Maxim Australia 2016-11

SPECI A L EDI T ION

SHE’S THE ONE!

MARGOT ROBBIE TOPS THE

AUSTRALIA ALSO STARRING. . .

JENNIFER HAWKINS PAULINE HANSON JESSICA MARAIS BINDI IRWIN AND MORE ISSUE 64 NOVEMBER 2016 INC GST

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CONTENTS IS SUE 6 4 — NOVE MBE R 2016

12 SPOTLIGHT BEHOLD THIS BRAZILIAN BEAUTY — FASHION MODEL ALINE WEBER 22 MACHINES THE ROLLS ROYCE CONCEPT, JAMESVILLE FX SHOVELHEAD HARLEY AND PORSCHE 918 SPYDER 28 TRAVEL FISHING ROAD TRIP FROM MELBOURNE TO THE KIMBERLEY 30 SPORT FORMULA 1 CHAMPION LEWIS HAMILTON BEYOND THE RACETRACKS 34 BUSINESS A CONVERSATION WITH THE MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR MODERN-DAY VEGAS 38 MAXIM MOUTH WE CHAT TO ED THORP, THE MASTER OF CARD COUNTING 40 MONEY HOW TO BEAT THE DEALER AND THE CASINO WITH EXPERT BEN MEZRICH

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68 THE 2016 MAXIM HOT 100 FLIP THIS ISSUE TO GET STUCK INTO THE DEFINITIVE LIST OF AUSTRALIA’S MOST BEAUTIFUL, SUCCESSFUL, AND TALENTED WOMEN FEATURING MARGOT ROBBIE, JENNIFER HAWKINS, DELTA GOODREM, SIA, BINDI IRWIN, PAULINE HANSON AND MORE...

42 BAR THE $46,000 BOTTLE ACALLAN 65 YEAR OLD WHISKY

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44 BUSINESS HOW NIKE BECAME A $130 BILLION GLOBAL POWERHOUSE 50 STYLE FIELD-TESTED ESSENTIALS, ACCESSORIES FOR THE MAN OF LEISURE AND MICHAEL KORS’ BILLIONDOLLAR FASHION EMPIRE 62 GROOMING SKINCARE AND NUTRITIONAL PRODUCTS FROM CHEMIST WAREHOUSE, PLUS VS FOR MEN THE V DOUBLE

TWO GIANT FOLD-OUT POSTERS ALINE WEBER RENEE SOMERFIELD

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64 GAMES THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM , GEARS OF WAR 4, BATTLEFIELD 1 AND MORE 66 24 HOURS TO LIVE THE BONDI HIPSTERS AND STARS OF COMEDY SERIES SOUL MATES , DISCUSS THEIR FINAL DAY ON EARTH

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Santi Pintado ([email protected])

HOT 1OO 2016

AUSTRALIA

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100. Pauline Hanson 99. Kitty Chiller 98. Julie Bishop 97. Caroline Wilson 96. Tanya Plibersek 95. Sophie Page 94. Celeste Barber 93. Lucy Turnbull 92. Kate Langbroek 91. Jessica Rowe 90. Tara Brown 89. Chrissie Swan 88. Melissa Tkautz 87. Fifi Box 86. Angie & Yvie 85. Lisa Wilkinson 84. Emily Scott 83. Dannii Minogue 82. Kylie Minogue 81. Lauren Jackson 80. Kylie Gillies 79. Roxy Jacenko 78. Cate Blanchett 77. Samantha Jade 76. Jackie O 75. Sandra Sully 74. Isla Fisher 73. Sonia Kruger 72. Brooke Evers 71. Olivia Phyland 70. Asher Keddie 69. Kitty Flanagan 68. Leigh Sales 67. Rebecca Maddern 66. Erin Molan 65. Gina Liano 64. Renae Ayris 63. Anna Meares 62. Heather Maltman 61. Mandy McElhinney 60. Laura Geitz 59. Lara Worthington 58. Rose Byrne 57. Megan Gale 56. Sheridyn Fisher 55. Mel Greig 54. Sam Frost 53. Jodi Anasta 52. Rebel Wilson 51. Sylvia Jeffreys

50. Amanda Keller 49. Sophie Monk 48. Fox Sports Presenters 47. Mel McLaughlin 46. Nicole da Silva 45. Emma McKeon 44. Lauryn Eagle 43. Steph Claire Smith 42. Chloe Esposito 41. Sarah Ellen 40. Pia Muehlenbeck 39. DJ Havana Brown 38. Natasha Oakley 37. Caris Tiivel 36. Ellyse Perry 35. Simone Holtznagel 34. Sally Fitzgibbons 33. Carrie Bickmore 32. Julia Morris 31. Sia 30. Parnia Porsche 29. Georgia Love 28. Jemm Moore 27. Robyn Lawley 26. Fiona Falkiner 25. Tegan Martin 24. Iggy Azalea 23. Olena Khamula 22. Emily Sears 21. Imogen Anthony 20. Jesinta Campbell 19. Laura Lydall 18. Casey Boonstra 17. Jessica Gomes 16. Ellie Cole 15. Ellie Gonsalves 14. Natalie Roser 13. Pia Miller 12. Samantha Armytage 11. Jessica Mauboy 10. Ruby Rose 09. The Veronicas 08. Bindi Irwin 07. Olympia Valance 06. Miranda Kerr 05. Renee Somerfield 04. Jennifer Hawkins 03. Delta Goodrem 02. Jessica Marais 01. Margot Robbie

SPOTLIGHT

SPELLBOUND With her modelling career thriving, luminous Brazilian beauty Aline Weber is soaking it all up BY H E I D I M ITC H E L L

P H OTO G R A P H E D BY G I L L E S B E N S I M O N

STYLE D BY CAR O L I N E C H R I STIAN SS O N

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PAT E N T L E AT H E R B R A A N D PA N T Y, R O C H A S ; M A R C 47/ S SU NG LASSES, MAR C JACO B S; DIAMOND EARRINGS, STYLIST’S OWN; GOLD HOOP EARRINGS AND GOLD CHAIN EARRINGS (WOR N TH ROUG HOUT), STYLIST’S OWN; ROSE-GOLD SAFETY CHAIN CUFF AND ROSE-GOLD THIN, FIVE-FINGER RING, EDDIE BORGO

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SPOTLIGHT

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here’s a scene in Tom Ford’s stunningly visual 2009 directorial debut, A Single Man, that stands out from the rest and lingers long after the credits. It’s a coquettish cameo — an icy blonde playing a literature student. She whispers something enigmatic into a male classmate’s ear between long pulls on a cigarette. Her jade eyes almost pierce the screen; her cheekbones could cut the smoke. As the camera pans down to her face, those sharp angles draw us to her lips, so plump and arched, they seem perpetually primed for a kiss. That striking beauty is Aline Weber, the same 178cm-tall Brazilian model who kisses 11 men in Tom Ford’s latest lipstick ad campaign. She’s appeared on the covers of glossy magazines from Mexico to Japan; catwalked for Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs; and posed for top photographers like Inez and Vinoodh. It’s the same fresh-faced woman who floats on a cloud into a Williamsburg café — all boho chic in a long summer dress and couldn’t-care-less Stan Smiths — and settles into the seat in front of me. She knows the menu by heart, orders more food than we could possibly both eat, suggests we share it, and digs in when it arrives. Weber is so accessible, earnest and normal, I almost forget that she’s one of the world’s most well-paid models. Almost. Because when she opens those dramatically bowed lips to talk about her life in that sexy, Portuguese accent, it’s quickly apparent that we mere mortals are nothing like 27-year-old Aline Weber. Discovered in the somewhat sleepy town of Seara, in the very German province of Santa Catarina, Brazil, she moved solo to the big city of São Paulo at just 14. By 17, she was bunking up with roommates in a New York City models’ apartment. “It was very hard because I didn’t speak any English,” she recalls. Someone suggested she bleach her hair, and suddenly, at 19, she was plucked from the beautiful masses to walk in the Balenciaga Winter 2008 show. “That was my ‘boom.’ After that, everything changed,” she tells me between bites of tuna tartare. (No red meat for this animal lover, who also sponsors two dog shelters in her native country.) In quick succession, beauty contracts (“those are the best money”) rolled in, followed by ad campaigns and catalogs (“nice money”) and editorial work (“not great for money, but good for travel”). Spotting her head shot, a casting director for Tom Ford who knew the director was looking for just her type flew Aline to Los

C A L F - L E AT H E R SHORTS, AZZEDINE ALAÏA; B L U E A C E TAT E SU NG LASSES, D I TA

Angeles. “It all happened so fast, I didn’t do a screen test. I went right to a trailer to get hair and make-up,” she says. “I met Tom Ford on set. He cast me based only on my looks.” When she’s not in St. Barts for a cover shoot or working out three times a week to keep her naturally lean body fit, Aline’s perfect day starts with walking her adopted Pomeranianmongrel mix, Rocky, riding a motorcycle across the Brooklyn Bridge with friends, then hosting an outdoor barbecue in Williamsburg. It ends with an episode of New Girl. When she can, she skateboards around her neighborhood and gardens in her backyard. She lives a double life: the homebody and the bombshell. Worry is not a word in Aline’s vocabulary. “The competition could get to you, I suppose, so you have to think of modelling as a job, and then just leave it at the end of a shoot,” she tells me. Plus, there’s plenty of work to go around — she’s still scoring major contracts a full 13 years into her career. “I just go with the flow,” she says. It’s working. Aline alludes to some ideas she may have percolating for her post-modelling second chapter, but she’s still so in demand there’s little time to be restless. And unlike the rest of us on the hamster wheel, she isn’t looking for the next big break. She’s living in the moment. “I love what I do so much,” she says with zero pretension, tucking her platinum locks behind her ear. “For now, it’s good.” ■ MAXI M.COM.AU

