The 50 Most Lavish Gifts in Giving History

The 50 Most Lavish Gifts In Giving History

Brad and Angelina work so hard at being the perfect couple. When cameras click and roll, they act like they were born specifically to be together, bear child, amass children and honor each other in the spotlight. Mrs. Joile even elected to buy him an expensive-ass tree that symbolizes peace. But maybe it symbolizes something else too. If a tree falls in the forest and there are zero paparazzi to document it, do these assholes actually still even like each other? She's definitely a hologram at this point, right?

When you've been the Queen for damn near 60 years, you've pretty much gotten everything you ever wanted or needed. So you can imagine the delight of President Obama and First Lady Michelle when they were tasked with gift shopping for Elizabeth (this is in a reality where POTUS goes to Best Buy like it's no big deal). Even though an iPod is typically a safe bet, we'e pretty sure it's collecting dust in a plywood box the size of Birmingham marked "Shit the Queen doesn't want."

Oh man, remember seeing these ads on the subway? Remember when you COULD SEE these ads on the subway because you are blessed with the gift of vision? When beloved "Law & Order" actor Jerry Orbach (*CHUNGCHUNG*) passed away, his dying wish was to have his eyes donated to those in need. Sure enough they got them to two women who were on a waiting list. They can catch all of the "Law & Order" marathons and feel gratitude. Except "Criminal Intent," since that show is garbage.

Diddy talks trash, it's what he does best but when he called his vodka competitors product "urine," Georgi Vodka owner Martin Silver didn't take kindly to that. Before holding a press conference, Martin had a toilet filled with Ciroc sent to the Bad Boy office. Granted it didn't get past the front door, but the message was sent. We are sure Diddy fired a few people for not coming up with the idea first. Or at least got them to ding-dong-ditch a flaming bag of deuce at Georgie HQ.

It's a tough break to be invited to the wedding of your ex-girlfriend of 13 years. It's even harder to figure out the perfect gift that says, "I wasted a lot of time on you that I want back." And when you have money, a set of Le Creuset pots and pans won't suffice, so roll with the next best thing...a monkey. Even better, name it after your ex like Hugh did and sit back and laugh when it literally goes apeshit at the reception.

When the Chilean Miners were rescued, everyone knew they would get hooked up with a bunch of free stuff. Maybe some breakfast cereal endorsements. Or a couple of ProActiv deals. But nothing is better than cold hard cash up front and Chilean business man Leonardo Farkas knows this. He blessed all 33 miners with a check for $10,000. Until we robbed 'em. Joke! Joke! We know they've been through enough. We'll have to embezzle it from them fair and square down the road.

Offensive linemen are some of the least well-known football players. They don't get the endorsement deals and publicity like a star QB so sometimes their work goes unnoticed but not to Peyton Manning. For doing such a good job, the Colts superstar decided to shower his O-Line with a bunch of gifts. Throw in a big screen TV and these dudes will protect his wife and kids as well. And maybe rough up his brother whose shadow is ALWAYS IN THE WAY, GAWD.

Upon his release from prison, T.I. decided that one of the first things he had to do was give his wife a new whip. Maybe because she is a ride or die chick, or maybe because when you're in prison for a while a face like hers can suddenly be enticing. Who knows. Then again, if she was a really loyal B she would have swallowed all those drugs that landed T.I. in jail again a few months ago. She looks like she has super-human drug tolerance. This is just a suggestion. We are not marriage counselors. Though we totally could be.

Joining the Roc team is a big deal, especially when you're on stage in your hometown performing so when Kanye officially signed with Roc-A-Fella, it was only right he get blessed with the signature Roc chain. A very proud moment we're sure until he went backstage and Dame asked for it back. It's OK though, we are pretty sure 'Ye ended up coping just fine.

We know, it's tough being a star player in college and you're bringing in all this cash for the school without getting a red cent but rules are rules and Reggie broke 'em when he and his fam allegedly accepted financial benefits from marketing agents. He even had to give back his Heisman Trophy. Rumor has it, he tried to give back Kim Kardashian as well...but again that's he said she said.

