We admit it - this one came as a surprise to us. Millennials are generally seen as fitness freaks, so we expected gyms to be posting record profits, and dealing with more applications than they can handle. Instead, it seems like they're desperately scratching around for business, because young people are more likely to be at bespoke specialist classes or attending boutique fitness centers.
Gyms, while providing an environment to get fit in, tend not to specialize. It seems that the bulk of Millennial keep-fit enthusiasts like to pick an activity that they enjoy doing, and go to a location that offers that activity, and nothing else. We've also read reports that the gym business model puts people off, with people preferring to 'pay as they go' rather than be charged a monthly subscription. We're sure the customer base for gyms would be there among young people if the gyms were willing to rethink the way they trade.
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.