A construction company has gone bankrupt after – reportedly – making a $3 million bet on cryptocurrency. It also reportedly donated half a million dollars to a Christian charity before it went under.

The company – Privium – mostly built homes, and went into liquidation at the end of 2021, a month after it was placed into voluntary administration.

In a report released this week, liquidators concluded that, since August, Privium had probably been trading while insolvent.

Its liquidation has left hundreds of Australian homes unfinished.

According to the ABC, Privium chief executive and founder Rob Harder said he was “deeply sorry” at the time of the collapse, in an email to “valued clients and suppliers.”

“I understand that this is not the news you wanted to hear and that this will create real difficulties,” he reportedly said in the email.

Privium was founded in 1999. Its business was building houses in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Though Privium felt the pinch of the pandemic, particularly the long lockdowns in Victoria (and tighter lending conditions) news.com.au reports that “the administrators said other factors likely led to the downfall of the companies,” with one being “an investment of around $3 million in cryptocurrency” (news.com.au).

The Daily Mail reports: “It turned the cash into Bartercard dollars which were then converted in Qoin coin, a Gold Coast-based currency.”

As The Daily Mail put it: “Home builder tried to avoid going broke by making a $3million bet on cryptocurrency and donating to a Christian charity before it went under.”

The Daily Mail then cited the administrators’ report, which allegedly states: “Based on our investigations into the nature of Qoin, it is evident that it is an extremely illiquid asset with its sale limited to a few hundred dollars each day.”

“Consequently releasing this asset is extremely difficult, if not impossible.”

“Administrators believe it was a ‘possible breach’ of duties by directors,” The Daily Mail reports.

The report recommended Privium continue to be investigated but also pointed out it was unlikely the alleged culprits would have the money to pay back creditors.

Blockchain Australia expelled Qoin from its membership in February 2021. In March 2021, BTX capped the sale limit of Qoin to $125 per account, per day.

The ABC reported in November 2021 that “Salerno Law has released a potential claim against Qoin and the digital currency’s parent company BPS Financial Limited,” adding that “Qoin rejects potential class action allegations of ‘pyramid selling’, deception, citing ‘witch hunt.'”

The ABC also reported in November that Salerno Law’s website stated (at the time): “It has been alleged by holders and merchants that they are either unable to accept Qoin payments or exchange the token for fiat currency due to the terms of BTX Exchange, leaving them with a token of no utility.”

• Let My Cryptocurrency Investment Experience Be A Lesson For You
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It may be – in some ways – an unfair stereotype, but there are some extremely wealthy people out there, who choose to spend their money on the most bizarre things. And it seems that these rich people who do wish to indulge in odd behaviour, tend to do it in hotels because the hotel staff will happily oblige and will clean up any messes involved.

Case in point: a hotel insider told VICE an insane story involving eating food out of a guitar and a Taylor Swift blow-up doll.

“This millionaire from China had a disastrous singing career before he made it big in the tech space. Somehow, it seems, he never got over his past. So, whenever he would come to our hotel, where I work as a bellman, he’d demand his food be served inside a special guitar that he’d hollowed out himself.”

“Initially, we pitied him because it seemed like a classic case of trauma to our amateur eyes. But things came to a head when he actually wanted to have dinner off a blow-up doll resembling Taylor Swift.”

“The doll itself was heavily bejewelled and had an expensive swimsuit put on it. This continued for a few days until we found the doll riddled with what looked like bullet holes, lying supine outside his room.”

And to prove this isn’t a one-off occurrence, we did a little digging and there sure are plenty of stories that prove – some – affluent people really do demand bizarre things from hotel staff. For example, a concierge from the Beverly Hills Hotel in LA told Financial Review about a hotel guest who paid an exorbitant amount of money just so their dog could get married.

“We once had a guest that was breeding her show dog and had us arrange an actual wedding for the two collies… complete with a minister, catering, outfits, etc. They got married in the Crystal Ballroom – she wore traditional white – and [the dogs] honeymooned in one of our garden suites, Bungalow 14. Total cost was about $US15,000.”

Doling out cash on beloved pets seem to be common though; Reddit user ‘fabulin’ wrote on a popular thread, “I used to work at the Dorchester and Marriott Hotel in London [and] a very famous singer/actress used to demand a fresh roll of turf be delivered to her room every day so her dog could pee on it.”