Radio Shock Jock, Howard Stern can be described as brash and perverted most of the time but I guess his wife to be doesn't mind. His ex-wife may sing another tune but this is about gift-giving and new love. And the fact that Beth is obviously invested in other aspects of Stern since dude looks like Splinter's second cousin and she looks like... well, like, this crazy-looking lady right here.

Due to his wife's obsession with candy, Nick Cannon went out and got a Ring Pop replica made out of diamonds and pink sapphires to celebrate their wedding anniversary. The curveball of the child infantilizing the grownup is not lost on us.

If you are turning 16 and your father is Diddy, you can expect an outlandish gift on your birthday and that is exactly what happened to Justin Combs. Probably not even legal to drive on his own yet, Puffy gave his son the keys to a new Maybach. Now how much of an asshole would Justin be pullin' up to homeroom in that car then hoping out yelling "Take that, take that"?

Fortune-telling parrots, Hindu gurus, and talks about reincarnation is the type of shit that goes down at a wedding for Katy Perry and Russell Brand. So when it comes time to share gifts, it is no surprise that Russ shows his love to his new wife by presenting her with a Bengal tiger. Knowing these two, they probably let the cat roam around in the bedroom while they knock boots.

Giving birth is tough and dropping two is even tougher so we're sure J.Lo was happy to see her efforts didn't go unnoticed (haha can you imagine if they had gone unnoticed? Child protective services please!) when Marc Anthony gave her a canary yellow diamond ring for being virtually disemboweled in his efforts to sire a gecko-faced heir. Marc also got a gift in return when Jenifer got that body back and made sure that ass wasn't going anywhere. Crazy kids. Defying expectations and staying married like that. Nuts!

Sometimes its not about what you have in your bag, its all about what bag you have and Victoria Beckham takes that to heart. With only three of these in existence in the world, David hooked up his frail wife with an iced out Birkin Bag that's worth more than most families make in a year. Crazy thing is, she can probably barely carry it. Poor dear needs to chew something and swallow once in a while.

Yeah it's a little weird that Tyler Perry seems to be extremely comfortable playing an old woman in almost all of his movies, but there is nothing funny-style about his pockets. After Oprah and Gayle King made a comment about his car at lunch, he had two Bentleys sent to the ladies on Christmas day. Then on New Year's, Oprah sent him a castle made of real-life posing human acrobats that retails for 18 solar systems because that is her favorite thing of all AND OPRAH WILL NOT BE OUTDONE. Then she bought Tyler Perry's house from under him and also the sky he stood beneath and didn't even tell him about it because what is credit when you are Oprah? (ed: We admit to being a little scared writing something that defies her on the Internet so if we disappear you know what happened.)

We are sure when Jas Prince introduced Drake to Lil Wayne a few years ago, he didn't think Drake would blow up to the mega superstar he is today. We are also sure he didn't expect Drizzy to throw him the keys to a brand new Lambo for his birthday. Talk about the ultimate gift for being the middle man. Then Drake attached a lottery ticket to the dash, you know, to underscore how unpredictable life and fortune is but then Jas Prince lost so it wasn't that unpredictable after all.

If you ever happen to get on a set with Adam Sandler, befriend him immediately and maybe one day you can have a Maserati just appear in your driveway like it did for the four totally undeserving and way-too-already-rich guys in the Grown Ups movie. All you have to do is put up with Little Nicky voices for about 15 years and you'll be happy as a Madison.

By this time, it was a known fact these two were dating so it came as no surprise when Jay decided to invest a mil into a throwback Rolls Royce and give it to Bey on her birthday. And as we'd find out, this wasn't shit compared to future gifts.

When you have money coming in faster than you can count, spending a million on a single item is nothing. Ask Birdman, he does it every year for his "son" Lil Wayne. Instead of giving Weezy a million dollars like he did for his 26th b'day, Birdman decided to invest in a Swiss time piece. Talk about money to blow.

