The path to success isn't always straight. There are often bumps and turns and forks in the road. But a little bit of guidance can help you find your way.

In fact, many of the most successful leaders are where they are today because they took advice from people they trusted.

Here we've compiled some of the best tips that executives have shared throughout the years.

Aimee Groth and Kim Bhasin contributed to an earlier version of this article.

Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway

Berkshire Hathaway board of directors member Thomas Murphy told him:

"Never forget Warren, you can tell a guy to go to hell tomorrow — you don't give up the right. So just keep your mouth shut today, and see if you feel the same way tomorrow."

From a 2010 interview with Yahoo!

Marissa Mayer, president and CEO, Yahoo!

"My friend Andre said to me, 'You know, Marissa, you're putting a lot of pressure on yourself to pick the right choice, and I've gotta be honest: That's not what I see here. I see a bunch of good choices, and there's the one that you pick and make great.' I think that's one of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten."

From a 2011 interview with the Social Times

Richard Branson, founder and chairman, Virgin Group

"My mother always taught me never to look back in regret but to move on to the next thing. The amount of time people waste dwelling on failures rather than putting that energy into another project, always amazes me. I have fun running ALL the Virgin businesses — so a setback is never a bad experience, just a learning curve."

From an interview with The Good Entrepreneur

In Urumqi, the capital of China's northwestern province Xinjiang, residents are still recovering from a violent riot five summers ago between the minority Turkic Muslims — the Uighurs — and the majority Han people.

A Uighur protest against discrimination turned into violent backlash against Han people, the victims of whom were mostly Han store owners and bystanders. The government reported that 197 people died, but witnesses say that number is far greater.

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The 223-year-old White House, has 6 levels, 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, 28 fireplaces, and is home to the world's most powerful person. The most public of private residences is also a command center for nearly 17,000 employees.

Here are some of our favorite facts and stories of what life is like inside the White House:

In order to cut costs and save on manpower during WWI, President Woodrow Wilson kept a flock of 48 sheep to maintain the White House lawn. According to the White House, wool was auctioned off and $52,823 was donated to the Red Cross.

During WWII blackout curtains were placed over the windows of the White House, antiaircraft guns installed on the roof, gas masks hung from their straps on furniture, and the gates to the home were closed, according to author C. Brian Kelly of "Best Little Stories from the White House."

According to author William Seale, White House engineers asked President Roosevelt if they could change the color of the home by painting it in the "military camouflage style." 

In 1970, Elvis Presley showed up at the White House gates and asked to meet President Nixon. The Secret Service showed "the king" in and the president was thrilled to meet him in the Oval Office.

The Nixons didn't finish moving out of the White House in time and thus President Ford had to serve part of his term from his personal home.

President Ford was once locked out of the White House in his robe and slippers in the wee hours of the morning after taking his dog Liberty outside to do her business. Since every door was locked, President Ford began to pound on the walls.

"The White House sprang alive, lights came on everywhere, and the Secret Service rushed to the scene to let the president back into his own house," Kelly writes.

Secret Service agents are responsible for the keys to the White House but due to several security breaches, the exterior doors automatically lock.

The West Wing was meant to be temporary, but President Taft didn't like the idea of walking to another building to go to work. The West Wing is home to the Oval Office and the Situation Room.

According to former White House Deputy Director Natasha Neely, the West Wing has radiation detectors. During a tour, Neely was informed by Secret Service agents that someone in her group brought in a form of radiation and nobody could proceed until the source was identified.

Insiders have a different name for the "Situation Room," they call it "Woodshed."

The exterior of the White House requires 570 gallons of Sherwin Williams' "Whisper White." 

The Secret Service has a code for when the president and first lady are spending "alone time" together. Agents refer to this private time as "the couple is discussing the Bosnian problem." 

All food headed to the White House is screened at a separate off-site location first. If guests were to bring food into the White House the Secret Service would dispose of it immediately. 

Luxurious State Dinners are funded by taxpayers but at the end of every month the first family is billed for all of their groceries, toiletries, and dry cleaning.

