Latest news with #SkyPenthouse
Business Mayor
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Sky-High Luxury: Inside The World's Highest Penthouses
In the rarefied world of ultra-luxury real estate, the penthouses crowning the world's tallest skyscrapers set a new standard for elevated living—to its most literal and breathtaking heights. These soaring sanctuaries combine ultimate privacy, prestige, and panoramic views to redefine the very definition of living the high life. From New York's Billionaires' Row to the glittering heights of Dubai's skyline, we journey through the highest penthouses on earth—spaces that don't just rise above the city, but above convention itself. More than mere residences at altitude, they testaments to human ambition and architectural artistry. Rising above Manhattan's vibrant NoMad district, the SkyHouse at 172 Madison Avenue crowns a 33-story luxury tower soaring 450 feet (137 meters). This three-story penthouse spans over 5,500 square feet of interior space, complemented by 3,000 square feet of private terraces. A 23-foot-high living room ceiling, a glass-walled private elevator, and a rooftop terrace with a swimming pool and Jacuzzi define urban sophistication on one of the world's most iconic avenues. Completed in 2017, the building offers residents a 67-foot saltwater lap pool, spa facilities, a fitness center, and a pet spa. Building Height: 450 ft (137 m) Floors: 33 Penthouse Level: 32–33 Completed: 2017 Perched atop Monaco's tallest residential tower, the Sky Penthouse at Tour Odéon redefines Mediterranean luxury. Spanning the top 5 floors of the 560-foot (170-meter), 49-story skyscraper, this 38,000-square-foot, five-level residence features five bedrooms, three staff quarters, and five kitchens. Its pièce de résistance is a rooftop terrace with a circular infinity pool and waterslide, offering panoramic views of the azure Mediterranean. The penthouse's opulent interiors, private elevator, and prime location in Monte Carlo's Golden Square cement its status as one of the world's most coveted addresses. With an estimated value of $335 million (in 2021), this luxury penthouse is one of the most expensive homes in the world. Building Height: 560 ft (170 m) Floors: 49 Penthouse Level: 45–49 Completed: 2015 Soaring 802 feet (244.5 meters) above San Francisco, the Grand Penthouse at 181 Fremont occupies the entire top floor of the Bay Area's tallest mixed-use tower. This 6,941-square-foot residence features four bedrooms, six bathrooms, a grand salon, a home gym, and floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, and Salesforce Tower. A private elevator grants access to exclusive amenities, including a fitness center and residents' lounge. Read More Forever 21 plans nearly 200 store closures in second bankruptcy Building Height: 802 ft (244.5 m) Floors: 56, plus 5 basement floors Penthouse Level: 56 Completed: 2018 In Tribeca, one of New York's trendiest neighborhoods, the penthouse at 56 Leonard crowns a 57-story, 821-foot (250-meter) skyscraper designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Spanning approximately 8,000 square feet across floors 56 and 57, this residence features four bedrooms, expansive terraces, and 360-degree views of Manhattan and the Hudson River. Its sculptural interiors, soaring ceilings, and private elevator embody artistic luxury, complemented by amenities like a 75-foot pool and theater. Building Height: 821 ft (250 m) Floors: 57 Penthouse Level: 56–57 Completed: 2017 Crowning the 951-foot (290-meter) Guoco Tower, Singapore's tallest building, the Wallich Residence triplex penthouse spans floors 62 to 64. This 21,108-square-foot vertical masterpiece offers five bedrooms, a private pool, cabana, and jacuzzi, with floor-to-ceiling windows revealing Marina Bay and the city skyline. Private elevators and amenities like a sky gym and concierge services ensure unrivaled exclusivity. Completed in 2017, this luxury penthouse blends modern elegance with unparalleled urban vistas in Southeast Asia's vibrant financial hub. Building Height: 951 ft (290 m) Floors: 64 Penthouse Level: 62–64 Completed: 2017 Known as Steinway Tower, 111 West 57th Street is the world's skinniest skyscraper, with a 24:1 height-to-width ratio, rising 1,428 feet (435 meters). Its four-story penthouse at over 1,000 feet high spans floors 80 to 83 of this 84-story tower and features five bedrooms, six bathrooms, and 618 square feet of exterior terraces. The 11,480-square-foot Quadplex penthouse boasts horizon-spanning views of Manhattan and Central Park, private elevators, and bespoke interiors, making it a jewel of Billionaires' Row. Building Height: 1,428 ft (435 m) Floors: 84 Penthouse Level: 80–83 Completed: 2022 Located at 157 West 57th Street, the penthouse at One57 occupies floors 89 and 90 of a 1,005-foot (306-meter), 90-story tower. Spanning nearly 11,000 square feet, this six-bedroom, seven-bathroom residence offers Central