This story represents the absolute ultimate in courage and conviction - and symbolizes the devotion of parents and grandparents to their offspring. They will protect them to the very end, even if it means deliberately and knowingly putting themselves in harm's way. They will protect them even if they know it could easily kill them.
When Japan's Fukushima nuclear power station suffered a meltdown in 2011, it was an environmental catastrophe. The entire area for many miles around was contaminated with lethal levels of radiation, and even getting close enough to start repair work was a potential death sentence for rescue workers and engineers. Recognizing the danger, and in an act of astonishing self-sacrifice, a band of 200 retired Japanese pensioners - many of whom were retired engineers or had similar skills that would be useful in this crisis - volunteered to head into the danger zone in place of younger men and women.
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.