SEE ALSO: Inside America's most famous house

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LeBron James has reduced the price of his Miami estate to $15 million, Curbed reports.

It was priced at $17 million when it went on the market in October.

It is listed by Opulence International Realty, which calls the house"the most opulent estate in Miami."

It has an infinity pool that overlooks Biscayne Bay, a maze of terraces, a movie room, and a massive master suite. The photos make it look incredible.

The outdoor space is the best part.

The concrete dock has room for two 60-foot yachts.

The infinity pool overlooks Biscayne Bay.

Each year, there are approximately 1.8 million conventions, conferences, and trade shows in the United States. Conventions are a big business and, for many, an even bigger social event.

From clown conventions to BronyCon, conventions provide an outlet for niche communities to gather and celebrate their sometimes unusual interests with like-minded people.

For the last two years, photographer Arthur Drooker has been investigating the sometimes weird, always interesting world of conventions. Through them all, he's found one common theme.

“No matter what they’re about, where they’re held or who attends them, all conventions satisfy a basic human urge: the longing for belonging,” says Drooker.

Drooker shared some photos from the project with us here, but you can check out the rest on his website, Conventional Wisdom.

When choosing what conventions to attend, Drooker wanted to avoid oversaturated events like ComicCon or Star Trek. He was looking for those like the Association of Lincoln Presenters, the first convention he attended, that have a grassroots following.

At the Lincoln convention in Columbus, Ohio, 150 people dressed as Lincoln. The group's goal is to provide real-looking Lincolns to reenactments, parades, and schools.

Each convention was full of people that were "passionate and obsessive" about their interests. Drooker says the energy was infectious. The Vent Haven Convention in Cincinnati bills itself as "the oldest and largest annual gathering of ventriloquists." The convention has open mics, appearances by pros, and workshops on how to ventriloquize.

While it's hard to find a bad slice of pizza, plenty of pies definitely come in at the head of the pack.

From taco pizza in Kansas to white clams in Connecticut to classic deep dish in Chicago, we found the best pizza in every state through expert reviews and local recommendations.

Did we get your state right? Let us know in the comments.

ALABAMA: Dubbed Alabama's "Hottest Pizza Place" by GrubStreet, Post Office Pies' appeal starts with the crust. Chef John Hall — who previously cooked at NYC's Per Se and Momofuku Ssam Bar — serves up perfectly charred crust from dough fermented 12 hours at the Avondale joint.

Post Office Pies

ALASKA: Branch out from your typical pie at Moose's Tooth Pub and Pizzeria, whose creative toppings include everything from spicy Thai chicken to apricots to cream cheese. At this Anchorage favorite, diners can choose from a selection of handcrafted beer from the restaurant's own brewery.

Moose's Tooth Pub and Pizzeria

ARIZONA: Both USA Today and Food & Wine Magazine listed Phoenix's Pizzeria Bianco among the best pizza spots in the country — and for good reason. James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Bianco uses only the freshest ingredients, including Sicilian oregano and homemade mozzarella, to concoct simple, yet flavorful pies.

Pizzeria Bianco

Arguments aren't logical. To win them, you have to understand people.

We've scoured the research and compiled the following science-backed tactics that will help you win any argument.

Be civil.

Contrary to what your debate coach said, arguments aren't rational.

So respect the other person's perspective, no matter how ridiculous it sounds.

"When people have their self-worth validated in some way, they tend to be more receptive to information that challenges their beliefs,"political psychologist Peter Ditto from the University of California at Irvine tells New York Magazine.

With that emotional connection established, you can then start getting logical.

Don't try to 'win' the argument.

Attacking someone's ideas puts them into fight-or-flight mode. Once they're on edge, there will be no getting through to them.

So if you want to be convincing, practice "extreme agreement": Take your conversational partner's views and advance them to their logical — and perhaps absurd — conclusion. 

Don't ask why. Ask how.

In a 2013 study, University of Colorado psychologist Philip M. Fernbach separated people with extreme political views into two groups — people who had to explain why their opinions were right, and those who were tasked with explaining how their ideals could be turned into actual policy. 

The result?