Oprah has money to blow and she dreams about how to spend it all before she has to return to her home planet where everyone is a genius at making money and she is an average citizen. This year, she made her audience's dreams come true when they found out they were on her "Ultimate Favorite Things" show. A few cashmere sweaters, Le Creuset pots and Decoded books later, big O gave them A BRAND NEW CAAAAAAAAAR! *<--Oprah voice*

Clearly David and Victoria Beckham have too much money on their hands and don't know the concept of charity because there is no need for anyone in their right mind to pay $1.8 million dollars for a platinum vibrator. Especially when there are plenty of men in this world who would gladly do that work for free. Theoretically speaking of course. The actual physical logistics of laying with such a pipe cleaner of a woman is a bit terrifying.

Anna is considered to be one of the baddest chicks to step on a tennis court, even though she couldn't win a singles major if her life depended on it. But Enrique recognized her talents off the court and decided to put a ring on it...a $2.5 million dollar ring that is. Her backhand stroke must really be on point. LOL!

Apparently the dress that Marilyn wore that night was so tight that she literally had to be sewn into it. Talk about tiiiiiiiiight. She sure did sing the hell out of that song but sitting next to your wife while your alleged mistress whispers Happy Birthday over-and-over might not have been such a good idea. It was a troubled time.

"You ready B?" Yeah, Jay we are pretty sure she was ready. Honestly, what chick wouldn't be if you blessed them with a 5 million dollar engagement ring? Is she ready to have little jigga mans running around the house yet? Now that's a different story.

When you have a teenage daughter, you might give her a car for her birthday or you could be like Clive Palmer, say, 'Fuck it' and buy a $5 million dollar yacht for her. Seriously, unless she goes to school in Turks and Caicos, what the hell is she gonna do with a boat? Also, could you guarantee MORE that she's going to be an insufferable asshole when she grows up? Yeesh.

Richard Burton used to splurge on jewelry for Elizabeth Taylor all the time, but they snagged headlines in '72 when he dropped over $1 million dollars on a 69.42-carat pear-shaped diamond (whoa, money was way cheaper back then). They even named it after themselves and had it on display. Of course they divorced and Liz auctioned it off for a $5 mil. You gotta hand it to Ms. Taylor, she had to be a freak in the bed to get a rock like that.

The saying goes "It's cheaper to keep her" and that might be true in Kobe's case. After he admitted to cheating on his wife in '03, Vanessa shocked a few people when she chose to stay with the NBA champ instead of filing for divorce and getting that Elin money. So to show his appreciation, Kobe got a few tattoos in her honor as well as a $4 million dollar diamond ring. A steep price for a night with an average white girl.

In '04 Oprah wasn't up to making her Favorite List again and decided to keep it simple and just cop her whole audience Pontiac G6 whips. $28,000 a piece, and $7 million total later, Big O rested easy knowing she changed a bunch of peoples' lives and made us feel like crap.

Louis XIV used to style on everyone back in 17th century Europe so he already had an idea on how to spoil his wife when he wanted to. Apparently he had a sable fur coat made almost a mile long so his wife could take her morning walks through the garden barefoot. Clearly Louis just loved to stunt.

It seems like islands are so easy to come by or maybe it's like that when your pockets are on overload. Anyway, Prince Sheikh gave Formula One legend one of the islands that's part of the man-made World Islands in Dubai. The prince must be really into racing...or really into Michael but hey, they're the ones with the problem with that sort of thing not us.

When you literally have Bill Gates money and it's your fathers 80th birthday, material shit just don't cut it so you have to aim for something with longevity and gravitas. That's exactly what Bill Jr. did for his pops. Mr. Microsoft got a 80 year scholarship at the University of Washington Law School in his father's name which would provide $33.3 mil in tuition for students. Take that Sallie Mae, you persistent harpie!

Roman has bread. About $11.2 billion loafs, so he drops money on shit like it really grows on trees. One example of this is when he bought his baby mother a $14 million dollar sculpture. To spend money on your girlfriend like that is crazy, but we guess for him that's like getting a Big Mac and a medium fries (not even large and not even with a drink).

We assume after War of the Worlds dropped in '05 and grossed about $600 million dollars, Tom was feeling a little happy and decided to spring for a private jet and give it to his wife Katie Holmes as a wedding gift. We wonder what kind of present she got after Knight and Day flopped. L. Ron Hubbard paperback probably.