Park as its front yard. Residents enjoy 20,000 square feet of amenities, including a library, an indoor movie theater, and access to the Park Hyatt New York below, cementing One57's status as a pioneer of Billionaires' Row luxury. Building Height: 1,004 ft (306 m) Floors: 90 Penthouse Level: 89–90 Completed: 2014 Soaring 1,394 feet (425 meters), Marina 101 stands as Dubai's second-tallest residential tower, housing exquisite duplex penthouses across floors 97 to 100 of its 101-story silhouette. Each penthouse offers 6,500 sq ft of luxury living, with a private jacuzzi in every bedroom, and expansive terraces offering panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf, Palm Jumeirah (including Atlantis and Atlantis The Royal resorts), and the iconic Burj Al Arab. Despite construction delays since 2006 due to financial challenges, the tower is set for completion in 2025. The lower 33 floors, originally planned for a Hard Rock Hotel, remain undeveloped following an unsuccessful 2021 auction. Building Height: 1,394 ft (425 m) Floors: 101, plus 6 basement floors Penthouse Level: Multiple duplex penthouses, 97–100 Completed: 2025 (projected) At 1,396 feet (426 meters), 432 Park Avenue, located between East 56th and 57th Streets, held the title of the Western Hemisphere's tallest residential building upon its 2015 completion until surpassed by Central Park Tower in 2019. Its 96th-floor penthouse, spanning 8,255 square feet, features six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and 360-degree views of New York City through 240 linear feet of glass. With over 30,000 square feet of amenities—including a private restaurant, 75-foot pool, and spa—this Billionaires' Row icon remains a paragon of modern luxury. Building Height: 1,397 ft (426 m) Floors: 96 Penthouse Level: 96 Completed: 2015 The Sky Palace at Burj Khalifa, perched on floors 107 and 108 of the world's tallest building (2,717 feet / 829.8 meters), sits nearly 1,300 feet above Downtown Dubai. Spanning 163 floors, the Burj Khalifa houses private residences, offices, Armani Hotel, and amenities like Japanese gardens, padel courts and three public observation decks. This 21,000-square-foot duplex penthouse offers sweeping views of the Arabian Gulf, Palm Jumeirah and even the distant mountains of Ras Al Khaimah. Listed at $51 million in early 2025 by Invest Dubai Real Estate, the unit is a raw shell, the unit is currently a raw shell. It features a private elevator and 12 parking spaces—but will require a multi-million dollar investment to transform it into a bespoke sky mansion. Building Height: 2,717 ft (828 m) Floors: 163 Penthouse Level: 107–108 Completed: 2010 Dubbed 'The One Above All Else,' the triplex penthouse at Central Park Tower soars 1,416 feet above New York City, a fittingly audacious name for the world's highest residential penthouse. Showcased in Netflix's Owning Manhattan, the penthouse commands floors 129 to 131 of the 1,550-foot (472-meter), 131-story tower. Spanning a jaw-dropping 17,545 square feet, it flaunts seven bedrooms, eleven bathrooms, a 1,500-square-foot grand salon, a private ballroom, and a 1,433-square-foot terrace that frames Central Park and Manhattan's glittering skyline. With 27-foot ceilings, private high-speed elevators, and some of the best views of the entire city, this residence rules Billionaires' Row as the ultimate sky palace. Building Height: 1,550 ft (472 m) Floors: 131 Penthouse Level: 129–131 Completed: 2020 While Dubai's Burj Khalifa, piercing the sky at 2,717 feet (829.8 meters), claims the crown as the world's tallest building, New York's Central Park Tower steals the spotlight with the highest residential penthouse. Soaring at 1,416 feet above Manhattan, the triplex penthouse, aptly dubbed 'The One Above All Else,' reigns supreme on floors 129–131 of the 1,550-foot (472-meter) tower, outpacing the Burj Khalifa's Sky Palace at approximately 1,300 feet. Triplex Penthouse at Central Park Tower, New York City, USA Sky Palace at Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE Penthouse at 432 Park Avenue, New York City, USA Duplex Penthouses at Marina 101, Dubai, UAE Penthouse at One57, New York City, USA Quadplex 80 at 111 West 57th Street, New York City, USA Wallich Residence Penthouse, Singapore Penthouse at 56 Leonard, New York City, USA Grand Penthouse at 181 Fremont, San Francisco, USA Sky Penthouse at Tour Odéon, Monaco SkyHouse at 172 Madison Avenue, New York City, USA Methodology: To crown the world's highest penthouses, we ranked them by elevation above ground. Where exact penthouse heights were unavailable, we calculated estimates based on floor levels relative to the building's pinnacle, presuming top-floor residences soar closest to the summit. READ SOURCE businessmayor May 20, 2025
Mint
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Kim Kardashian's Paris robbery trial to begin from 28 April: Here's everything you need to know