Folks who gave their reasons for being right were just as confident in their convictions after the experiment as they were beforehand. But the people who had to explain the mechanics of implementation had softer views.  

The other day, I came across a really good article at Eat Local Grown entitled "Ten Daily Habits of Frugal People." Here's that list:

1. Frugal people use everything right to the last drop.

2. Frugal people like to stay home.

3. Frugal people don't spoil their children.

4. Frugal people have productive hobbies.

5. Frugal people don't shop as a form of entertainment.

6. Frugal people save pennies throughout every single day.

7. Frugal people put aside emergency funds.

8. Frugal people cook from scratch.

9. Frugal people do things the low-tech way.

10. Frugal people repair things.

All of these ring home for me as they accurately describe the way my family does things at home, and it inspired me to start looking at my own life for habits and routines that subtly define our lives and make sure that spending less and wasting less comes naturally to us.

1. Frugal people think ahead when it comes to food.

What do you do when you get off of work and you're hungry?

Do you have something in place at home that you can prepare for a simple low-cost dinner? Or does your mind wander through a plethora of restaurant and take-out options?

When you're hungry on a weekend, do you have several clear meals in place that you can prepare? Or do you dig through the cupboards, finding little, and then eventually find yourself either preparing something unfulfilling or simply calling for delivery?

As a general rule, frugal people tend to plan ahead for meals. They take the steps necessary to ensure that they have something low-cost and prepared at home for most meals and take extra steps to make it more convenient when time is tight.

I'll use myself as an example. I can tell you what I'm going to have for lunch today, dinner this evening, breakfast tomorrow, lunch after that, and dinner after that without skipping a beat. If I check our meal plan, I can tell you about the next few days after that, too.

That doesn't mean there's no room for spontaneity in there — if something changes, I can certainly freeze a meal or put it off for a day — but it does mean that I'm not going to find myself at 5 p.m. wondering what I'll have for supper, because that means I'm probably going to wind up getting delivery or take-out food, which is expensive.

There are a lot of elements to this. One big part of this is meal planning. Whether done formally with an actual meal plan written out somewhere (we do this on a white board hanging in our entryway) or more informally with just a bunch of meal options available is up to you, but in either case you have meal ideas ready to go.

Another part is grocery planning, where you go to the grocery store with a list based at least in part on this meal plan.

2. Frugal people buy household supplies in bulk.

It's far cheaper to buy nonperishable goods in bulk.

If you buy a jumbo container of hand soap, for example, it's going to be far less expensive than buying the same amount of hand soap in a bunch of small containers. Even more than that, it's going to take more time to keep buying hand soap over and over.

That same phenomenon holds true regardless of what nonperishable goods you're talking about. Toilet paper. Trash bags. Deodorant. Bath soap. Shampoo. Toothpaste. Dental floss. The list goes on and on and on.

It is just far cheaper to shop around a little, buy those items in bulk when you need them, and maybe refill when you see that item on sale than it is to keep adding a small item to your grocery list each time you run low. It saves time, too.

Another advantage: When I buy in bulk, if I notice I've run out of toothpaste (for example), I can just turn around and pull another tube right out of the closet, only noting that I need to buy more if I'm pulling the last tube out of the closet.

If I'm buying these kinds of things one tube at a time (or one small package of trash bags at a time and so on), it's far easier to run completely out when you least expect it, leaving you without the item you need at a very inconvenient moment.

It saves money, saves time, and reduces inconvenience. That's a triple win.

3. Frugal people use community resources frequently.

Almost every community has a ton of free or low-cost resources that people can utilize if they pay attention and are aware of them.

Take, for example, the town we live in. There's a great library that offers thousands of books, interlibrary loan for more books, DVD rentals, study rooms, and other features, including meeting space for community groups. There are several parks, some featuring hiking and bicycling trails. There are also several separate bicycling trails beyond the parks.

The town offers several free community events throughout the year, usually culminating in a community festival in August that's free to attend. The town has a food and clothing pantry for those in need of those items, too. There are several community groups in town, many of which host different community events throughout the year. There are at least two free community dinners a week.

