People were left scratching their heads wondering why a man worth more than $4.4 billion was asking tax payers for more than $200 million to renovate his football team's stadium. But it appears that Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross isn't a total tightwad. He's now pledged to give away at least half of his net worth to charity.

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DNCD

Dominican officials unveil $3.4 million in drug money during a press conference last week

For Miami power couple Carlos and Rosa de la Cruz, wealth has begotten cultural influence. The Cuban immigrants have built a business empire and used the profits to assemble one of the best private art collections in the country.

Last week, however, the De la Cruzes' wealth became a liability when the family's yacht was used in a $3.4 million cocaine deal in the Dominican Republic. Investigators say, however, that the De la Cruzes are not suspects but victims of corrupt local officials.

"Just to have your name in the same article [as a drug bust] is enough to hurt," says family attorney Joaquin Monserrate. "But things have been cleared and we want to help in that matter."

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It's not too difficult to imitate the artwork of Damien Hirst. Paint some circles on a canvas, throw some crystal on a skull, or encase a big-ass animal in a tank of formaldehyde and call it a day. But you didn't think of it first, did you? Which is at least part of the idea anyway.

Well, Miami resident Kevin Sutherland has been indicted in New York City for allegedly trying to sell some fake Hirst artwork.

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Florida is officially home to 31 billionaires according to the latest Forbes list (and that doesn't even count the ones who have second ...or third ... or fourth homes here), but Miami Heat owner and Carnival Cruises CEO Micky Arison is the richest of them all. Forbes estimates the 63-year-old has a net worth of $5.7 billion, making him the richest dude in Florida, and 211th richest person in the world.

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You know who really likes billionaire Dolphins owner Stephen Ross' idea to put taxpayers on the hook for half of the $400 million in renovations to Sun Life Stadium? Other rich people!

In fact, the Dolphins blasted out a press releases today touting the support of the Trump Brand. Because if there's anything people adore and respect, it's Donald Trump.

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Michael E. Miller

A Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse worth $2.5 million

"Have you ever wrecked one of these?" I ask as our burnt-orange Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse bursts onto the Julia Tuttle Causeway. Butch Leitzinger shakes his head. The mild-mannered man is Bugatti's official driver, but a better title would be "pilot." With a top speed of 260 mph, the Veyron is more turbojet than Toyota.

"I had one crazy Canadian who tried to," Leitzinger yells over the roar of the 1,200-horsepower engine just behind our heads. "We came up on a 180-degree turn against the mountain, and he steps on the brake and the car goes 'pop' " -- Leitzinger turns his hand sideways to show how the car skidded on the ice -- "And I think, OK, we're dead." Instead, the supersmart car righted itself just in time. I squeeze out a nervous grin.

Leitzinger and I are on a high-octane, two-hour test drive of the Vitesse -- at $2.5 million, the most expensive car in the world. As he steers us south onto I-95, my stomach puckers: after a quick demo, I'll be the one behind the wheel.

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Not affordable housing

They can be truly hard to find in Miami, always lost between the film crews chasing Kardashian sisters to their next luxury club, the Russian oligarchs loudly racing Brazilian expats in souped up Lotuses, and the parade of art-collecting billionaires snapping up property in Fisher Island.

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Ever spend your weekend biking around Coral Gables and Pinecrest, looking longingly at those stately old houses under shady mango trees and thinking to yourself, "Man, I could definitely live here"? Well, no, you can't. Not unless you've recently become an international arms baron or sold your shares in Facebook, at least. More »

The Village of Merrick Park isn't so much an actual village but rather a fancy open-air mall. Of course, it's far too cushy to use the term "mall," but fearing that the name caused some confusion, it's officially renaming itself the Merrick Shops.

The name change coincides with both the mall's 10-year anniversary, and the change of the Design District into a major luxury-shopping competitor.

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Dan Rotta recently got a brand-new daughter-in-law and a sentence of 180 days in jail. The Fisher Island millionaire took his 16-year-old son to Las Vegas and let him marry his housekeeper's daughter. Because the boy is married, he's now legally considered an adult, and his mother, Rotta's ex-wife, Renee Rotta, no longer has any legal control over him. Ms. Rotta is none too pleased, and the judge handling their custody battle has ordered Mr. Rotta to jail for contempt of court.

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