In our previous issue, we had suggestions for what employees want from CEOs this holiday season — but can those workers buy anything for their beloved bosses in return?
In case you aren't saving for a down payment or your kids' education, here are some ridiculous splurges to make any boss's day merrier.
A balloon ride to the stratosphere
Space tourism might be out of reach, but you can still get 15 to 19 miles above the Earth's surface in a high-tech balloon, thanks to companies like World View, Zephalto, and Space Perspective. (The start of space is typically considered to be about 50 miles above.)
Tickets for these stratospheric excursions cost about $50,000 to $184,000, which is a bargain compared to Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, though the latter's founder Richard Branson is a Space Perspective investor and co-pilot. Thousands of customers have already signed up. Expect a more luxe experience than your typical Groupon hot-air balloon ride.
"There will be a center bar where people can gather, and then, of course, there will be a bathroom aboard the capsule," Ryan Hartman, CEO of World View, told CNBC.
(Passengers will need the latter because each balloon ride is expected to last around six hours.)
Logitech's videoconferencing module
Soundproof pods like Room's are a nice touch at the office for Zoom calls, but the modern phone booths are a little cramped. Enter Logitech with Project Ghost, a 15-foot-long and nearly 6-foot-tall private office.
With a built-in couch and end table (a collab with Steelcase), a theater-like screen on which coworkers and clients will appear in lifelike size, and an estimated asking price of $20,000, you'll actually look forward to using Microsoft Teams.
A $400 pineapple
Grocery prices have gone up lately, sure, but this is ridiculous. The Rubyglow pineapple is a legit luxury item that took Del Monte 15 years to develop and is only available stateside in severely limited quantities at specialty stores. It'll also set you back $400, so forget about that new iPad.
While "luxury fruit" inhabits a niche market, plenty of grocery store produce staples — like Honeycrisp apples and Cotton Candy grapes — actually started out rare. The trendy Oishii strawberries that went for $50 in 2018 can now be had for about $10. Del Monte's similar Pinkglow pineapple launched at $50 in 2020 but dropped to $8 as production became more efficient.
But hey, dropping $400 on your boss's Christmas fruit will let them know how much you care … even if it might also make them question whether you need that annual cost-of-living adjustment.
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