That's just the stuff going on in my small town. If I go to the nearest large city – Des Moines – there's basically an overload on free things to do in the community and free resources to utilize if I want to use them.

The trick is that you have to really look for these things. They're generally not pushed in your face all the time via advertisement, as businesses usually are. You have to take the initiative by visiting your community website and your local library's website and reading local publications.

"If you were asked to unload a 747 full of jellybeans, what would you do?"

(The real question is: If you were asked this question in an interview, what would you do?!)

If you apply for a job at Bose, the popular audio equipment company based in Framingham, Massachusetts, you might actually have to answer this odd query. 

The online jobs and career community Glassdoor just unveiled its sixth annual list of the toughest and most bizarre questions faced by job seekers. To find them, the company combed through tens of thousands of interview questions shared by US-based job candidates on the Glassdoor website over the past year.

"If you were asked to unload a 747 full of jellybeans, what would you do?"—Bose IT Support Manager job candidate

"Why is the Earth round?"—Twitter Software Engineer job candidate

"Who would win in a fight between Spiderman and Batman?"—Stanford University Medical Simulationist job candidate

What is power? And how do you acquire it?

Robert Greene, author of "The 48 Laws of Power," has some insight.

Power is "the measure of the degree of control you have over circumstances in your life and the actions of the people around you,"Greene tells Business Insider. "It is a skill that is developed by a deep understanding of human nature, of what truly motivates people, and of the manipulations necessary for advancement and protection."

Greene gave us permission to republish his 48 laws power, which he developed from analyzing some of history's most powerful people.

This is an update of an article originally written by Aimee Groth.

Never outshine the master.

"Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please or impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite — inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power."

Never put too much trust in friends; learn how to use enemies.

"Be wary of friends — they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them."

Conceal your intentions.

"Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them far enough down the wrong path, envelop them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late."

Cars are more than just a means to get from point a to point b. They can be works of rolling automotive art. Legendary designers such as Marcello Gandini, Giorgetto Giugiaro, and more recently Ian Callum are artistic geniuses as much as they're "car guys."

While beauty is without a doubt purely in the eye of the beholder, there are certain cars whose sleek lines, luscious curves, or sheer aggression make them universally loved. Well, at least universally loved here at Business Insider. 

Thus, this list contains what we consider to be the ultimate collection of automotive elegance on sale today.

10. Volkswagen Scirocco: Based on the fantastic Volkswagen GTI, the Scirocco offers a wide stance and an aggressive, angular front headlight-and-grille combo.

Although the Scirocco is sold around the world, it is doesn't look like the stylish coupe will be coming to America anytime soon.

9. Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: The Vette has always been beautiful to its devoted followers, but the current generation Stingray is without a doubt the prettiest version of the American idol that we've seen in decades.

Work takes up a large amount of time for many Americans. On top of that, people also have to deal with their daily commutes. It all adds up. 

The Office of the New York City Comptroller released a study this month highlighting the cities in which people spend the most time working and commuting. The office used Census and American Community Survey microdata and noted that American full-time workers commuted an average of 4 hours, 11 minutes each week, 30 minutes longer than in 1990. 

Here are the cities in which people spend the most time working and commuting.

15 (tie). San Jose, California: 47.01 hours

15 (tie). San Antonio, Texas: 47.01 hours

13. Philadelphia: 47.02 hours

Landing a job is no easy feat.  

"Sometimes it feels as if you need superhuman qualities to even get your resume past the spam folder of a hiring manager's inbox, let alone get ahead once your foot's in the door," says Alisha Grauso, editor-in-chief of Moviepilot.com.

Luckily, she says, there is a group of people to whom you can look for advice: The Avengers.

"No, really. There are lessons to be found in any comic book story that can be applied to real life, and Avengers are no different," Grauso explains. "You think you've faced some tough career situations? Try facing down an army of invading Chitauri while Manhattan is being destroyed."

In honor of the upcoming release of Marvel's "Avengers: Age of Ultron," Grauso shares 10 lessons you can learn from the Avengers characters that may help you land your next job:

1. Never lie about your work history.

It can be tempting to lie on your resume about your education or work history, but resist, she advises.