Seems like a rarity, but there are some women who will ball out on their man and Catherine the Great used to do just that. "Feeling lonely that you don't have 'the Great' in your title, you tiny little Count? Here, HAVE A PALACE. Shhhh..." *patpat*

Wooing ladies is definitely the main reason for gift giving. Dudes will give anything to the woman they love and they will sometimes make new shit up just to show their appreciation. Take Tsar Alexander III for example, dude decided to throw precious gold and jewels onto an egg shape and his wife just DIED she loved it so much. A few more were made throughout history and now the Faberge Egg is synonymous with extreme luxury. Women are key to a man's creativity. And downfall. And a bunch of other stuff.

Before they headed for Splitsville, USA, population: EVERYBODY, Shaq and his wife seemed like a happy couple and to celebrate his love for his tiny woman, he reportedly bought a private jet laced with her name and face. He even went as far as telling everyone the pricetag. Too bad it turned out to be a joke accompanied by a photoshopped image. We are sure, however, that with the money she got from the divorce settlement, Shaq isn't laughing anymore.

There has been much debate on why Van Gogh cut part of his ear off but there is no question that a prostitute named Rachel ended up with it. Was it just a random act of professed admiration or was he a frequent customer, who knows? But we have a feeling Rachel felt the stroke of his brush a few times. YOU KNOW, LIKE PUT IT IN HER PAINT POT KNAWMEAN???

Apparently for Beyonce's 29th-ish birthday- her age is suspect - Jay-Z said "To hell with a vacation to an island, I will just cop you one" and that he did. We assume Jigga wanted to practice the "Single Ladies" dance in private with his wife in the sand. C'mon Jay, we know you've done it. 'uh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh'

Basically, Pierre's excuse for having all these Picasso paintings laying around his garage is that he used to be his electrician and Pablo hooked him up because they were friends...get the fuck outta here. So you change a light bulb and he gives you a masterpiece, is that how the exchange went, Pierre? Picasso's biographer is as suspicious as we are.

Let's be real, not much is poppin' in Newark except its crime rate. Their school system is empirically garbage as well so it was cool to hear that Mr. Facebook took a few million out of his pocket and donated it to the city to improve the city's education system. It had NOTHING to do with the freakish scrutiny that came with an unauthorized biopic or anything. At all. ASK HIS PUBLICIST.

Nike co-founder Phil Knight loves his alma mater a lot and when Oregon decided to revamp their athletic facilities, Phil and his wife Penny (the IRONY of that name!) decided to dig deep in their pockets and toss the program $100 million. You know Phil, we at Complex are trying to revamp our ping-pong area if you are interested. Just sayin'. We'll talk later about where you should wire that to. Thanks, pal.

Cleopatra was a bad chick and everyone knew it but when she got forced from her throne she knew she needed Julius Caesar's help to get it back. But instead of just asking him, she had herself rolled in a Persian carpet and was presented in front of the Roman Empire. He soon made her his mistress and she even birthed him a son but more importantly, she got her throne back. The power of T and A.

Hmmm, let's think. If I smashed a plethora of whores on the low, then get caught by not only my wife and family but the entire world, what could make up for that...how about $300 million to my soon-to-be ex? Is that much money worth your dignity, your significant other's and the love you guys shared? Yes, yes it is. But also, be prepared to take a golf club to the cranium.

The highest divorce settlement known to date, Rupert definitely shelled out more than $110 million in cash and the rest in assets to his ex-wife. But he probably pissed her off a lot more when he married a way younger Asian chick 17 days later. Pimpin!

When Emperor Shah's wife was dying, her last words were for him to build a mausoleum for her more beautiful than any the world had seen. She said it would be a symbol of their love. Not at all an easy task but the Emperor definitely put in work and the Taj Mahal was built. Totally romantic. Exceptionally poetic. Absolutely batshit crazy. No disrespect, but who takes the request of a dying person that literally? The dying are an addled, way-too-emo people.

France has always been deemed sissy-ish, but they did a pretty trill thing when they gifted the U.S.A. with lady liberty. Pretty much priceless in her current form, she can be broken down and scrapped for about $2.5 million dollars but that will never happen. That's one tall chick that will never be mistreated. Mostly because she can blind you with her crown and bludgeon mecha Godzilla senseless with her torch thingie.