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SPOTLIGHT

T H I S PA G E : C E E - C E E B I K I N I B R I E F, A G E N T P R O V O C AT E U R ; DIAMOND EARRINGS, STYLIST’S OWN O P P O S I T E PA G E : IRONMAIDENFORM L AT E X B R A A N D H I G H - WA I S T L AT E X K N I C K E R , TA B L E A U X V I VA N T S , F I R E W O R K B O OTS, MAR C JACO B S

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SPOTLIGHT

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Opposite page: Thong, CALVIN KLEIN. Gold body chain, JACQUIE AICHE. Leather tassel belt, AZZEDINE ALAÏA. Ring, model’s own (worn throughout). This page: Crop top, AZZEDINE ALAÏA. Bikini brief, VICTORIA’S SECRET. Gold body chain, JACQUIE AICHE. 8 MAXI M.COM.AU

L E AT H E R S H O E S , AZZEDINE ALAÏA; G O L D S TA R E A R R I N G S , STYLIST’S OWN; B R A C E L E T, PA N T H È R E DE CARTI E R 18K Y E L LOW - G O L D TSAVO R ITE-GAR N ET ONYX AN D LACQU E R, CARTI E R

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SPOTLIGHT

OVE R-KN E E PAT E N T L E AT H E R B O OTS, STUART WEITZMAN; T H E V B A C E TAT E SU NG LASSES, VICTOR IA BECKHAM EYEWEAR

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MAKE-UP QUINN M URPHY

HAIR GARETH BROM ELL

MACHINES

Rolls Royce Vision Next 100 Concept

Looking like a bizarre, futuristic, and luxurious version of a Solar Challenge racer, this Rolls Royce concept is part of parent company BMW’s centenary celebrations, envisioning what the future of automotive snobbery and swagger will look like in 30 years. At almost 5.9 metres in length, the Vision Next 100 miniaturises its passengers even more so than a Rolls Royce yacht ever could. At the heart is a pin-drop silent,

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emissions-free, autonomous drivetrain; as well as a virtual assistant named ‘Eleanor’, who handles everything from setting your destination, to reminding you of your daily routine, to remembering your favourite cafes and hangs — kind of like an amplified version of Apple’s Siri and Windows’ Cortana. A transparent OLED screen provides any information or entertainment available under the sun, while the massive

glass roof provides privacy whilst not obstructing your view of the stars. Space will never be an issue as there are penthouses in New York and London with less room. Did we mention snobby? A virtual red carpet illuminates the path to the vehicle when parked, while the luggage compartment is tactfully positioned behind the wheels for servants to access — because who would ever think of touching their own bags?

BY B I L L VA R E T I M I D I S

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MACHINES

ALONG CAME THE SPYDER BY DAN CAR N EY

With unprecedented speed and performance, the hybrid-electric Porsche 918 Spyder has forever changed the way the world views eco-friendly sports cars A few years ago, Porsche embarked on a three-year development plan to create a hybrid-electric supercar truly deserving of the automaker’s iconic nameplate. What they came up with is not only a fuel-efficient technological tour de force, but also one of the fastest production cars ever built. The 918 Spyder pairs a brawny, midmounted 4.6-litre, 608-horsepower V8 combustion engine with a 156-horsepower electric motor to power the rear wheels, using Porsche’s signature 7-speed PDK transmission. A second, 129-horsepower front-axle electric motor provides all-wheel-drive traction and helps propel the open-topped two-seater from zero to 95 kph in 2.5 seconds, making it one of the fastest-accelerating street-legal cars of all time. The total combined 887 horsepower achieves blistering top speeds of up to 345 kph, outpacing the beloved Carrera GT by 31 seconds at Germany’s famed Nürburgring racetrack. With the razor-sharp handling we’ve come to expect from the legendary German engineers, Porsche’s 918 owns the Autobahn in impeccable style. Sure, it has speed and gorgeous lines, but it’s also more than just a racecar. In E-Drive mode, running silently on electric energy alone, the dual 6.8 kW lithium-ion batteries can provide for speeds of up to 150 kph, and the Spyder gets a combined city/highway EPA rating of 28 km per litre. In reimagining the car of the future, Porsche employed myriad engineering overhauls, including an entirely carbon-fibre shell and chassis, and a refashioned, inverted transmission to lower the centre of gravity. The hybrid hypercar originally retailed for US$848,000, but the limited edition sold out before most of the 918 units had even rolled off the factory floor. These days, you’ll have to spend about US$1.5 million on the secondary market. But imagine what you’ll save on gas. ■ 2 4

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MACHINES

Harley Davidson Jamesville FX Shovelhead It was back in 1977 that Harley Davidson unveiled their first American cafe racer, the XLCR Sportster. Nowadays a full-size cafe’d-up Harley is a pretty rare sight; but thanks to Harley builders like James Roper-Caldbeck of Jamesville Motorcycles, they are making a major U-Turn — in the right direction. For James, a late ’70s XLCR 1000 with an 80ci S&S motor and five-speed transmission was always going to be the inspiration, giving the bike the deadly power it needed to match its devastating looks. After much modding, that V80 engine now features a Super Stock ignition system and pumps 40% more horsepower out than any other typical Shovel. The exhaust system which winds through the bike and shoots out the tail was also tweaked to mimic the menace of Ducati sport bikes — and James swears even though it sounds awesome it won’t end up burning your ass. Design wise, he kept it on theme and settled on an ’80s/’90s theme paint job, while messing with the original FX tank just enough to fit the cafe racer aesthetic. Believe it or not, one of his final (and shameful) purchases was a fairing from ebay, which actually fits the original headlight of the bike perfectly.

ENGINE: 1340cc V80 four stroke

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TRANSMISSION: 5 speed chain

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POWER: 57kW

CURB WEIGHT: 284kg

FUEL CAPACITY 26 litres

BY B I L L VA R E T I M I D I S

TR AVE L

Enter Exmouth TV fishing personalities Nick Duigan and Andrew Hart take an Isuzu D-MAX on a road trip from Melbourne to the Kimberley

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t was one hell of a way to put the D-MAX through its paces. A drive of more than 5,000km from the showroom floor in Melbourne to the cobalt-blue waters of the Indian Ocean and Ningaloo Reef near Exmouth in Western Australia. That was the assignment for our Channel Seven TV show Hook, Line and Sinker as we fished and filmed our way from one side of the country to the other. Towing a boat across Australia is certainly more rigorous than your average test drive. But over the month the trip took us to complete, we got to know the ute and its strengths better than most. TAILOR, GROPER AND GREY NOMADS The route took us from suburban Melbourne to South Australia’s Port Augusta ‘where the outback meets the sea’. We fished a couple of favourite spots on the Eyre Peninsula and managed to pull in a few salmon, King George whiting and even a feed of razorfish. Then it was time to settle in for the long cruise across the Nullarbor. Highlights along the way included the odd camel, a few road trains and every kind of mobile-housing device ever invented, driven by the ever-smiling, ever-waving army of grey nomads. Once in Perth, we fished up the Western Australian coast, reeling in everything from dhufish and baldchin groper at Jurian Bay and a massive 5kg tailor from the dangerous bit of the bar at Kalbarri. Yes, the fishing was good, but 2 8

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we were always mindful of getting to Exmouth — a place that’s fast being added to the bucket list of fishermen around the world. As we racked up the kilometres it became clear our D-MAX was starting to enjoy the trip. It also became obvious to us how good the engine’s fuel economy is. It truly is a great engine, and one of the most impressive features of the D-MAX is its ability to deliver enough torque to haul a 6.7m boat at highway speeds at very low revs. It’s comfortable, quiet and frugal on the flats, but muscular and willing when faced with a hill. HUMPBACKS, SAILFISH AND MARLIN We arrived at Exmouth late afternoon and settled in. Our first impressions were that there’s not much to the place — just a few houses in the middle of desert. But it’s clear the mining boom is having an effect, with flash new homes under construction

“OVER THE MONTH THE TRIP TOOK US TO COMPLETE, WE GOT TO KNOW THE UTE AND ITS STRENGTHS BETTER THAN MOST.”

along with a multimillion-dollar canal development. The next morning we made a quick trip to the local tackle shop and then drove around Exmouth Gulf to the westernmost boat ramp. Here we launched the Bar Crusher and within moments we were on the seaward side of Ningaloo Reef, where we were welcomed by a pod of humpback whales. Our target for the day was sailfish. We started trolling a few baits and hooked a big one in just 10 minutes. Unbelievable! To say we were unprepared and slightly shocked is an understatement as we quickly snapped the line. Four hours passed before we got another bite, when a pack of hungry sailfish came up and whacked our lures. Once again we hooked one only to lose it on its first jump. But by that time the ‘afternoon bite’ had kicked off and we didn’t have to wait long for another crack at one of these whoppers. This time the hook stuck and, after a fantastic aerial display, we had our very first sailfish at the side of the boat. How big? Seven-foot long, that’s how big. Over the next few days we used a mix of light tackle for sailfish and marlin, mixed in with some sensational sport fishing in the crystal-clear waters of Ningaloo Reef Lagoon. Temperatures were in the mid to high 20s, the whales were jumping, the dugongs were foraging and the odd tiger shark swam past to keep things interesting. Add to that some of the best fishing Australia has to offer, and there’s no doubt Exmouth really does live up to the hype. ■ For more info on the Isuzu D-MAX, visit isuzuute.com.au

SPORT

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FAST TIMES BY B I L L SAP O R ITO