"Sooner or later, the truth will come out, especially if you have some shadier spots in your work history," Grauso says. "As Black Widow learns the hard way, lying about your past can come back to bite you in the spandex. Some of the other characters have had a hard time trusting her because she's lied so much in the past — so she's had to work hard to regain the trust of some of the Avengers, namely Captain America."

So just be open and honest about yourself, and disclose anything about your situation or history that might become an issue later, Grauso suggests. "You never know when some power-crazed, manipulative coworker will come along and try to use it against you for his or her own gain."

2. Always show you're a team player.

"No man or woman is an island, even if he or she has superpowers and can physically throw a car across a busy street," she says. "At some point in a job, you're going to have to work with others to complete a project or tackle a particularly challenging problem. Being independent and able to self-direct is a great skill to have, but remember that there are always others around you who bring a different set of skills to the table — skills you'll need."

Maybe it's a strong business sense; maybe it's an eye for design; or maybe it's the ability to rapid fire half a dozen exploding arrows while kick-flipping off a skyscraper, she jokes. "The point is, showing a potential employer that you play well with others is not only helpful, but necessary."

3. Communication is key.

Your coworkers will always have different ideas, motivations, and communication styles than you do — so it's imperative that you take the time to actively listen to the other members of your team when they speak up with their ideas or objections, she explains. "Don't just steamroll them. The Avengers showed us what happens when everyone refuses to compromise and no one listens: everyone starts arguing, nothing gets done, and then Bruce Banner flips out and destroys the Helicarrier. And you don't want to pay for a new Helicarrier — trust me."

The bitcoin ecosystem has never been more diverse, with multimillion-dollar companies trying to take the digital currency "mainstream" and hackers dreaming up a new blockchain-powered social order.

We've spent the past several weeks speaking to CEOs, journalists, investors, and others in the bitcoin scene in search of some of the most exciting startups and projects out there.

We've drawn on the expert advice we've been given. We've also looked at funding, to see which crypto companies are turning financiers' heads. And lastly, we have hunted ourselves for the most ambitious projects out there, taking the basic principles underpinning the decentralised digital currency in the most outlandish — and exciting— directions.

25. Edgelogic: Stamping out diamond thieves

Bitcoin's advocates argue that the underlying "blockchain" technology extends far beyond currency alone. One example, Edgelogic, wants to stamp out diamond thieves. It does this by registering the precious stones on a public ledger called Blocktrace. Bitcoin's blockchain technology distributes the record of all transactions using the digital currency between users on the network (meaning they can't be later changed to defraud users). Similarly, Edgelogic's Blocktrace will share the details of valuables on the network, making it harder to fence stolen goods or commit insurance fraud.

Director Leanna Kemp told the Financial Times she was"not excited about bitcoin. It's the underlying technology that really excites me."

24. Blade: Getting shops to take bitcoin

Retailer adoption is still a major hurdle facing bitcoin: In the real world, few shops are able to accept the digital currency. While companies like Coinbase and Blockchain are building merchant tools to make this easier, Blade has a workaround in the interim. It offers a prepaid debit card that users can top up with bitcoin and then use anywhere that accepts cards. It means crypto aficionados can continue to "pay with bitcoin" even in shops that have never heard of digital currencies.

CoinDesk reports that the CEO, Ed Boyle, previously served as general manager for American Express' prepaid cards unit.

23. Coinapult: Pegging bitcoin to commodity prices

Bitcoin may be exciting, and it may be innovative, but it's not exactly stable. In January 2015, its value plummeted 30% in a matter of days, having already declined all year from its giddy highs of over $1,000 at the start of 2014.

Coinapult offers a solution for those who want to hold bitcoin but worry about the price risk with a service called LOCKS. Launched in July 2014, it lets users pegs their bitcoin to the value of a variety of commodities, including the US dollar, British pounds, gold, and silver.

So if the user bought $10 worth of bitcoin and the price doubled overnight, the user would continue to hold $10 worth of bitcoin at the new price. The user would not profit off the price rise but is also inured against a potential dropoff.

Founded in 2011, Coinapult is based in Panama City.