On the same Reddit thread, user ‘icycld’ commented, “Worked at a private villa in Bali. One guest stood out. She only drinks and bathes in Evian, so one day I spent almost an hour filling a large tub from tons of Evian bottles…”

The adage ‘money is wasted on the rich’ really comes to mind while reading these stories, doesn’t it?

• Luxury Hotel Workers Reveal The Wildest Things They’ve Seen Guests Do
• Hotel Staff Reveal The Wildest Requests They’ve Ever Received

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Hotels can be surprisingly hard to get a quality night’s sleep in. There can be myriad reasons – unfamiliar environment, unruly neighbours, a chink of light coming through your curtains (or, in the case of Melbourne’s worst hotel, your curtains not working at all).

Or you might go the other route and overindulge – couple an excess of alcohol with an excess of food and you might find you sleep worse in a hotel than you would have done after a night at a hostel.

Suffice to say: whether you’re staying at the Ritz, or a backpacker hostel on Khao San Road, it’s normal to have hiccups that upset your rhythm when you travel, if you’re not a regular traveller. That’s what an unfamiliar environment will do.

But never fear: the regular travellers of the internet are here to grace you with their tips and tricks to make your next hotel stay more enjoyable.

Take Julien Delvat, for instance, a Quora user whose answer to the question “what are the best hotel hacks” amassed 399 upvotes.

His best piece of advice opened our eyes to a common hotel room item that practically everyone overlooks.

That item? The clothes hangars that are provided in the wardrobe, with clips on. Though you might assume they are for your trousers (and maybe they really are), Delvat has a much better use for it.

Delvat, who says he travels a lot and is “executive platinum on American Airlines and top tier in Hilton and Marriott” said one of his cardinal rules to improve your sleep is to clip together the gaps in your curtains with these hangars.

“You might not be able to control the light coming from the corridor coming from under the door, but you can improve how the curtains block the light from the window,” Delvat wrote.

“Most hotels provide special tools that people call ‘clothes hangers’ and the beginners use to store their pants on. The secret is to clamp both sides of the blackout curtains with that special tool.”

Julien Delvat

He also shared a bunch more tips. We’ll share a couple of them below.

Skip the TV. That’s right. Delvat says this will probably end up wasting an hour of your sleep. Though this applies at home as well, it’s particularly important in a hotel as it’s a lot more tempting to start watching it, as it’s viewable from bed.

Another smart tip Delvat shared is to lock the door. Why? It takes 2 seconds and gives you peace of mind.

He also says, if you don’t like noise, unplug the fridge (or turn the temperature control down) and get your room as hot or cold as you want it (and then some) before going to bed, and then turn off the AC.

“Set your temperature a little higher/lower than what you want and turn the system off before going to bed.”

Delvat isn’t the only one online who has shared some savvy hacks for increasing your hotel comfort. Flight attendant Kat Kamalani has also shared smart advice with her followers, including which parts of your hotel room you probably shouldn’t touch, and how to hack your breakfast experience in the morning.

Not to be outdone, Reddit has some doozies too, including using your bedsheets as a pocket for your phone when you don’t have a nightstand.

Something to think about for your next trip…

• Expert Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Next Hotel Stay
• Man’s ‘Divisive’ Check Out Act Sparks Hotel Etiquette Debate

The post The Secret Hotel Room ‘Tool’ Literally Everyone Uses Wrong appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The following article was produced in partnership with GUESS.

The term ‘iconic’ is spoken far too often in the fashion industry, but GUESS is a truly iconic brand.

Since its launch in 1981, the label has been one of the most consistently innovative and stylish fashion brands in the world – from inventing the concept of designer jeans in the 80s to leading the sustainable luxe fashion revolution in 2022, the iconoclastic brand has always had its fingers on the pulse, and remains a must-have label in any well-heeled gentleman’s wardrobe.

Their new Fall 22 collection continues GUESS’ long tradition of excellence. Focusing on sweaters and lighter-weight wool blends for effortless layering and versatility, GUESS’ latest menswear offerings are slick, elevated, and timeless – in short, they’re the perfect addition to your wardrobe.

The biggest news around GUESS’ Fall 22 collection is that more than 20% of the collection are #SMARTGUESS products. #SMARTGUESS is the label’s collection of eco-friendly, environmentally conscious products made with less water, fewer chemicals, and sustainably sourced fabrics.

Australian men have become particularly aware of the importance of sustainable fashion in recent years, so this is a big selling point – GUESS’ new menswear collection isn’t just stylish and luxurious, but it’s better for the planet, too.