American media personality Kim Kardashian, who was robbed at gunpoint in October 2016 in a Paris heist, is in the news again as the case is finally coming to court. The case was the biggest robbery of an individual in France for more than 20 years. It even made front pages around the world. After Kim and rapper Kanye West in a week-long celebration spanning Paris and Florence, they returned to Paris for Fashion Week, reported Sky News. However, her then-husband, West, returned to the US to pick up his Saint Pablo tour. Kim , along with her sister Kourtney and various members of their entourage, remained in Paris. On 3 October 2016, Kardashian remained alone in the Sky Penthouse on Tronchet Street apartment while the rest of her convoy, which also included her bodyguard Pascal Duvier, went out for the night. Three armed men wearing ski masks and dressed as police forced their way into the apartment block at 2.30 am. Two allegedly forced the concierge to lead them to Kardashian's suite. When the armed men entered her room, Kardashian claimed she had been "dozing" on her bed. She even stated that her social media posts may have provided the alleged robbers with "a window of opportunity". "I was Snapchatting that I was home, and that everyone was going out," Sky News quoted her as saying in the months after the incident. Kim vividly described the attack in a police report, as reported in the French weekly paper Le Journal Du Dimanche. "They grabbed me and took me into the hallway. They tied me up with plastic cables and taped my hands, then they put tape over my mouth and my legs." Kim had said, as the French daily reported, the robbers specifically asked her ring and money. Further she alleged, the robbers carried her into the bathroom and put her in the bathtub. She was wearing only a bathrobe at the time, she said. Kim initially thought the robbers 'were terrorists', a French police report taken in New York three months after the robbery had said. According to the police, Kim alleged the thieves took her large Louis Vuitton jewellery box, which she said contained "everything I owned", reported Sky News. She listed these items as having been stolen: • Two diamond Cartier bracelets • A gold and diamond Jacob necklace • Diamond earrings by Lauren Schwartz • Three gold Jacob necklaces • Little bracelets, jewels and rings • A Lauren Schwartz diamond necklace • A necklace with six little diamonds • A necklace with Saint spelt out in diamonds • A cross-shaped diamond-encrusted Jacob cross • A yellow gold Rolex watch • An iPhone 6 and a BlackBerry Later police recovered only the diamond-encrusted cross, which was dropped by the robbers while leaving. On 28 April, the hearing will begin at the Court of Appeal of Paris and is scheduled to last a month. The case will be heard by a presiding judge, two professional assessors, and six main jurors. The hearing involves more than 2,000 documents and there are four civil parties. Among the 12 defendants in the case, one person has died and another has a medical condition. So 10 people - nine men and one woman - will stand in trial. Five of the robbers – all aged between 60 and 72 at the time of the incident – are facing armed robbery and kidnapping charges. They are: The rest are charged with complicity in the heist or the unauthorised possession of a weapon. They are: In case found guilty, the accused of the more serious crimes could face 10 years to life imprisonment. According to lawyer Michael Rhodes, Kim wishes for the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law. Despite a manhunt after the robbery, the case was sidelined as Paris was shaken by terrorist attacks by Islamic militants in 2015, where 130 people were killed, including 90 at a music event at the Bataclan theatre. In January 2017, 17 people were initially arrested in the Kardashian case, but 12 people were later charged. In 2021, an order was issued to send the case to trial, as limited court proceedings were taking place due to multiple COVID lockdowns. Also, at that time, France was holding its largest-ever criminal trial over the November 2015 terror attacks. First Published: 27 Apr 2025, 07:56 PM IST
Sky News
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Kim Kardashian's Paris robbery trial: Everything you need to know