I don't drive a car but I love driving tanks.

My love for planes, tanks, and armoured vehicles started at an early age. I went to military school from the age of 12, until I went to university.

After hearing about Lithuania's rich military history and how the country is peppered with hardware relics from the past, I flew out to the country's capital Vilnius to drive a tank.

I ended up in a FV432 that was originally used in the British army to carry around soldiers. For the record, it was incredibly fun. 

I've been obsessed with planes and tanks from an early age and try and find the time to experience as many flights or expeditions as possible.

I love driving tanks or even pretending to fly planes. Here I am in an old navy plane in Britain.

Maybe this is to compensate for the fact that I don't have a driving licence. I failed twice when I was 18.

Margot Robbie left jaws on the floor after her breakout performance in "The Wolf of Wall Street."

You know the scene. Pink dress. Long legs. Seductive purr. Leonardo DiCaprio hits the floor at the sight of her.

Since then, the Aussie actress has captured roles in major blockbusters set for release over the next two years. In honor of Robbie's newfound success, we're looking back at how she became a Hollywood star.

Born in 1990, Margot Robbie grew up on her grandparents' farm on Australia's Gold Coast. A business-savvy child, she would make up magic tricks and put on shows, charging anyone who wanted to learn her tricks.

Big bro ❤️ #tbt

A photo posted by @margotrobbie on Apr 17, 2014 at 1:31am PDT

She bought her first surfboard at a garage sale when she was 10. "I'm happiest when I'm surfing or out on the farm hunting wild pigs ... or riding around on motorbikes," she said in a 2008 interview.

Sunset surf in San Juan del Sur

A photo posted by @margotrobbie on Apr 24, 2014 at 8:54pm PDT

Source: Yahoo! Canada

As a teen, she worked as a subway artist at a Subway in Melbourne. (Six months after Robbie landed her first major acting role, Subway hired her for a commercial. "I got paid like 20 times the amount I ever earned there," Robbie says.)

The bull market in stocks has not taken every company along.

There are thousands of stocks in the market, and many of them have become hugely controversial among investors and trader.

Some of the companies on this list are either consistently the most-shorted stocks on Wall Street, in raging bidding wars, or are being hammered by activist investors.

But some stocks, especially in the biotech sector, have surged at an unprecedented rate.

Based on our analysis of the current market landscape, here are the tickers that we will continue to keep a close eye on this year.

Lumber Liquidators (LL)

Sector: Home Improvement

52-Week Performance: -71%

Comment: Tests on the company's laminate flooring conducted by CBS' "60 Minutes" found levels of formaldehyde that exceed regulatory limits and pose a health risk. The company said the testing method was improper.

Herbalife (HLF)

Sector: Consumer Goods

52-Week Performance: -26%

Comment: Herbalife is one of the most shorted stocks on Wall Street, including the billion-dollar bet by hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. A grand jury has subpoenaed people and documents to determine whether to investigate claims that Ackman manipulated the stock.

Tesla (TSLA)

Sector: Consumer Goods

52-Week Performance: -16%

Comment: Tesla is going to spend $1.5 billion on capital expenditure this year even its ability to deliver strong sales is in question. In January, CEO Elon Musk said the company won't be profitable until 2020.

People in Hong Kong love their supercars... and their vanity plates. Just watch this. (This is also one of my favorites.) So why would the employees of Goldman Sachs be any different? Good news, they’re not.

We spent five minutes (literally one lap) last week driving through the parking garage at Cheung Kong Center, home of Goldman Sachs Asia, and here are just a few of the highlights.

The premise is more light-hearted and whimsical than it is literal exposé - I have no idea who these cars actually belong to. Although Goldman Sachs is the largest occupant in Cheung Kong, other tenants include Jefferies, RBS, BlackRock, and of course, Li Ka Shing, who has an indoor pool and private garden on the top floor.

Click here to jump right to the cars>>

The amazing thing is that, as is customary in the region, most senior bankers are chauffeur driven (A Filipino driver costs a mere $1,500 a month), so this isn’t even the most accurate (or ostentatious) reflection of reality.