In a world where we’re so used to disposable fast fashion, GUESS’ focus on quality and timeless styling – across their entire collection – is a refreshing change of pace. No other brand has the same sort of combination of brand appeal, relevance and sharp pricing as GUESS.

When the weather’s unpredictable (like it’s been across the country in recent months), it’s good to have a trusty arsenal of stylish outerwear options you can pair with a wide variety of outfits and for lots of different conditions.

GUESS Fall 22 has you covered. Proving in more than one way that – it’s a highly diverse, expansive collection. From snappy windbreakers and puffers for those who want a sportier look to smart-casual essentials like field jackets and GUESS’ superlative denim, there’s something for everyone.

That’s before we start talking about how again, it’s more sustainable to build your wardrobe around versatile, quality basics rather than trendy pieces you’re only going to wear once in a blue moon. That’s where GUESS’ menswear really comes into its own.

GUESS has always been a cut above when it comes to menswear. That’s why they remain one of the planet’s most distinctive, desirable labels to this day.

Their latest Fall 22 collection is positive proof of their continued excellence. Modern, thoughtful, and expansive, it’s a true menswear must-have.

The post Get Winter Ready With GUESS’ New Menswear Collection appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

A five-minute deleted scene from The Batman has just been released – which you can watch above – that heavily focuses on the most famous Batman villain, the Joker.

For those who have already seen The Batman which was released in Australian cinemas earlier this month (and if you haven’t seen it yet, be warned there are massive spoilers ahead) you’ll know that near the end of the film when Paul Dano’s Riddler has been captured and locked up in Arkham Asylum he has an encounter with the inmate in the next cell.

This character, played by Barry Keoghan, was credited in the film as ‘Unseen Arkham Inmate’ but diehard Batman fans deduced this character was the Joker and were proven right when director Matt Reeves confirmed it in an interview with Variety.

“It is the Joker.”

In the same interview, Reeves also mentioned that originally in The Batman, he wanted Batman, played by Robert Pattinson, to sneak into Arkham and ask the Joker for his “perspective” on the Riddler. But instead, the Joker gets inside Batman’s head and slightly unsettles him.

Ultimately, this scene was filmed but was cut; Reeves felt it didn’t add anything to the film. But he thought Keoghan did such a great job playing the beloved character – a tough feat considering how flawlessly both Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight and Joaquin Phoenix in Joker portrayed the Joker – and that the scene was “really creepy [and] cool” that it deserved to be released as a deleted scene for fans to enjoy.

“I never was trying to say like, ‘Hey, guess what, here’s the Joker. Next movie!’ The idea was more to say, ‘Hey, look, if you think that trouble is going to go away in Gotham, you can forget it. It’s already here. And it’s already delicious.’”

Read Next

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Cristiano Ronaldo is not known for his subtlety. The 37-year-old football legend, who on any given day is the world’s highest-paid athlete, is just as good at splashing cash as he is at scoring goals. He’s got a particular penchant for expensive cars and watches – and his latest purchase combines those two loves.

Earlier today, ‘jeweller to the stars’ Jacob Arabo (founder of Jacob & Co and someone Ronaldo’s bought many watches from over the years) revealed that he’s worked with Ronaldo on a one-off watch that’s designed to match with the star’s personalised Bugatti Chiron hypercar. It’s a three-way collab of gargantuan proportions… And likely one of the most expensive watches of 2022.

The watch seems to be a variant of Jacob & Co’s Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon Baguette model, which retails for over US$1 million. Considering it’s a ‘piece unique’ – and the celebrity + hypercar co-sign – you could easily expect this watch to be worth much, much more than that.

Measuring up at 55mm wide and 20mm tall, this hefty piece of haute horlogerie is covered with 232 white baguette diamonds and 109 black sapphires for a total of 21 carats of gemstones. The mostly sapphire crystal case shows off the watch’s complex tourbillon movement in full, and even features a representation of Bugatti’s signature grille design.

RELATED: Conor McGregor Drains Bank Account To Buy Most Conor McGregor Watch Ever

Like many of Jacob & Co’s pieces, this watch has a rather unusual and eye-catching complication: a miniature replica of the Bugatti Chiron’s W16 engine crafted from sapphire crystal. When you push the right-hand crown of the watch, the ‘engine’ comes to life – the crankshaft turns, the 16 pistons pump up and down and two ‘turbochargers’ on the side of the engine block spin. Bonkers stuff.