Formula 1 champion LEWIS HAMILTON might be the greatest driver of all time, but his passions extend well beyond the racetrack. At 31, he’s finding new gears in fashion, music and business

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“AT THE MOMENT, I’M FOCUSING ON MY OWN FASHION AND HOPING TO DO SOMETHING. I’M INSPIRED BY WHAT KANYE DOES.”

hat started as a Formula 1 race ended in a lovefest. At the British Grand Prix on the famous Silverstone circuit, Lewis Hamilton, England’s best driver, led flag-to-flag over a rainsplotched course that turned the surface into a skating rink. Within 10 laps of the soggy start, though, Hamilton had gained a five-second advantage — an eternity in F1 — leaving rivals in the rearview of his rooster-tailing Mercedes W07 Hybrid Silver Arrow. The 31-year-old champion from the south of England demonstrated once again why he is the top racecar driver in the world. “It was a pretty unreal weekend,” he tells me on his ride back to London from a meeting at Mercedes team headquarters in the Northamptonshire countryside. “Very tricky conditions, and it was the biggest race of the year for me. Pressure was as high as it can be: huge. I needed to perform at my best.” Hamilton is a three-time Formula 1 world champion who, for the past three seasons, has driven for the Mercedes AMG Petronas team. The FI circuit consists of 21 races worldwide, from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Austin, Texas, including such legendary courses as Monte Carlo, Monza, Italy, and SpaFrancorchamps in Belgium but also races in Russia, Canada, China, Singapore, Australia and Brazil. F1 is auto racing’s most popular circuit, featuring the most sophisticated cars, technology and fan appeal — the cultured European cousin to NASCAR’s fenderbanging, paint-trading Americans. F1’s cars, not to mention its drivers, are exquisite, expensive and glamorous. And there are few more glamourous F1 stars than Hamilton. Sponsored by

Hugo Boss and Puma, and the new global spokesperson for L’Oréal Men, he’s already a familiar figure at runway shows. “I’m doing a lot of fashion events. I like designing, creating things,” he says, hinting at what could someday become a post-racing career. Hamilton has always been multitalented, equally at home behind his Bösendorfer grand piano as he is a 900-horsepower F1 Mercedes. He plays guitar, too, and has written songs, and he hangs out with Kanye, Justin Bieber and Drake. “Music is what I love most after racing,” he says. If Hamilton played his Bösendorfer as fast as he drives his Silver Arrow, he’d run through Chopin’s Minute Waltz in about a second flat. For the crowd of more than 100,000 at Silverstone, the British Grand Prix became a coronation for the local kid from Stevenage as Britain’s reigning sporting champion — and on the same day Andy Murray won Wimbledon. They had shown him love and support during the race, and now he was going to give it back. Usually, he would head for the podium and spray the crowd with Champagne. This time, he raced down the grandstand steps, walked to the waiting throng and shouted, “I’m going to come jump on top of you guys, so let’s go!” They lifted him up and he crowd-surfed among his faithful, drenched in the noise and adulation. “I grew up in a small town in the U.K. and always wanted to be a racing driver,” he says. “I hadn’t even thought about what would come along, that fans would support you. I wanted to say, ‘I love you’ and I appreciate that they are all from where I came from. The energy was electrifying.” That win brought Hamilton within a point of first place in the F1 standings, MAXI M.COM.AU

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SPORT just behind his teammate Nico Rosberg, although teammate is a relative term. The only thing Hamilton wanted to lose at Silverstone was Rosberg, then the F1 leader and his biggest rival. Rosberg, the son of F1 legend Keke Rosberg, is known as a cool, technical driving machine. But the German nevertheless tried to run Hamilton off the road twice this year, even wrecking his own car in the Austrian Grand Prix with an unsuccessful attempt to deny the podium to the Englishman. In Monte Carlo, Rosberg started ahead of Hamilton and blocked him for most of the race until ordered by Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff to get the hell out of the way. Hamilton made the pass in short order. “He has a tremendous ability to feel the car as it moves around and correct with minute moves of the steering wheel,” says former F1 driver and current NBC racing analyst David Hobbs. “He’s blessed with a sort of subconscious ability. It’s just in there.” Hamilton has been single-mindedly focused on racing since grade school. He showed an early aptitude for radiocontrolled cars. But when he was eight, his father, who immigrated to England from Grenada, scraped together enough money to buy Lewis a beat-up kart racer. “It was something for us to do together,” says Hamilton. “And I was really good at it.” That’s not quite right. He was great at it. Hamilton roared up racing’s learning curve, winning championships from the get-go and beating more experienced kids (including Rosberg), who had better equipment. With his dad working a couple of jobs, he was able to move into better vehicles. When he won his age group’s British championship as a nine-year-old, the head of McLaren, Ron Dennis, was on hand to award the trophy. “Hi. I’m Lewis Hamilton. I won the British Championship, and one day I want to be racing your cars,” Hamilton informed him. Dennis kept an eye on the kid, and when Hamilton turned 13, Dennis made him part of the McLaren stable. The teenager quickly dropped it into gear, winning early and often in ever more advanced competitions. He won at F3, a minor-league circuit, and he won in 2006 in his first year at the all-important Grand Prix 2 circuit, the undercard and stepping-stone to F1. In fact, he won the GP2 championship easily. The next year McLaren moved him up to the ultimate show, F1, where as a rookie he 3 2

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was expected to be buried by more experienced pilots. Yet he nearly won the world’s top circuit in his first year, losing the championship to Kimi Räikkönen by a single point and outshining his more famous, two-timechampion teammate, Fernando Alonso. “Everyone expected Lewis to flounder,” says Hobbs. “As the season progressed it became clear that he was just as quick, if not quicker, than Alonso.”

M O NACO G RAN D PR IX 2016: LEWI S H A M I L T O N ' S G A M B L E P AY S O F F T O TA K E V I C T O R Y A N D C L O S E G A P O N T E A M M AT E N I C O R O S B E R G

And, it turned out, quicker than everyone else. In his second year, Hamilton won the championship and, in the process, demonstrated some prodigious driving feats. In his second F1 appearance at Silverstone in 2008, he nearly lapped the field on the 5.1-kilmetre race course — an astounding result. In F1, with its winged racers generating enormous downforce and brakes that can slow cars from 320 to 145 kph in 90 metres, it’s extremely difficult to pass anyone. Hamilton is a killer passer. “When it comes to overtaking, he’s brilliant,” says Hobbs. “It’s another thing you can’t teach. You’ve got to know what you’re doing. And get your balls up.” While Hamilton has always demonstrated plenty of guts, it’s his gearhead brain that’s often overlooked. “I don’t have an engineering degree,” he says, “but I have earned a degree in engineering through my experience.” In F1, unlike NASCAR, the pilot has a huge amount of information at his fingertips — literally, on the steering wheel — about how the car is performing: the tyres, the suspension, the fuel mixture, the torque pedal map. Hamilton is capable, in communicating with his team, of making the subtlest of

adjustments to coax more out of his vehicle. And not just on race day. He spends days at a time at the Mercedes factory tinkering alongside the team. “Understanding the tools to set my car up better than the guy next to me — that’s also what enables me to gain the advantage,” he says. “And I don’t seem to get the credit for that. They think that I drive by the seat of my pants.” As successful a racer as he is, Hamilton is the kind of guy who is going to make a mark in whatever he does beyond the track — and he’s got plenty of ambition in the garage, ready for when that time comes. Already keenly focused on design elements, he’s created a customised motorcycle for Italy’s MV Augusta. He is, no surprise, an adrenaline junkie who also loves rock climbing and waterskiing. And he plans to create a variety of custom vehicles for Mercedes. But he’s even more drawn to fashion and music. “At the moment, I’m focusing on my own fashion and hoping to do something,” he says, just before flying to Zurich for yet another sponsor event. “I’m inspired by what Kanye does.” Hamilton plans to do what he does, win auto races, for another five years and then “leave the sport for good and do something completely different, whether in fashion or in another business,” he says. “That’s my ultimate goal, but I haven’t figured it out.” He’s encouraged by the ability of superstars such as Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan to translate their athletic prowess into entrepreneurial success. The first order of business, though, is snatching the F1 championship from his Mercedes frenemy, Rosberg. The German won the first four F1 races this season as Hamilton was dogged by breakdowns, including one maddeningly frustrating moment that left him frantically trying to analyse his wonky engine while driving at 320 kph. Hamilton faces penalties on the starting grid if he has to go to back-up engine elements. There are six races this fall, including the season ender in Abu Dhabi. This month’s showdown at the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin figures to be pivotal. And with 25 points to the winner of each race and 18 points for second place, runner-up is truly first loser. “Winning the title is going to take more performances like Silverstone,” he says. “Consistency, confidence, no mistakes and out-and-out focus.” Which means it’s pretty much going to look a lot like Lewis Hamilton. ■

PLAY TO WYNN A conversation with the man responsible for modern-day Vegas BY JAC K S H E E HAN

Steve Wynn was the oldest child of Mike and Zelma Wynn. His father, a bingo-parlor operator, took a 10-year-old Steve to Las Vegas to open a new venture above the Silver Slipper casino. The business failed quickly, muscled out by a heftier competitor called the Golden Nugget. The trip wasn’t lost on young Steve Wynn, though. Wynn went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania with aspirations of becoming a doctor, took business classes at Wharton, and worked in his father’s D.C. bingo parlour on Sundays. Mike Wynn’s sudden death devastated his son, who dropped his own plans and took over his father’s business. That’s when Vegas came calling. Wynn made his first investment in the Frontier, a new resort on the Strip, in 1967. By 1973, at the age of 31, he owned 400,000 shares and was elected president and chairman of the Golden Nugget, the same establishment that had crushed his father’s short-lived attempt to get a foothold in Vegas years earlier. For Wynn, Vegas was about connections, risk, playing big, and thinking beyond the gambling business to the much larger game of resorts and destinations. He built for the child in everyone with an uncanny feel for the next big thing. In the decades since Wynn has been the major player, Vegas has developed its scope from casinos and entertainment to being a destination with some of the best restaurants, spectacles, nightclubs, and shopping in the world. And Wynn has been at the forefront of all these expansions. His prescient investments