Just to put this slideshow into perspective, you need to understand how much more expensive luxury cars are in Asia. According to Mercedes Benz, a new S600 sedan that runs $166,900 in the US will set you back $386,000 in Hong Kong– or 21 years of servitude for a Pilipino chauffeur.

Mercedes SLS AMG

Lamborghini Huracan

$450,000

"The tradition of individual philanthropy remains a core tenet of our culture."

"Current and retired senior employees of the firm granted over $400,000 via Goldman Sachs Gives to One Fund Boston to assist victims and families affected by the tragic events at the Boston Marathon."

Goldman Sachs

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

$250,000

"This is a sensitive time for us, and [the firm] wants to make sure that we're not being seen living high on the hog."

Anonymous Goldman Sachs employee (via New York Post)

Brands are the best way to show off wealth, and there is a flood of new millionaires around the world who like showing off.

"The brands bought are actually more important than the level of money earned," HSBC managing director Erwan Rambourg writes in his recent book, "The Bling Dynasty: Why the Reign of Chinese Luxury Shoppers Has Only Just Begun."

Rambourg created a brand pyramid to show how major brands range in accessibility from everyday luxuries like Starbucks to ultra-high-end luxury like Graff diamonds. This is the luxury power ranking:

Brands or products associated with luxury of any kind can benefit from increasing affluence around the world.

Still, brands that become too accessible are less appealing to superrich buyers. Louis Vuitton, for instance, is considered a "brand for secretaries" by many wealthy Chinese.

"Louis Vuitton has become too ordinary," a billionaire woman told China Market Research Group managing director Shaun Rein in 2011. "Everyone has it. You see it in every restaurant in Beijing. I prefer Chanel or Bottega Veneta now. They are more exclusive."

Gucci is similarly suffering from a reputation problem, while bespoke goods and less-well-known European labels like Bottega Veneta are soaring.

High-net-worth consumers are particularly hungry for obscure luxury brands.

"I buy the brand Maison Ullens in Paris — it's a French brand all made in Italy," Sara Jane Ho, the founder of the elite Chinese etiquette school Institute Sarita, told Business Insider. "When I came back to China all my students were wondering where my clothes were from. Very naturally, my school became Maison Ullens point of sale simply because my students really love buying their stuff."

Of course, bespoke items remain the ultimate luxury good.

"Whether it's a bespoke Louis Vuitton trunk for Scotch and cigar fans or an exceptional stone at Graff, the ultra‐high‐end and bespoke category is a no‐limit segment where all the craziest dreams (and prices) come true," Rambourg writes.

SEE ALSO: An obscure Italian brand is suddenly the hottest name in teen retail

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NOW WATCH: You've been loading your dishwasher all wrong

The Wall Street Journal reports that a gorgeous Bel-Air estate formerly owned by country singer Kenny Rogers has sold for $50 million. 

The hillside mansion went on sale last year for $65 million while it was still under construction, but was taken off the market until the home was finished last December.

Known as Lionsgate, the property was enlarged from its original 9,359 square feet to a whopping 24,000 square feet with a guest house that has an additional two bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The main home has nine bedrooms and 14 bathrooms, as well as a ballroom, saltwater pool, 12-seat home theater, and even a refrigerated wine room. 

With two acres of property, the estate also has a tennis court, gym with a sauna, and an outdoor glass elevator next to the pool.

Rogers purchased the home in the ‘70s, according to the WSJ. He added two lion statues to the main gate and renamed the property “Liongate.”

The current sellers of the home are a mystery, but the listing agent told the WSJ last year that “they are European and purchased the home for personal use,” adding that they put the mansion up for sale because they hadn’t spent enough time in Los Angeles.

The property was sold byHilton & Hyland’s agent Mia Trudeau.

This is Liongate Estate, the 24,000-square-foot property that just sold for $50 million. The home has a tennis court, saltwater swimming pool, and outdoor glass elevator.

The home sits on two acres of property, and both of its Bel-Air entrances are gated. Rogers was the owner to add those lions to the gate (he's a Leo).

Let's go inside the mansion, shall we?