Of course, this is pretty run-of-the-mill stuff for Ronaldo. Not only does he own a bunch of Jacob & Co pieces (and Hublots and Richard Milles and Rolexes…) but many of them are diamond-encrusted and/or one-offs, like his $1.5 million Franck Muller Cintree Tourbillon.

Must be nice.

• Cristiano Ronaldo Returns To Manchester United While Wearing Surprisingly Humble Watch
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The post Cristiano Ronaldo Spends Millions On One-Off Bugatti Watch appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

For true upper body strength, exercising and strengthening your back muscles is paramount. In combination with improved strength, incorporating a range of back exercises into your workout routine can help to improve your posture and reduce the risk of suffering from back pain, Snap Fitness relates.

After all, your back is the main support for your entire body, so keeping it in a fit and healthy state will reward you with numerous benefits.

If you’re stuck for ideas with regard to what back exercises to perform, or you want to make gains in less time, then you should check out this back workout superset from fitness trainer Paul Sklar. Supersets, as Barbend state, is where you “perform two exercises back to back with little to no rest in between.” Essentially, you’re doing double the work in less time, which is claimed to result in greater gains.

In the case of Paul’s back workout superset, he performs deadlifts immediately follow by some pull-ups. Two of the trickiest back exercises to get right with regard to form, but also two of the most effective.

The deadlift, as we’ve discussed before, is often regarded as “the king of lifts”. It can be hard to get the form right though, and can lead to injury if not performed correctly. There are variations you can try before attempting a regular barbell deadlift, such as the trap bar deadlift, which Conor McGregor perfectly demonstrated recently.

We won’t go into detail here with how to perform a deadlift, but you can check out our full step-by-step guide. If you’re new to the deadlift, however, be sure to start with a lighter weight to help improve your technique.

Once you have performed five deadlift repetitions, you then want to move immediately on to performing five pull-up repetitions. Once again, Conor McGregor has previously gifted us with some advice on how to perform perfect pull-ups.

For both back exercises, you want to make sure you keep the tempo slow and controlled to help increase time under tension, something Paul Sklar himself has spoken to the benefits of. He adds for this workout, to perform five sets of the superset, and to take 90-seconds of rest in between each one.

It may look simple, but your back muscles will be certainly become fatigued as you progress. But as they say, no pain no gain.

Give this back workout superset a try next time you’re in the gym and watch those gains roll in.

• Want Bigger, Stronger & Healthier Muscles? Try The 90-Degree Technique
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The post Bigger Back Guaranteed With This Brutal Superset appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Australian Olympic hero Harry Garside grabbed the gizzards of Australia at the Tokyo Olympics last year, where he won a bronze medal.

This was the first time in more than three decades that an Australian had medaled in boxing at the Olympics. It was also a night where stereotypes were questioned. Why? Garside is someone who likes to do things differently.

Garside likes to incorporate Ballet into his training routine. He also likes to paint his nails. Rather than be cowed by tired old cliches, though, Garside is very much his own man, and is inspiring others with his refreshing approach.

As The Guardian reports, Garside once said: “I say I do it for boxing, but really, I have always wanted to dance. Ballet’s very tough, the power through the legs that they generate, the coordination, everything is just so extreme.”

“There’s a lot of people out there who feel like they have to be something because they’re a male or a female. I’m all about just being different.”

Harry Garside

He’s also down to earth. After winning the first gold medal in his collection (at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 on the Gold Coast) he told media: “I’m just an ordinary bloke. I’m back plumbing, back on the shovel and back with the boys.”

This is what it’s all about! We’re so excited to have @HarryGarside2 bronze medal from #Tokyo2020 on display inside our Olympic Gallery.

From icon @Grant_Hackett inspiring him, Harry hopes his medal will motivate the next generation of Australian Olympians. #NoOrdinaryMuseum pic.twitter.com/Xe8ufvjqlf

— Australian Sports Museum (@ausportsmuseum) March 22, 2022

Keeping in tune with his reputation for being a low-key legend, Garside took to Instagram on Tuesday to tell his followers he had decided to donate his Olympic bronze medal to the @mcg sports museum.

The 24-year-old said he wanted to inspire other Aussie sportspeople by doing so.

Garside wrote on Instagram: “I remember going to the MCG sports museum when I was in my teens. I walked away feeling inspired to hopefully one day also be amongst these Aussie sportsman and women. I donated this medal in the hope to inspire the next generation of young superstars so they may know that they are enough and can be whatever they set their mind to.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Harry Garside (@harry_garside)

He also said in an Australian Sports Museum video: “I still feel like that kid who was inspired by Grant Hackett in 2004… and 20 years later I’m still chasing the Olympic gold.”