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in Macao casinos right before the crash of 2008 helped steer Las Vegas through the tough years that followed.Wynn has said, “Being visionary just means you know where the market wants to go five minutes before the next guy.” Those five minutes have, in large part, created the Vegas we know today. Jack Sheehan interviews the man who can see the future. You’ve been shaping the Las Vegas landscape for 40 years. Do you ever reflect on what has happened here? Last night I was showing part of the hotel [Wynn Las Vegas] to some people, and I went up in the lift in the mountain at the Lake of Dreams. Then I immediately went down underwater in the lighting booth, under the showroom of Le Rêve, to see what was going on there. I had never done that before. I started to observe the miraculous things that are done to pull this all off, and the divers and how busy they were while the show was on. It dawned on me what incredible and complicated places these are that we’ve designed and built. I’m not one to reflect for long on that, though. I love the process that created these places, and that’s all I care about. Once a property or challenge is completed, I’m always anxious to move on to the next one. On those occasions when I’m riding down the Strip, I will sometimes lament how ugly some of the places are, and I’m disappointed when someone does a bad job with a property. Without picking on anyone, I’ve been more disappointed through the years with the competitors and their lack of imagination and taste than I’ve been impressed with my work. What’s your read on the Las Vegas economy? Let me ask you the same question I ask my board of directors when we’re meeting: Do you think there’s any doubt that for

the next 10 or 20 years Las Vegas will be a major destination, with its 160,000 hotel rooms and its infrastructure? I think that’s a safe bet. My approach to solving problems and answering complicated questions is to back up until I get to a simple truth that there’s no doubt about. Then I go forward one step at a time. Now, we know why people come to Las Vegas, don’t we? They come to live large, to do something they can’t do at home. To have a wild experience, like kids going to Disneyland. That’s a simple truth. We know historically that the town has always gone to the showmen — whoever gave the people what they wanted has been a winner here. So the town goes to the showmen, people come here to live big, and they will stay in that frame of mind as we go forward. The answer to STEVE WYNN AND the question is that the economy of Las Vegas will remain as it’s always been — either very strong, weak, or troubled, but the best joints in town will make whatever money is left. This is a real safe place to go forward if you know your business and have the capital. But be aware that this is no place for short money. You’ve spoken often about the sadness of losing your father when you were just 21, and how that redirected the course of your life. I imagine you reflect often about what it would mean for him to see the success you’ve enjoyed. Both my parents were raised in single-parent households. My mother, Zelma, never really knew her father much, and my father’s mother died when he was a year old, in the influenza epidemic. While neither of my parents had a bad childhood, you could say they were underprivileged. When I was 10 years old, my father brought me to Las Vegas with him for two weeks, and his father, Jake Weinberg, came over to see his son and grandson. As an old vaudevillian, Jake danced with some of the showgirls that were performing in the Minsky Revue on top of the Silver Slipper casino. My father recorded the dancing with a 16-millimeter Bell & Howell camera. It was a riot. My old man had, years earlier, at age 18, wanted to get a job with Coca-Cola, as a sign painter, but they wouldn’t hire Jews during the Depression. So he used the name of Ed Wynn, a popular comedian who was Keenan Wynn’s father. Eventually, he legally changed our last name to Wynn. With the new name, he got the job with Coca-Cola, making US$128 a week working in the morning painting signs for billboards, and at night painting signs for the Revere, Massachusetts, bingo parlour, which is how he got into the bingo business. Years later, our company is number two on the cover of Fortune magazine as a Most Admired company in America, behind Coca-Cola. At the awards event in Atlanta — the CEO Summit — they were all

there: Microsoft, Warren Buffett, Ralph Larsen of Johnson & Johnson, all those people. I met the CEO of Coke, a Cuban immigrant named Roberto Goizueta, and he had a thick Cuban accent, like Al Pacino in Scarface. I told him the story of my father working as a sign painter for Coca-Cola. Until he died of cancer, Roberto remained my friend. We’ve always served Coke products at Wynn, and last year, to honour us, on 24,000 bottles of Classic Coke they printed wynn las vegas — 10th anniversary. Can you imagine, to a Depression kid from Revere, Massachusetts, if I could show my father a Coke bottle with his name on it, what a juxtaposition of fate that would be? You talk about one kick in the ass; that would take the cake. Not the private jets or the hotels or the paintings or F R A N K S I N AT R A the money or all that stuff — if my old man could see his name on a Coke bottle, I can’t imagine what could top that. When you speak to bright young people and they ask you the inevitable questions about achieving success or being entrepreneurial, what do you tell them? I’ve noticed that it’s almost impossible to anoint anybody, as much as you wish you could. That drive — that desire to accomplish something, and being dissatisfied with the status quo, having your eyes on something that you want to do and figuring out a thousand different ways to break the code or find the door in when all the rest are locked — that seems to be a personality trait that is inherent in the person. Incidentally, when I meet a young person who has that trait, it stands out like a sore thumb. Now, there is an endless list of kids who want to be entrepreneurial, but whether they have it or not is something that’s probably already been decided. The biggest revelation I can share with these people, which applies to almost every business, is that I’ve found that money alone doesn’t make ordinary people behave in extraordinary ways, which is what leadership is about. The secret of real, unbelievable performance is to somehow equate people’s enhanced self-esteem to something that happens on the job. It’s demonstrating to employees that working at the company means they belong to a club that’s hard to join, that it’s a point of pride. Everybody likes being number one. Condé Nast Traveller informed us recently that, for the ninth year in a row, their readers’ poll selected the Wynn as the best hotel in Las Vegas. That’s real important to my employees, because our people who work here love the idea that this is the best place. And that attracts the kind of people who care about stuff like that, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I believe it was 1982, in Atlantic City, that I gave new cars to all 377 of my

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BUSINESS supervisors. This was at a time when they were laying off workers all over town, and every worker in the city was worried about losing his job. Obviously, the people who got the cars were thrilled, but what knocked me out was that our employees who worked for the 377 supervisors were just as thrilled, because it meant there weren’t going to be any layoffs, and that the Golden Nugget of Atlantic City was successful and safe, not like the other joints that were struggling. They started bragging to their friends about it: Did you hear that Steve Wynn bought new cars for all his supervisors? It harnessed thermonuclear power in the human resources area, and that didn’t just strengthen the company, it created a culture. I couldn’t believe the impact of that gesture on the rest of the employees. It caused them to stick their chests out. I thought, Holy smokes! You’re 73, and have accomplished so much. Is there anything you’d put at the top of your bucket list? I always wanted to meet Nelson Mandela, and I have friends who knew him, but I didn’t get to meet Mandela. I always thought he was a spectacular character. What excites me the most is working on new projects. I spent all day yesterday, and I’m going to spend time today, working on some of these. Life is good. I’m having the time of my life with [my wife] Andrea; we just giggle throughout the day. When I’m working on these projects, I feel like a student. I’ve never felt like a master. I’m always thinking, If I just bear down more, I’ll find something new and terrific that will make people go, “Wow!” Something as simplistic as that keeps me totally jazzed. I’m sure you know what I mean. As a writer working alone, you’re looking for a perfect expression, the perfect description of an idea or a mood, and you find something that’s just OK, but it’s not perfect. Then you keep working and working, and then you get that tremendous click when you get it right. When that happens, it’s such a lift. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, that’s the feeling we’re all looking for. ■

STEVE WYNN BY THE NUMBERS ► 1967: Wynn pays $45,000 for three percent of the Frontier Hotel, becoming a minority shareholder. He is 25 years old. ► 1971: Negotiates for and buys the only property that Howard Hughes sold in Las Vegas, a strip of land next to Caesars Palace. He then sells it to Caesars and nets $766,000. ► 1973: Has approximately 400,000 shares and is elected president and chairman of the Golden Nugget. He is 31 years old. ► 1989: Opens the Mirage for $620 million. ► 1989: Introduces the Shadow Creek Golf Course, rated among the 10 best courses in the world. ► 1993: Opens Treasure Island for $450 million.

► 1998: Opens the Bellagio for $1.6 billion. At the time, it was the most expensive hotel ever built. ► 2000: Shocks the world by selling his entire portfolio to Kirk Kerkorian’s MGM Grand for a price tag of $6.4 billion. ► 2005: Opens the Wynn Las Vegas for $2.7 billion, making it the most expensive privately funded construction project in the U.S. at that time. It is considered one of the best hotels in the world. ► 2008: Opens Encore for $2.3 billion. ► TODAY: Wynn Resorts is recognised with more Forbes Travel Guide five-star awards than any other independent hotel company in the world. It has holdings in Vegas, Macao, and, soon, Boston.

ALL MONETARY VALUES ARE IN U.S. DOLLARS

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PORTFOLIO BY AN D R EA B E N N ET T

Wynn and Encore

Steve Wynn has been fine-tuning the way people experience casinos since he first opened the Mirage in the late 1980s. The Wynn signature at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore is natural sunlight, which you’ll find in massive atriums along the shopping esplanades. The shopping is unparalleled. You’ll also find a very popular poker room and a sunlit, high-limit slot room where people drop US$1,000 on a single machine. Discreet venues such as Andrea’s and Country Club draw politicians, Hollywood royalty, rock stars, and power brokers — sometimes dining together. But true to form, Wynn is making some significant changes this year: Tryst, one of the earliest nightclubs at Wynn, is out, making way for Intrigue. Encore Player’s Club, a new high-end poker room, opened last December across from Andrea’s in Encore, and Jardin — a new restaurant that will take advantage of gorgeous views of two pools — will replace the formerly dark Botero.

