisis to Comeback: Overcoming a RM130K Setback Despite their current stable operations, they've faced significant challenges. In 2022, their farm suffered a bacterial infection that destroyed all their mushroom crops, resulting in a loss of RM130,000. Yet, like the very mushrooms they cultivate, they proved that sometimes the best growth comes after a period of breakdown – rebuilding their enterprise from scratch to become one of Sarawak's most inspiring agricultural comeback stories. Today, their company not only supplies oyster mushrooms to local markets in Bintulu and Miri but has also successfully entered the international market by exporting to Brunei, demonstrating the international competitiveness of local agricultural products. READ MORE : READ MORE : READ MORE : Adapted from an article by Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
