Another name, and another different sport. This time, we're in the world of cricket, which is a sport that's never really taken off in America. In many other parts of the world - especially India, home of Sachin Tendulkar - it's the biggest sport there is. And Tendulkar is one of the very best ever to play the game.
Such is Tendulkar's skill as a batsman, his nickname within the sport is simply 'The Master'. By the time of his retirement, he had broken a number of all-time records, including being the first player in history to score over 14,000 career runs. With Tendulkar at the peak of his powers, India won the Cricket World Cup in 2011. His greatness was appreciated by fans of opposition teams - even the notoriously hostile Australian crowds greeted Tendulkar with warm applause whenever he played in their country. It was once a common sight at cricket grounds to see banners reading "Cricket is my religion, and Sachin is my God".
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.