In October 2016, Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint - with jewellery worth millions of dollars stolen during the audacious heist in Paris. It was the biggest robbery of an individual in France for more than 20 years - and made front pages around the world. Now, almost a decade on, the case is finally coming to court. Why has it taken so long? Will Kardashian give evidence? And who exactly are the "grandpa robbers" facing trial? Here's everything you need to know. What happened? Two years after Kardashian and rapper Kanye West tied the knot in an ostentatious week-long celebration spanning Paris and Florence, the Kardashian-West clan were back in the French capital for Paris Fashion Week. Her then husband had returned to the US to pick up his Saint Pablo tour - but Kardashian, along with her sister Kourtney and various members of their entourage, remained in Paris, staying in an exclusive set of apartments so discreet they've been dubbed the No Address Hotel. Nestled on Tronchet Street, just a stone's throw from Place de l'Opéra, and close to the fashionable Avenue Montaigne, the Hotel de Pourtalès is popular with A-list stars staying in the French capital. A stay in the Sky Penthouse, the suite occupied by Kardashian, will currently set you back about £13,000 a night. On the evening of 3 October, after attending a fashion show with her sister, Kardashian remained in the apartment alone while the rest of her convoy - including her bodyguard Pascal Duvier - went out for the night. At about 2.30am, three armed men wearing ski masks and dressed as police forced their way into the apartment block - and according to investigators, they threatened the concierge at gunpoint. Two of them are alleged to have forced the concierge to lead them to Kardashian's suite. He later told police they yelled at him: "Where's the rapper's wife?" Kardashian said she had been "dozing" on her bed when the men then entered her room. She has said she believes her social media posts provided the alleged robbers with "a window of opportunity". "I was Snapchatting that I was home, and that everyone was going out," she said in the months after the incident. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star vividly described the attack in a police report, as reported in the French weekly paper Le Journal du Dimanche. "They grabbed me and took me into the hallway. They tied me up with plastic cables and taped my hands, then they put tape over my mouth and my legs." She said they pointed a gun at her, asking specifically for her ring and also for money. Kardashian says they carried her into the bathroom and put her in the bathtub. She said she was wearing only a bathrobe at the time. She had initially thought the robbers "were terrorists who had come to kidnap me", according to a French police report taken in New York three months after the robbery. Kardashian told officers: "I thought I was going to die." According to police, the robbers - who left the room after grabbing their haul, escaped on bicycles with items estimated to be worth about $10m (£7.5m), including a $4m (£3m) 18.88-carat diamond engagement ring from West. After they had left, Kardashian said she escaped her restraints and went to find help. After speaking to detectives, she immediately returned to the US on a private jet and later hired a completely new security team. What was stolen? As well as her engagement ring, Kardashian said the thieves took her large Louis Vuitton jewellery box, which she said contained "everything I owned". In police reports given to the French authorities at about 4.30am on the night of the alleged robbery, Kardashian listed these items as having been stolen: • Two diamond Cartier bracelets • A gold and diamond Jacob necklace • Diamond earrings by Lauren Schwartz • Yanina earrings • Three gold Jacob necklaces • Little bracelets, jewels and rings • A Lauren Schwartz diamond necklace • A necklace with six little diamonds • A necklace with Saint spelt out in diamonds • A cross-shaped diamond-encrusted Jacob cross • A yellow gold Rolex watch • Two yellow gold rings • An iPhone 6 and a BlackBerry Police recovered only the diamond-encrusted cross that was dropped by the robbers while leaving. It's likely the gold in the haul was melted down and resold, while the diamond engagement ring that is now so associated with the robbery would be far too recognisable to sell on the open market. What will happen in court? The hearing will begin at the Court of Appeal of Paris - the largest appeals court in France - on 28 April and is scheduled to last a month. It will consist of a presiding judge, two professional assessors, and six main jurors. The hearing involves more than 2,000 documents and there are four civil parties. Who is being tried? There were initially 12 defendants in the case, but one person has died and another has a medical condition that prevents their involvement. This means 10 people - nine men and one woman - are standing trial. Five of them, who were all aged between 60 and 72 at the time of the incident, face armed robbery and kidnapping charges. They are: • Yunice Abbas • Aomar Ait Khedache • Harminv Ait Khedache • Didier Dubreucq • Marc-Alexandre Boyer Abbas, 72, has admitted his participation in the robbery. In 2021, he published a book about the robbery, titled I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian. In 2021, a court ruled he would not benefit financially from the book. Aomar Ait Khedache, 69, known to French crime reporters as "Old Omar", has also admitted participating in the heist but denies the prosecution's accusation