Every now and then, we here at Gizmag like to take a look at how the other half (or one percent) live. And why not? It's nice to occasionally fantasize about say, waking up in a private, underwater hotel room, to be chauffeured in a Mercedes-Benz to a weekend getaway on your own personal floating island. But does that fantasy involve personalized, gold-plated cleaning appliances? If it didn't before, it sure can now with GoVacuum's GV62711 vacuum cleaner and it's US$1 million price tag.
Billed as "the world's most expensive vacuum" - a title that's likely to remain uncontested for some time - the GV62711 features a high-performance 10 amp motor, a 14-inch wide cleaning nozzle with a roller brush, anti-marring wheels, and an outer bag for holding disposable HEPA bags. Oh, and almost every component except for the bag, motor, and wheels is plated in 24 k gold. Amazingly, even with the full metal build and gold plating, the vacuum only weighs about 16 pounds (7.25 kg) - still considered lightweight as far as vacuum cleaners go.
But if you're thinking the gold improves the vacuum's performance somehow, think again. GoVacuum has stated explicitly that the gold serves no real purpose other than aesthetics. In fact, the amount of gold used to make the vacuum doesn't at all equal the overall price; it literally is not worth its weight in gold. It can however be fully customized with personal engravings at no extra charge, and the hand-sewn outer bag can also be made from almost any material the purchaser chooses.
It's hard to fathom paying more than most people spend on a house for a vacuum cleaner, but that seems to be the whole point. GoVacuum's site even describes it more as a status symbol that is "designed for the select few who simply can." The larger question though is just who would actually use it. Anyone able to casually drop a cool million on a vacuum surely can afford a cleaning service, so it's likely the one person who gets the most use out of it will be the maid.
GoVacuum is only producing 100 of the GV62711 vacuum cleaners, so any billionaires interested in decorating their closet with an appliance even Liberace would find a bit over the top should head over to the website soon. If you're strapped for cash, GoVacuum is offering a 0.001% discount (i.e. $10 off) for liking its Facebook page, plus free shipping and a lifetime warranty. If that doesn't convince you that you need a cleaning device worth more than some people make in their lifetime, then you should also check out the rap video promoting the vacuum below.
Source: GoVacuum
Those who consider "buying" this should remember the millions of starving people in the world who would benefit from their money rather than wasting it on this vacuum. (is there dust in rich people's homes? I'm amazed...)