Speaking about his bronze medal being donated to the museum, he said: “I just hope now some young person sees that and just strives to get in the middle… and gets that gold medal.”

“Maybe when I’m older it might mean something more to me when I have kids or something like that. But at the moment, mate, I think it’ll be better off in display for young people.”

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The post Australian Olympic Hero Harry Garside Gives Away Bronze Medal appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

History hasn’t been kind to fighters who are dickheads at their weigh-in. From Barry Hall headbutting Sonny Bill Williams ahead of their fight earlier this week, to Conor McGregor yelling in Mayweather’s face during their 2017 weigh-in (and wearing a pin-striped f**k you suit in a previous encounter), it seems, based on these two examples at least, that getting aggressive at the weigh-in doesn’t bode well for your fighting chances.

You might also argue it’s the other way around – the insecure fighter, who is already most likely to lose, feels extra pressure to put up a big front and act super aggressive. In any case, in both of the above examples, the fighter who was a dickhead at the weigh-in ended up losing out on the canvas.

Williams knocked out Hall in the first round last night, and Mayweather bested McGregor, in the end rather comfortably, at their 2017 meeting.

Is this a consistent trend then, or just a coincidence? Let’s let the amateur psychology session continue and take a look at some other famous fights (in both boxing and MMA).

Weigh-Ins That Suggest History Isn’t Kind To Dickhead Behaviour

Mohammed Ali vs. Joe Frazier, 1971, Madison Garden

Though the legendary Ali would later go on to beat Frazier in their two following fights (Super Fight II in 1974 and Thrilla in Manila in 1975), during the weigh-in for their first fight in 1971 – The Fight – which is widely regarded as the biggest boxing match in history, Ali was actually the most vocal at the weigh-in.

They weighed in separately in order to avoid confrontation. Frazier was relatively subdued saying: “I’m pleased with my weight, I would have liked to come in a little lighter but… I feel strong… I’m all ready to go.”

Ali, on the other hand, called Frazier, “clumsy, ugly” and “flat-footed” and said “I’ll show you what a real champion is.” He then ended up losing. While Ali is a legend of the sport, not a dickhead, his (by comparison) aggressive behaviour in this weigh-in, and subsequent loss, perhaps supports our hypothesis.

Logan Paul vs. Floyd Mayweather, 2021, Miami Gardens

Before their exhibition match in 2021, Logan Paul’s brother Jake Paul stole Floyd Mayweather’s hat during the weigh-in. Though Logan says he told his brother not to, this is yet another example where the boxer on the receiving end of some aggressive behaviour during the weigh-in (in this case Mayweather) ends up dominating the fight.

Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov, 2018, Nevada

The build-up to Conor vs Khabib was different to anything the UFC had ever seen before. It was truly nasty. Not only did McGregor throw trolleys at Khabib’s team bus (earlier in the year) but at the weigh-in Conor lashed out at Khabib and even threw a kick as he was being pulled away. After the fight, where Conor lost by submission, there was a brawl too.

Weigh-Ins That Show Dickheads Can Win, Too

Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen, UFC 148

As much as mouthy weigh in warriors have received their just desserts various times in history, they have also – in some cases – succeeded in psyching out their opponents (or simply beating them anyway). Anderson Silva is a good example of this. He beat Chael Sonnen in their first encounter at UFC 117, submitting him with a triangle choke towards the end after being dominated for most of the fight. In the lead up to their next fight (UFC 148), Sonnen majorly trash-talked Silva. In the weigh-in, Silva drove his shoulder into Sonnen’s mouth. Silva then followed this up with a TKO victory over Sonnen.

Nick Diaz vs. BJ Penn, UFC 137

Diaz was aggressive at the weigh-in of this fight, “jamming his forehead into Penn’s during their faceoff” (per Watch Mojo). Diaz then won the following brutal three-round fight by unanimous decision.

Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo, UFC 189

Conor trash talked and stole Aldo’s Featherweight Belt right off the table in the lead up to this fight. He seemed to have got under Aldo’s skin, because when they eventually fought, Aldo came out swinging and Conor knocked him out in record time.

• Conor McGregor Is Ready To Eat The Entire UFC Roster For Breakfast
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The post Sorry, Bazza: Aggressive Behaviour At A Weigh In Often Leads To A Loss appeared first on DMARGE Australia.