that he was the ringleader. The remaining five defendants are charged with complicity in the heist or the unauthorised possession of a weapon. They are: • Florus Heroui • Gary Mader • Christiane Glotin • François Delaporte • Marc Boyer Among those, Mader was a VIP greeter who worked for the car company Kardashian used in Paris, and Heroui was a bar manager who allegedly passed on information about Kardashian's movements. With many of the accused now ageing and with various serious health conditions, and some having spent time in jail following their arrest, all are currently free under judicial supervision. If found guilty, those accused of the more serious crimes could face 10 years to life imprisonment. Will Kardashian give evidence? Yes. Lawyer Michael Rhodes said Kardashian has "tremendous appreciation and admiration for the French judicial system" and "wishes for the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case". A trainee lawyer herself, Kardashian has become a high-profile criminal justice advocate in the US in recent years. Why has it taken so long to come to court? There was initially a manhunt after the robbery, with French police under pressure to prove that Paris's security was not in question. Just the year before in 2015, the capital had been shaken by terrorist attacks by Islamic militants, in which 130 people were killed, including 90 at a music event at the Bataclan theatre. French police initially arrested 17 people in the Kardashian case in January 2017 - three months after the robbery - assisted by DNA traces found on plastic bands used to tie her wrists. Twelve people were later charged. It was ordered to be sent to trial in 2021 - at a time when limited court proceedings were happening due to multiple COVID lockdowns, and France was holding its largest ever criminal trial over the November 2015 terror attacks. What has Kardashian said about the incident? Kardashian has described the robbery as a "life-changing" moment. She took three weeks away from filming her reality TV show Keeping Up With the Kardashians, and took a three-month break from social media. In a March 2017 episode of titled Paris, Kardashian first spoke publicly about her ordeal. She described first hearing a noise in her apartment, and calling out, thinking it was her sister and assistant: "At that moment when there wasn't an answer, my heart started to get really tense. Like, you know, your stomach just kind of like, knots up and you're like, 'OK, what's going on?' I knew something wasn't quite right." She went on: "They asked for money. I said, 'I don't have any money'. They dragged me out to the hallway on top of the stairs. That's when I saw the gun, clear as day. I was looking at the gun, looking down back at the stairs. I was like, I have a split second in my mind to make this quick decision. "Either they're going to shoot me in the back or if I make it [down the stairs] and the elevator does not open in time or the stairs are locked, there's no way out." Three months later, she told a Forbes Power Women's Summit she had changed her approach to posting on social media: "They had followed my moves on social media, and they knew my every move and what I had." She added: "It was definitely a huge, huge, huge lesson for me to not show off some of the things that I have. It was a huge lesson to me to not show off where I go. "It's just changed my whole life, but I think for the better." In October 2020, Kardashian told US interviewer David Letterman she feared she would be raped and murdered during the heist, and that her sister had been at the forefront of her mind during the incident. Speaking on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Kardashian said: "I kept on thinking about Kourtney, I kept on thinking she's going to come home and I'm going to be dead in the room and she's going to be traumatised for the rest of her life if she sees me... I thought that was my fate." When speaking to French police about the impact the robbery had had on her three months after it, Kardashian said: "I think that my perception of jewellery now is that I am not as attached to it as I used to be. I don't have the same feeling about it. In fact, I even think that it has become a bit of a burden to have the responsibility of such expensive jewels. "There is nothing of sentimental value to compare with the act of going home and finding one's children and one's family." She went on to describe Paris as "not the right place" for her, and didn't return to the French capital for two years following the robbery. Kardashian has since said in a 2023 episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians that she did not purchase any jewellery in the seven years following the robbery, kept no jewellery at her home and only wore items that are either borrowed or fake. She said the realisation that material items don't matter has made her "a completely different person in the best way".