Wynn and Encore Esplanades wynnlasvegas.com/amenities/shops

Las Vegas casts a certain spending spell on its visitors; locals like to call it the “Vegas effect.” Brands like Ermenegildo Zegna, Bugatchi, and John Varvatos, and younger brands like Psycho Bunny, are flying off the shelves at the Wynn Collection.

Wynn Las Vegas wynnlasvegas.com

The high-limit slot room at Wynn Las Vegas has a hushed atmosphere, and a lotus flower fountain presides over the room from the other side of a giant wall of glass. Its US$1,000 coin slot machine — yes, that’s US$1,000 per spin — is one of the priciest in Vegas (and its jackpot is US$2.5 million).

SW Steakhouse

Encore Beach Club

The very private SW Steakhouse overlooks the Lake of Dreams. David Walzog’s menu offers one of the few chances to dine on genuine certified Kobe beef straight from Japan. Walzog’s chili-rubbed double rib eye was featured on American Food Network’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

Famous for its world-renowned DJ acts, Encore features a quality party atmosphere usually found only in European hot spots. The 60,000-square-foot venue features three tiered pools, daybeds, cabanas, and bungalows. You can rent a cabana for the day, or settle for a lily pad.

wynnlasvegas.com/dining/finedining/SWSteakhouse

Encore Tower Suites

wynnlasvegas.com/roomssuites/EncoreTowerSuites

wynnlasvegas.com/nightlife/EncoreBeachClub

Andrea’s

wynnlasvegas.com/dining/finedining/Andreas

Only recently did pictures emerge online of the three-bedroom duplex at Encore Tower Suites at Wynn Las Vegas. The nearly 6,000-square-foot retreat has three master bedrooms, an elevator and butler’s pantry, a game room, and exercise and massage rooms. Of course it does.

At Wynn, the futuristic-looking Andrea’s, named after Steve Wynn’s wife, was designed by Todd-Avery Lenahan. The menu slants toward Asian, with dishes from Joseph Elevado that include a Wagyu beef and lobster roll, a New York strip steak with wasabi demi-glace, and a five-spice garlic lobster.

XS xslasvegas.com

Surrender surrendernightclub.com

XS at Encore Las Vegas leads the list of top-grossing nightclubs in America, with a revenue of US$103 million to US$105 million. It offers the chance to see the world’s biggest DJs.

A nightlife venue with both indoor and outdoor spaces can be a godsend for claustrophobic clubgoers. But you don’t have to be neurotic to enjoy the beauty of Surrender, the Encore’s resident club.

C LO C K W I S E ( F R O M TO P L E F T ) : I A N DAG N A L L / A L A M Y S TO C K P H OTO ; ALL OTH E R I MAG E S CO U RTE SY W YN N L AS VE GAS

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THE MATHEMATICIAN WHO BEAT THE DEALER We chat to Ed Thorp, the man who revolutionised card counting BY B E N M E Z R I CH

Edward O. Thorp is a mathematics professor, hedge fund manager, and the author of the best-selling book Beat the Dealer, which mathematically proves that the house advantage in blackjack can be beaten by card counting. Thorp wrote his book when casinos began pressuring him off the floor after many remunerative forays. As a highly trained mathematician and scientist, what caused you to gravitate toward casinos and blackjack? When I was in high school, I was interested in science. I had my own lab and delivered newspapers to make money to pay for equipment. This was during World War II and right after, when money was always scarce. One thing I was interested in was physics. One night, I was at a teacher’s house, and the teacher had just come back from Vegas and was complaining that nobody could beat those guys. I thought about it, and at first I started focusing on roulette. I realised you could probably beat roulette by predicting the motion of the ball around the wheel. I tried to explain how to my teacher. Years went by, and in the ’50s, when I was getting my masters in theoretical physics, I kept hearing people say you couldn’t beat the casinos. Again, looking at roulette, I believed you could make a machine that could predict the spin and beat the game. I got a movie camera and a wheel and began filming spins. I used the information to start designing a machine that could beat roulette. After that, when I was at UCLA, I was teaching after getting my Ph.D., and I had a year of instructorship before going to MIT. During that Christmas vacation, someone told me about a way to play blackjack almost even with the house. You’d still lose, but you wouldn’t lose much. I figured I’d risk a few dollars. I went to Vegas — really to look at roulette — but sat down at a blackjack table and played for 40 minutes. I had a strategy card I’d made, and people were laughing at me. I started making plays on a hand that everyone thought was crazy, but I was following strategy. I drew a seven-card 21. And people thought this magic card had helped me win. I went back to UCLA, studied blackjack a little more, and immediately realised that this game was likely beatable, because as the cards were dealt, the quantities shifted around, sometimes in erratic ways that would have a huge influence on the odds. What did you do with your system once you first developed it? Did you hit Vegas and win millions? Actually, I presented the discovery at a meeting of the American Mathematical Society. At first, they were going to reject it, because they knew cranks present gambling systems all the time. Luckily, someone who knew me was on the committee and told them to listen to me, and I got to give my talk. There was a flood of interest and nationwide publicity; the place turned into a crowded room full of rich gamblers and ordinary mathematicians. One of these rich gamblers wanted to back me. I wasn’t going to do it, but casinos were 3 8

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ridiculing me, saying blackjack was unbeatable and that “we send cabs for people like you.” So I accepted the bankroll of two wealthy guys — they wanted to bring US$100,000, which would be US$1 million today. I said, “Let’s bring 10K” — in case I lost. I told them, “If we play 20 hours, I can double your 10K.” We played 40 hours — 20 were just practice — and we made US$11,000 on top of the $10,000, and I was satisfied. I cashed my part of the winnings at the MIT cafeteria and bought my lunch with a $100 bill. Did you continue playing blackjack after that? Yes, but I was eventually banned. I got more and more heat. They’d start cheating to beat me and shuffling up, and eventually they kicked me out of some casinos. So I wrote a book. I figured, You don’t want me to play? I’ll send some other people — a lot of other people. Do you think there’s an ethical difference between using a machine, like the one you designed to beat roulette, and card counting? When I built a wearable machine to beat roulette, we tested it out and turned dimes into piles of dimes pretty quickly. At that time, those machines were not in the purview of the casinos; there was no law against them, no rules. Then people built more machines to beat roulette and even blackjack. In 1985, Nevada passed an emergency bill in record time to outlaw these devices. Any device the player brings in is now illegal. You can get a year in jail and a US$10,000 fine. Even the little strategy cards in my book are technically illegal. I don’t have a clue whether that law is fair or not. If I were running a casino, I’m sure I would be upset if guys were coming in with machines. What about the Phil Ivey story and schemes that seek advantages through flawed games or mistakes the casinos make? If the casino is using defective cards, that’s their problem. Their job is to fix it. You can’t expect to tell a player not to use his eyes, or not to play with whatever advantages the casino is presenting. Are the casinos still beatable today? I know they are. They’re definitely beatable. I have friends who do it, multiple ways. Card counting and shuffle tracking. If the casinos use automatic shufflers, you can’t shuffle track — but then the casinos have to pay a toll to rent the shufflers. They have to decide. Do they pay the toll for automatic shufflers, or do they lose money every now and then to people who know what they are doing? Do you still go to Vegas today? Do you still play? I go to Vegas. Blackjack is boring to me now. The stakes are too small. It’s a lot of work to make a small amount of money. ■

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY SA M C O M E N

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MONEY

TWENTY-ONE

Adapted from Ben Mezrich’s book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, the film 21 chronicled the rise and fall of the ace blackjack team inspired by Ed Thorp’s seminal Beat the Dealer. Mezrich on the night he learned the secret... BY B E N M E Z R I CH

The setting: Boston, on one of those cold, grey nights that make you wish you were anywhere else. Ten minutes to two in the morning, the dark back corner of an MIT dive bar, close enough to the Charles River you can smell that dirty water. A place just about the polar opposite of Las Vegas — no neon, glitz, or anything approximating showgirls, just a geek hangout filled with math majors and physics wonks. Yet this is where I found myself thrown into one of the greatest Vegas stories I’ve ever heard. And it all started with a hundred-dollar bill. More specifically, a lot of hundreds, from a pile of banded stacks totalling at least a quarter million, stuffed into an MIT kid’s laundry. I’d been introduced to the kid, Jeff Ma, by a mutual friend, and at first he seemed like every other MIT kid — smart, good with numbers, socially awkward. But he and his friends had too much money, and all of it in hundred-dollar bills. The thing is, you never see hundred-dollar bills in Boston. In New York, you see them all the time; in Vegas, they come right out of the ATM. But in Boston, never. When I asked him about the money, he invited me to his apartment. Then he pointed to his laundry. A quarter-million dollars, stuffed among his dirty socks; I assumed he was a

Kevin Spacey as MIT professor Micky Rosa in the 2008 film 21

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drug dealer. Still, when he asked me to go to Vegas with him the next day, I couldn’t say no. Five of his friends flew with us from Logan to McCarran, but they all pretended they didn’t know each other. When we landed, a uniformed driver took us to a fantastic suite on the Strip: hot tubs, marble floors, a butler; the trappings of a true high roller. The MIT kids came into the suite one by one and started to pile money on the coffee table — cash they’d carried hidden under their clothes all the way from Boston. One million dollars in total. “We’re the MIT Blackjack Team,” they told me. With that, I was suddenly on the inside of a clandestine cabal that had been beating Vegas for more than 20 years. Secrets of blackjack had been handed down from one group of students to the next, and these kids I’d just met had won more than US$6 million hitting the tables. This was card counting taken to an entirely new level. Math used like magic to beat a beatable game. The system itself was simple: They’d spread out 10 college kids across a casino floor, one kid at each table keeping track of the cards. When the decks got good — meaning there were more high cards (aces, kings, 10s) than low ones still in the deck —

they would signal over the Big Player, usually Jeff Ma, often wearing a disguise, pretending to be a high roller, pretending to be drunk — hell, sometimes he’d even fill a thermos with apple juice, order a scotch, take it to the bathroom, and refill the glass from the thermos. After getting the signal, he’d bet big, the table limit. When the deck was no longer good, he kept walking. In this way, the big money was played on only “good” decks — and just like that, the MIT team had turned the tables on Vegas. They had a mathematical advantage of around two percent per hand, which doesn’t sound like much unless you’re betting $5,000 a hand. They’d win a few hundred thousand over a good weekend. No matter how good a system is, you always need that bankroll. The MIT team used a stake that was passed down from previous generations of students; as one group graduated, they were allowed to invest in the next. The money itself began to be the biggest problem with card counting. It isn’t illegal to stuff a quarter-million dollars into a duffel bag and fly from Boston to Vegas. But if you get caught at Logan airport with that much cash, bad things happen to you. You end up in a cell beneath the airport, with agents from the DEA and IRS asking you a lot of questions. Eventually, you need a lawyer to get your own money back. To beat this, the MIT team would carry the cash under their clothes. They’d also begun storing the money on campus in an out-of-use iron safe they’d found in an administration building that had once been used for the university payroll. Every Friday morning, they’d make a withdrawal from the safe. Every Monday morning, they’d

“THIS WAS CARD COUNTING TAKEN TO AN ENTIRELY NEW LEVEL. MATH USED LIKE MAGIC TO BEAT A BEATABLE GAME.” make a deposit. At one point, local newspapers in Boston carried a story about a garbage bag filled with US$140,000 that was found in an MIT classroom. It turned out to be the winnings from a particularly good weekend in Vegas; one of the team members had forgotten the bag after a math test. The more money the team’s fake high rollers were winning, the more heat they began to get from Vegas. At some point, the MIT team was taken down by private eyes, who followed them back to Boston and added all their faces to the recognition software the casinos use in their surveillance cameras. But the fact that Vegas now knows how card counting works doesn’t mean the casinos can’t still lose. A quarter million in hundreds stuffed into an MIT kid’s laundry, that’s the story. You find the game that can be beat and you figure out how to beat it. And then you beat the hell out of it. ■

KNOW THE ODDS

Blackjack

Craps

Roulette

Slot machines

Number of hands you can expect to win when playing with perfect basic strategy: 48 percent. (You will lose $4 for every $100 bet.) Probability that the dealer will bust: twice for every 7 hands or 29 percent of the time. Frequency of basicstrategy player busts: once in every 6 hands or 16 percent of the time. Frequency of players getting blackjacks: fittingly, once out of every 21 hands.

Longest stint shooting the dice at a craps table: 154 rolls over the course of 4 hours and 18 minutes at Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City. Odds of such a monstrous roll happening: 1 in 1.56 trillion. The average number of rolls per shooter: 8.5. How often a player wins on a comeout roll: 22.22 percent of the time. Probability of hitting boxcars (two 6s): 1 in 36 or 2.77 percent. Payout for hitting boxcars: 30 to 1.

Likelihood of hitting red, black, odd, or even: 47.37 percent. House edge on those bets: 5.26 percent. Likelihood of hitting any 1 of the roulette wheel’s first 5 numbers: 13.16 percent, with a payout of 6 to 1. House edge on that wager: 7.89 percent (making it the worst bet on the wheel). Odds of hitting the same number 3 out of 4 times: 1 in 5,932.

Play a Megabucks machine, part of a network of slots scattered throughout Nevada. Jackpots build with the revenue of losing players. Acing the top prize requires an investment of $3 per spin, but winners aren’t complaining. Biggest win: US$39,710,826, in 2003, at the Excalibur. Only win of 2014: US$14,282,544, at Rampart Casino. Luckiest casino of 2013: MGM Grand. Two jackpots totalling US$22,800,785 were hit. MAXI M.COM.AU

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SUPREME SINGLE MALTS

Very few whiskies are great enough to make it past 50. But when they do, they are beyond comparison Macallan recently released one of the oldest bottles of single-malt whisky ever to leave its distillery, a crowning achievement 65 years in the making. At $46,000, it will also cost you a nice chunk of your retirement fund, assuming you can even get your hands on one. The Macallan 65 Year Old is being released in just 450 numbered decanters, handcrafted by Lalique, the final installment in a six-part series of special bottlings that have demonstrated the legendary distillery’s unparalleled achievements in spirit making. It’s among the most mature sherry cask aged single malts ever sold, and the taste of a precious few drops delivers deep, rich character and unforgettably intense flavours. You’ve likely never tasted anything this old, and you’re not alone. There’s a reason you don’t see a lot of single malts out there over 30. Great whisky is a lot like a great partner: The best ones are rarely on the market after a certain age. Maturing whisky isn’t a simple game of wait and bottle, and not every barrel, given the time, is even drinkable at 50. In fact, due to factors like oxidation and wood exposure, most whisky begins to fall off long before that, taking on undesirable characteristics that can make it taste like a stale glass of sawdust. Everything from the climate where it’s stored to how well the barrel is constructed plays a part in determining how many good years it can enjoy. So in many ways, the Macallan 65 is a unicorn that’s been perfected by time, a point well made by its price tag. But like any good investment, its value will only go up. Explore the auction results for similar products, and you’ll see by just how much. There aren’t many bottles out there this old, and fewer than a handful are released each year. Macallan’s special issue joins a best-of-the-best list of single-malt peers so rare, and so unlike one another, that each on its own is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. — G. Clay Whittaker

Generations Mortlach 75 Years Old by Gordon & MacPhail 100 decanters; $41,000 Independent bottlers Gordon & MacPhail have produced a truly unique single malt. The sampling, distilled by Mortlach in 1939 and released last year, strikes a robust balance of spicy, nutty flavors mellowed over an unprecedented number of years.

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The Balvenie Fifty, Cask 4570 128 bottles; $50,000 Earlier this year, a single cask of some of the greatest whisky the Balvenie has ever created was raided after five decades of aging. The cask, a barrel that once held sherry, produced an elegant whisky that tastes of the darkest honey, the richest toffee and plenty of oak.

Bowmore The 50 Year Old 1961 50 bottles to date; $30,000 A whisky distilled on a cold December day in the early ’60s spent five decades aging before being bottled at the height of its game in 2011. Bowmore is releasing a small portion of the smoky, peated nectar in extremely limited batches each year, for as long as it lasts.

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THE

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SWOOSH How did Nike become a $130 billion global powerhouse? Its founder Phil Knight refused to let his crazy idea die BY B I L L SAP O R ITO

D

o you know who won the most medals at the Rio Olympics? It wasn’t the United States. It was Nike, whose athletes worldwide won more than 200 total medals and all 32 of the U.S. track and field golds. It wasn’t always this way. If you roll the tape back to, say, the 1964 games in Tokyo, you can watch Bob Hayes win the 100-metre sprint in 10 seconds flat wearing the three bands of Adidas, the dominant, and dominating, athletic shoe company in the world at that time. Same thing again in 1968 in Mexico City, when Bob Beamon destroyed the long jump record in Adidas. One of the avid fans of those Games was a middle-distance runner named Phil Knight — Buck, to his family — who once raced for the vaunted University of Oregon Ducks track team. Knight never won an Olympic medal in Adidas shoes — or anybody else’s, for that matter. Instead, he would, with his iconoclastic college coach Bill Bowerman, create the shoes and the brand that would later demolish Adidas in the marketplace and supplant the German outfit as the world’s top athletic shoe company. With that No.1 status would come the attendant challenges and headaches of having gone from

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the cool challenger brand to the corporate colossus of footwear. Last year’s sales line: Nike, US$32.4 billion; Adidas, US$19.2 billion. Knight would build Nike — known first as Blue Ribbon Sports — with the help of the oddest collection of shoe warriors you could possibly assemble. And he wouldn’t feel insulted being included in that description. They simply wouldn’t let the young company die, despite having their local bank yank their credit line without warning. “Even though we knew we could fail — the odds were we probably would fail — none of the early Nike group doubted that we would succeed,” Knight told MAXIM. “We reinforced each other. A total David vs Goliath mentality.” If you ever wanted to create a model for an entrepreneur in that most visible of businesses, sports, it might not be Buck Knight. An introverted accountant (I know, redundant), he views the world from behind his trademark sunglasses, wearing them like a windshield to protect him from the distractions of the outside environment. As the public face of a public company, his zeal for self-promotion is zero — give him the choice of spending time with the media or getting a molar

filled and you’d be advised to bet on the molar. He developed the company as a sidelight to his day job at Price Waterhouse in Portland, Oregon. He could have continued to climb that accounting ladder and lived happily ever after. It’s just that the crazy idea would not let go. The crazy idea. As he writes in his best-selling memoir, Shoe Dog, it was something Knight had conceived for a Stanford Graduate School of Business class in 1962. Every entrepreneur has them, and some are indeed just that. Knight’s idea was as simple as it was audacious. There were no major competitors to Adidas in the United States. The strategy was to create one using track shoes imported from Japan, just the way the Japanese had cut into the German photography and lens industry. After graduation, he decided to have a final youthful fling, an around-the-world trip — financed by his father, a newspaper publisher — with a plan to drop in on Onitsuka Co. Ltd., in Kobe, Japan, the manufacturer of Tiger athletic shoes (you know them now as Asics), a product he thought had the best chance of breaking the German lock. He showed up for a meeting with Onitsuka wearing the only suit he owned, his corporate assets at the time consisting of the airline ticket in his pocket. Onitsuka was looking to expand, and its management was suitably impressed by the thoughtful plan of the American business “tycoon.” Onitsuka agreed to sell him 15 pairs of Tiger samples and signed him as its West Coast distributor of Tiger footwear. When the samples arrived — 14 months later — he showed them to his old coach Bowerman, who was given to constantly tweaking his runners’ shoes to give them an edge. He saw so much potential in the Tigers that he immediately asked to be made a 50/50 partner with his former charge. There was no saying no to Bill Bowerman. For US$500, the coach got his wish. It would eventually make him wealthy beyond his dreams. First year sales: US$8,000. For six years, Knight worked two jobs. “In 1964, my life got busy. By day I was a CPA for Price Waterhouse. My Army Reserve requirement took up two Tuesdays a month and one