Sky News
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Eight years ago, Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint - with jewellery worth millions stolen. Now, the case is coming to court
In October 2016, Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint - with jewellery worth millions of dollars stolen during the audacious heist in Paris. It was the biggest robbery of an individual in France for more than 20 years - and made front pages around the world. Now, almost a decade on, the case is finally coming to court. Why has it taken so long? Will Kardashian give evidence? And who exactly are the "grandpa robbers" facing trial? Here's everything you need to know. What happened? Two years after Kardashian and rapper Kanye West tied the knot in an ostentatious week-long celebration spanning Paris and Florence, the Kardashian-West clan were back in the French capital for Paris Fashion Week. Her then husband had returned to the US to pick up his Saint Pablo tour - but Kardashian, along with her sister Kourtney and various members of their entourage, remained in Paris, staying in an exclusive set of apartments so discreet they've been dubbed the No Address Hotel. Nestled on Tronchet Street, just a stone's throw from Place de l'Opéra, and close to the fashionable Avenue Montaigne, the Hotel de Pourtalès is popular with A-list stars staying in the French capital. A stay in the Sky Penthouse, the suite occupied by Kardashian, will currently set you back about £13,000 a night. On the evening of 3 October, after attending a fashion show with her sister, Kardashian remained in the apartment alone while the rest of her convoy - including her bodyguard Pascal Duvier - went out for the night. At about 2.30am, three armed men wearing ski masks and dressed as police forced their way into the apartment block - and according to investigators, they threatened the concierge at gunpoint. Two of them are alleged to have forced the concierge to lead them to Kardashian's suite. He later told police they yelled at him: "Where's the rapper's wife?" Kardashian said she had been "dozing" on her bed when the men then entered her room. She has said she believes her social media posts provided the alleged robbers with "a window of opportunity". "I was Snapchatting that I was home, and that everyone was going out," she said in the months after the incident. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star vividly described the attack in a police report, as reported in the French weekly paper Le Journal du Dimanche. "They grabbed me and took me into the hallway. They tied me up with plastic cables and taped my hands, then they put tape over my mouth and my legs." She said they pointed a gun at her, asking specifically for her ring and also for money. Kardashian says they carried her into the bathroom and put her in the bathtub. She said she was wearing only a bathrobe at the time. She had initially thought the robbers "were terrorists who had come to kidnap me", according to a French police report taken in New York three months after the robbery. Kardashian told officers: "I thought I was going to die." According to police, the robbers - who left the room after grabbing their haul, escaped on bicycles with items estimated to be worth about $10m (£7.5m), including a $4m (£3m) 18.88-carat diamond engagement ring from West. After they had left, Kardashian said she escaped her restraints and went to find help. After speaking to detectives, she immediately returned to the US on a private jet and later hired a completely new security team. What was stolen? As well as her engagement ring, Kardashian said the thieves took her large Louis Vuitton jewellery box, which she said contained "everything I owned". In police reports given to the French authorities at about 4.30am on the night of the alleged robbery, Kardashian listed these items as having been stolen: • Two diamond Cartier bracelets • A gold and diamond Jacob necklace • Diamond earrings by Lauren Schwartz • Yanina earrings • Three gold Jacob necklaces • Little bracelets, jewels and rings • A Lauren Schwartz diamond necklace • A necklace with six little diamonds • A necklace with Saint spelt out in diamonds • A cross-shaped diamond-encrusted Jacob cross • A yellow gold Rolex watch • Two yellow gold rings • An iPhone 6 and a BlackBerry Police recovered only the diamond-encrusted cross that was dropped by the robbers while leaving. It's likely the gold in the haul was melted down and resold, while the diamond engagement ring that is now so associated with the robbery would be far too recognisable to sell on the open market. What will happen in court? The hearing will begin at the Court of Appeal of Paris - the largest appeals court in France - on 28 April and is scheduled to last a month. It will consist of a presiding judge, two professional assessors, and six main jurors. The hearing involves more than 2,000 documents and there are four civil parties. Who is being tried? There were initially 12 defendants in the case, but one person has died and another has a medical condition that prevents their involvement. This means 10 people - nine men and one woman - are standing trial. Five of them, who were all aged between 60 and 72 at the time of the incident, face armed robbery and kidnapping charges. They are: • Yunice Abbas • Aomar Ait Khedache • Harminv Ait Khedache • Didier Dubreucq • Marc-Alexandre Boyer Abbas, 72, has admitted his participation in the robbery. In 2021, he published a book about the robbery, titled I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian. In 2021, a court ruled he would not benefit financially from the book. Aomar Ait Khedache, 69, known to French crime reporters as "Old Omar", has also admitted participating in the heist but denies the prosecution's accusation that he was the ringleader. The remaining five defendants are charged with complicity in the heist or the unauthorised possession of a weapon. They are: • Florus Heroui • Gary Mader • Christiane Glotin • François Delaporte • Marc Boyer Among those, Mader was a VIP greeter who worked for the car company Kardashian used in Paris, and Heroui was a bar manager who allegedly passed on information about Kardashian's movements. With many of the accused now ageing and with various serious health conditions, and some having spent time in jail following their arrest, all are currently free under judicial supervision. If found guilty, those accused of the more serious crimes could face 10 years to life imprisonment. Will Kardashian give evidence? Yes. Lawyer Michael Rhodes said Kardashian has "tremendous appreciation and admiration for the French judicial system" and "wishes for the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case". A trainee lawyer herself, Kardashian has become a high-profile criminal justice advocate in the US in recent years. Why has it taken so long to come to court? There was initially a manhunt after the robbery, with French police under pressure to prove that Paris's security was not in question. Just the year before in 2015, the capital had been shaken by terrorist attacks by Islamic militants, in which 130 people were killed, including 90 at a music event at the Bataclan theatre. French police initially arrested 17 people in the Kardashian case in January 2017 - three months after the robbery - assisted by DNA traces found on plastic bands used to tie her wrists. Twelve people were later charged. It was ordered to be sent to trial in 2021 - at a time when limited court proceedings were happening due to multiple COVID lockdowns, and France was holding its largest ever criminal trial over the November 2015 terror attacks. What has Kardashian said about the incident? Kardashian has described the robbery as a "life-changing" moment. She took three weeks away from filming her reality TV show Keeping Up With the Kardashians, and took a three-month break from social media. In a March 2017 episode of titled Paris, Kardashian first spoke publicly about her ordeal. She described first hearing a noise in her apartment, and calling out, thinking it was her sister and assistant: "At that moment when there wasn't an answer, my heart started to get really tense. Like, you know, your stomach just kind of like, knots up and you're like, 'OK, what's going on?' I knew something wasn't quite right." She went on: "They asked for money. I said, 'I don't have any money'. They dragged me out to the hallway on top of the stairs. That's when I saw the gun, clear as day. I was looking at the gun, looking down back at the stairs. I was like, I have a split second in my mind to make this quick decision. "Either they're going to shoot me in the back or if I make it [down the stairs] and the elevator does not open in time or the stairs are locked, there's no way out." Three months later, she told a Forbes Power Women's Summit she had changed her approach to posting on social media: "They had followed my moves on social media, and they knew my every move and what I had." She added: "It was definitely a huge, huge, huge lesson for me to not show off some of the things that I have. It was a huge lesson to me to not show off where I go. "It's just changed my whole life, but I think for the better." In October 2020, Kardashian told US interviewer David Letterman she feared she would be raped and murdered during the heist, and that her sister had been at the forefront of her mind during the incident. Speaking on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Kardashian said: "I kept on thinking about Kourtney, I kept on thinking she's going to come home and I'm going to be dead in the room and she's going to be traumatised for the rest of her life if she sees me... I thought that was my fate." When speaking to French police about the impact the robbery had had on her three months after it, Kardashian said: "I think that my perception of jewellery now is that I am not as attached to it as I used to be. I don't have the same feeling about it. In fact, I even think that it has become a bit of a burden to have the responsibility of such expensive jewels. "There is nothing of sentimental value to compare with the act of going home and finding one's children and one's family." She went on to describe Paris as "not the right place" for her, and didn't return to the French capital for two years following the robbery. Kardashian has since said in a 2023 episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians that she did not purchase any jewellery in the seven years following the robbery, kept no jewellery at her home and only wore items that are either borrowed or fake. She said the realisation that material items don't matter has made her "a completely different person in the best way".