Sunday, plus two weeks in the summer. Dating was a mixed success. And all along my real love was that little company that Bowerman and I had started,” he told Stanford MBA grads in 2014. On free weekends, he would load up his Plymouth Valiant with Tigers and hawk them at high school and college track meets. To help him run Blue Ribbon, Knight began assembling a curious stable of talent. This included running geeks, of course, (and in the early 1960s, that, too, was redundant) such as Jeff Johnson, hired as the company’s first full-time sales rep in Los Angeles. An obsessive worker, Johnson kept comprehensive files on customers’ likes, and he would write a letter a day to Knight for years, advising him on styles, sales, his marital difficulties — all manner of things. The silent Knight didn’t answer a single one of them. Geoff Hollister was still a student and track star at Oregon when Knight hired him to sell shoes in the state. Another early hire, who would later become president and chief operating officer, was Bob Woodell, an Oregon athlete who became wheelchair-bound as a result of a freak accident. Knight would haul Woodell up and down stairs in those days, before there was an Americans with Disabilities Act. Two others, Rob Strasser, an outside lawyer who would become an insider and eventually run marketing, and Del Hayes, his former drinking buddy at Price Waterhouse who took on manufacturing, were so beefy that the track guys could have run laps around them for training. The group would engage in off-site meetings that were very Japanese in style: Get sufficiently greased at the bar, and then use that lubrication to unleash creativity, uncensored criticism and far-fetched ideas. They called themselves the Buttheads. By the time of Nike’s IPO in 1980, the Buttheads would all become rich, with Knight’s net worth notching US$178 million; today it’s more like US$25 billion. The company called Nike became Nike out of desperation in 1978, after Onitsuka decided to nullify Blue Ribbon’s distribution agreement because Knight refused to sell a majority interest to the Japanese firm. That meant Blue

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Ribbon would have to find some outfit to manufacture its shoes — assuming it could create a shoe on its own. “The company, my company, born from nothing and now finishing 1971 with sales of US$1.3 million, was on life support,” he writes in Shoe Dog, which covers the company’s struggles through its first 20 years. It was Johnson who would eventually come up with the name Nike, after the Greek goddess of victory. Knight didn’t much like it, but he didn’t have anything better, and the factory they’d hired in Mexico needed a name for the footwear it was producing — a badly made shoe that was designed for soccer and football but didn’t work in either market. The Swoosh logo? Created by an art student who was paid all of US$35. The patient pulled through thanks in part to Dr. Bowerman. The inveterate tinkerer had already created his popular, padded trainer, the Cortez, which Nike wrested back from Onitsuka following duelling lawsuits in which Nike prevailed. Another bolt from Bowerman changed everything. First using his wife’s waffle iron before moving on to more industrial-

scale appliances, the mad-genius coach came up with the waffle trainer — a shoe that offered unprecedented cushioning for all types of runners. The Waffle Trainer, released in 1974, was a smash hit. Sales began to ramp up. Knight wasn’t just a runner. He appreciated great athletes. Nike’s growth would explode as Knight recognised the value of celebrity — and of celebrating athletes and athleticism — by signing endorsement deals with the planet’s greatest jocks. Those running, jumping, human billboards would, in turn, drive serious athletes, weekend warriors and couch potatoes alike to retail stores demanding the Swoosh brand, creating an expanding pyramid of sales. In the lingo, it’s called pull marketing. “The general principles still apply,” Knight told me, long after Nike had achieved jock supremacy. “The creative use of great athletes, building shoes and clothes around those athletes, and advertising it in a creative way.” The advertising, from Wieden + Kennedy, the firm Knight hired in 1982, was as great as the sneakers: “Just Do It.” “Bo Knows.” “There Is No Finish Line.” Spike Lee’s beyondclever Jordan spots.

FROM LEFT: Geoff Hollister and other early employees in front of one of Nike’s original retail stores in Eugene, Oregon; Knight with Romanian tennis great Ilie Năstase, the first star athlete to sign an endorsement deal with Nike; Steve Prefontaine, a globally famous distance runner, was integral to the the brand’s early success; Nike used VW buses to sell its products at scholastic and collegiate track meets

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Running was paramount, of course, because Knight was an elite runner and it was the sport he created the company around. But Nike’s first shoe ambassador and Cortez endorser, Steve “Pre” Prefontaine — the glorious rising sun at the dawn of the running boom and, like Knight, an Oregon man — died tragically young in 1975, another blow to the young company. Knight began adding athletes as endorsers, starting with tennis star and court jester Ilie Năstase, but in 1984 he signed the ultimate hero, a hoops player out of North Carolina named Michael Jordan, for what was then an outrageous US$500,000 plus stock options. Air Jordans would establish the sneakerhead culture globally and turn athletic shoes and apparel into fashion, in some ways making runways and clubs as important as the sports arena. Artists like Drake (Nike) and Kanye (formerly Nike, now Adidas) are fought over today as though they were star ballers. Knight kept signing, particularly after Reebok nearly stole the company’s thunder in the mid-1980s. Nike’s roster included the brashest and the best, including athletes who sometimes ran off the rails: John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Michael Johnson, Jerry Rice, Mia Hamm, Bo Jackson, Charles Barkley, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Nolan Ryan, Lance Armstrong, Ken Griffey Jr., Serena Williams, Kobe Bryant, Rory McIlroy. Among the latest and greatest are LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo — King James and CR7 — the sovereigns of basketball and soccer, the world’s most important sports in terms of sales. “I stay in touch with most of them in varying degrees,” Knight told me. “And see the greatest of them every day — in the form of buildings.” Yes, the buildings at Nike’s sports pantheon campus in Beaverton, Oregon, are each named for a Nike god: Johnny Mac, MJ, Tiger. And the runners — Pre, Alberto Salazar, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Michael Johnson. There are more than 20 of them. Although Knight may have an edifice complex at work, it does not extend to his private life. He has lived in relatively modest homes in the Portland area, and recently bought a five-bedroom home in a La Quinta, California, golf club community, moving from another place he maintained there. His one great indulgence: the US$65 million Gulfstream G650

he keeps in a hangar he had specially built for it. The jet’s tail and wings feature the feathers of his beloved Oregon Ducks. Working or not, Knight’s life still revolves around sports. He always has the best seats in the house. He can watch the NBA finals and then discuss them with LeBron afterwards. Yet he owns no sports teams, and he’s the athletic world’s least likely to show up at a press conference. He’s been married to Penelope, “Penny,” since 1968. They met when she was an accounting student at Portland State; he was the teacher. Infatuated, he hired her to work at the office, then dated her, then married her. They have one surviving son, Travis, having tragically lost their other son, Matthew, in a scuba diving accident in 2004. It would be easy to pass off Knight as the guy who brought a cool running shoe to market, and then had the foresight to sign Jordan for basketball and coast on the advertising. In fact, Knight changed the entire supply chain of the athletic goods industry, anticipating in 1964 the globalisation that would envelop the world by the mid-1980s. He first sourced shoes from low-cost factories in Japan, then moved on with the economics to Taiwan and South Korea and later China and Vietnam. To avoid the trap of being unable to finance inventory, he implemented the revolutionary “futures” system that shifted some of the risk to retailers by locking in their orders. And as nations such as China developed their own consumer economies, Knight and Co. invested early, and enormously, to take advantage of it. Having dodged the banks, the suppliers and even the U.S. government, which hit Nike with a massive US$27 million import tariff in 1977, Knight brought the company public only to face a series of hurdles in the 1980s and 1990s that could have sunk it. The first was a Massachusetts firm called Reebok. “We saw in the late 1970s what we thought was the running revolution, but it wasn’t,” Knight said in 1987. “It was the first shot of a fitness revolution.” The advent of aerobics, and Nike’s lack of a competitive leather aerobics shoe that could match Reebok’s, caused Knight’s first management crisis. By this time, he had decided to move out of the CEO’s chair and concentrate on developing the promising China business. In true Knight

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Phil Knight during his days on the University of Oregon track team

i 1972 Nike Moon Shoe The sneaker that started it all was hand-cobbled by Geoff Hollister and Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman, Nike’s co-founder, with a sole legendary for being fabricated on the waffle iron of Bowerman’s wife. Though just 10 pairs were produced, they quickly got noticed for the tracks they left, which resembled astronauts walking on the moon. And when runner Mark Covert wore the pair pictured below to finish seventh in the U.S. Olympic marathon trials in 1972, they also became the first Nikes ever to cross a finish line. Bowerman spent the next two years tinkering with the design in his homespun lab, until he achieved perfection in the iconic 1974 Waffle Trainer, Nike’s first smash hit after the Cortez.

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fashion, he detached himself from the company, even physically moving his office, and communicated with COO Woodell every couple of weeks. It proved disastrous. Stuck with massive amounts of inventory and an intimate management structure that no longer worked for a multibillion dollar company, he eventually parted ways with Strasser and moved Woodell aside. It was the first in a number of restructurings the company would undertake as it grew, the harsh price of progress. “As any company goes through its growth curve, it has to adjust its management style, approach — and people — to meet the new demands. There is no such thing as a perfect manager, or perfect management team, so the organisation must find ways to fill in the gaps,” he says. In the late 1990s, Nike would reap the downside of globalisation — and confront the concept of reputational risk — when human rights activists and the media seized on harsh conditions and low wages in some of its contract shoe factories in China, Indonesia and Vietnam. By now, all the major shoe companies were manufacturing in Asia, sometimes sharing the same facilities, but Nike was the one that had to answer for it. At first, Knight distanced the company from the problem on the basis that these were contract manufacturers — and in any event, wherever Nike set up shop, living standards for factory workers rose. But that wouldn’t wash with the activists or with the college students whose teams wore Nike uniforms or the public at large. “Our culture and our style is to be a rebel, and we sort of enjoy doing that,” Knight told me at the time. “But there’s a fine line between being a rebel and being a bully. And yeah, we have to walk that line.” So he took ownership of the problem and embarked on a complete overhaul of Nike’s code of conduct for its foreign contract factories, forcing them to pay higher-than-minimum wages, run environmentally safe plants and generally improve working conditions. It didn’t please all the critics, but Nike would again be raising incomes, living standards and working conditions for factory workers, especially women, around the world. He announced the new code at a speech to the National Press Club in Washington in 1998. “I figured that I’d just come out and let you journalists have a look at the great Satan up close and personal,” he noted wryly. The company would continue to focus on women’s issues as it moved forward. And it would have its shares of hits and misses. Most recently, it quit the golf club manufacturing business, one created for and around Tiger Woods. Despite the loss of golf — and tougher competition from a resurgent Adidas and a Steph Curry–powered Under Armour — CEO Mark Parker has set an ambitious goal of US$50 billion in sales by 2020. Knight moved on to the role of chairman emeritus earlier this year, handing the chair to Parker, but he still attends board meetings and his presence looms large over the Nike campus. In recent years, he’s redoubled his commitment to the University of Oregon’s athletic department, where he first claimed fame as a varsity athlete. The Nike-clad Ducks have risen to national prominence in football on a wild playbook and Knight’s checkbook. He’s donated more than US$300 million to give the school new football and basketball facilities, a lacrosse field, a weight room and an academic centre. One goal is to make the Ducks national champions in football. They reached the final game last year. Before Knight, even getting that far would have been considered unthinkable — just another crazy idea. ■

STYLE

OUTWARD BOUND

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Field-tested essentials for the modern explorer

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1. Vintage flask, WALKER & HALLIN; 2. Knife, WILLIAM HENRY; 3. & 4. Wallets, MONTBLANC; 5. Shirt, VALENTINO; 6. Bracelet, MIKIA, available at mrporter.com; 7. Field jacket, TOD’S; 8. Pen, WILLIAM HENRY; 9. Cigar case, VINTAGE; 10. Key ring, LHN JEWELRY; 11. Vintage tie bar, TIFFANY & CO; 12. Knit top, HUGO; 13. Sunglasses, EMPORIO ARMANI; 14. Silk scarf, BOTTEGA VENETA; 15. Magnifying glass, BERETTA; 16. Watch, OMEGA; 17. Walking stick, BERETTA; 18. Tote, WANT LES ESSENTIELS; 19. Belt, MICHAEL KORS; 20. Vintage lighter, DUNHILL; 21. Scarf, JOHN VARVATOS; 22. Shoes, OFFICINA SLOWEAR MAXI M.COM.AU

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Weather the swell with statement accessories for the discerning yachtsman

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1. Wallet and 2. belt, LOUIS VUITTON; 3. Watch, PARMIGIANI FLEURIER; 4. Loafers, ZEGNA; 5. Eau de toilette, PRADA; 6. Belt, BURBERRY; 7. Pocket square, ETRO; 8. Scarf, BARBOUR X LAND ROVER; 9. Jacket, RING JACKET; 10. Scarf, HARDY AMIES; 11. Sweater, BALLY; 12. Watch, PARMIGIANI FLEURIER; 13. Knife, LOUIS VUITTON; 14. Case, RIMOWA; 15. Sunglasses, DIOR HOMME; 16. Tray, TURNBULL & ASSER No. 6

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Vital necessities for the man of leisure

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1. Stick pin, VINTAGE; 2. Vintage lighter, ASPREY; 3. Wallet, ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA; 4. Silk scarf, PAL ZILERI; 5. Vintage tray, ANTHONY ELSON; 6. Matchbox, BERETTA; 7. Vintage bottle opener, HERMÈS; 8. Watch, HUBLOT; 9. Tie, BEN SHERMAN; 10. Tie bar, MONTBLANC; 11. Card wallet, BUSCEMI; 12. Eau de parfum, BYREDO; 13. Bill holder, DIOR HOMME; 14. Cuff links, WATCH-CUFFLINKS; 15. Vintage pen, DUNHILL; 16. Vintage letter opener, CARTIER; 17. Cuff links, DUNHILL; 18. Bottle stopper, ANNA NEW YORK; 19. Rings, DEAKIN & FRANCIS; 20. Sunglasses, BOTTEGA VENETA

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MIDNIGHT RIDER Street-tough style for the rebel with a cause

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1. Holdall, MULBERRY; 2. Leather jacket, ARMANI EXCHANGE; 3. T-shirt, CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION; 4. Sunglasses, WARBY PARKER; 5. Helmet, BELL; 6. Vintage flask, DEAKIN & FRANCIS; 7. Gloves, PORTOLANO; 8. Rings, JOHN HARDY; 9. Multitool, LEATHERMAN; 10. Boots, PIERRE HARDY; 11. Cuff, LE GRAMME, available at mrporter.com; 12. Cuff, ALEXANDER McQUEEN, available at mrporter.com; 13. Watch, BREITLING; 14. Belt, BALLY; 15. Key chain, TOD’S

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AMERICAN MASTER Meet Michael Kors, the design-school dropout who defied the odds to create a billion-dollar fashion empire. Here’s how he did it B Y P R I YA R A O

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O P P O S I T E PA G E : C O U R T E SY O F M I C H A E L K O R S BY N O R M A N W O N G T H I S PA G E : M A R K P L AT T

nlike many of his fellow visionaries in the world of high fashion, Michael Kors has no desire to make clothes that people don’t actually want to wear. “When I put on a show or I design a collection, it doesn’t come to life until I see it on the street,” Kors explains on a sweltering summer day in Manhattan. “I think people gravitate toward what surprises them and feels indulgent, but also to what adds to their sense of style and confidence, something that feels like an old friend you can grab on a regular basis.” And that wearable approach to modern design — all-American glamour meets sportswear — is no accident. At 57, the Long Island–born icon prides himself on the fact that his art is a business. “I don’t want to sound like the Gurumayi or something, but the reality is: Balance is everything,” he says. “I try to bring balance to what I design; I try to bring balance to how I approach business.” And if you happen to appreciate his masterful gifts of observation, on full and hilarious display during his 10-year judgeship on America’s Project Runway (“Not a lot of women want to have cancelled on their crotch”), all the better. As his longtime stylist and collaborator Paul Cavaco puts it, “Michael has balls.” The Kors formula works. His 35-year-old namesake company, which consists of Michael Kors Collection, MICHAEL Michael Kors, and Michael Kors Mens, is worth nearly US$9 billion (Kors himself is worth about US$1 billion since the company’s 2011 IPO). In the last year alone, total revenue for

T H E M I C H A E L K O R S C O L L E C T I O N ( C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P R I G H T ) : W O O L H E R R I N G B O N E T W E E D P E A C O AT, M A R L E D C A S H M E R E P U L L O V E R , F L A N N E L C A R G O J O G G E R , J O A Q U I N B L A C K A N D G U N M E TA L S U N G L A S S E S A N D N Y L O N C A R G O B A C K P A C K . B O I L E D W O O L J E R S E Y T R E N C H , C A S H M E R E P U L LO V E R , F L A N N E L P L E AT E D T R O U S E R A N D K I R K F U R - A N D - L E AT H E R B A C K PA C K . C OT TO N H E R R I N G B O N E T W E E D B L A Z E R , M E R I N O H E N L E Y A N D C OT TO N H E R R I N G B O N E T W E E D P L E AT E D T R O U S E R .

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Kors Mens, which became a profit centre for the company and continues to be one of its biggest growth opportunities. Earlier this year, Kors announced a long-term partnership with McLaren-Honda to become the lifestyle counterpart to the world championship Formula 1 racing team, and he just revealed his first wearable smartwatch for men (pictured left). Built for Google’s Android-wear platform, it offers voice activation, tracking information, a custom dial and multiple strap options, from silicone to exotic leathers. “The best things that a guy can have in his closet are stylish but functional,” Kors says. The company expects watches to drive a third of its US$1 billion menswear plans. Kors continues to experiment with menswear in the form of fur-trimmed, double-breasted coats; thick, rich knits; and masculine, lace-up hiking boots. “We’ve seen all the rules for women disappear,” he says. “And now guys are saying, ‘Why shouldn’t I have that same kind of freedom?’ My clothes are ultimately for a man who makes his own rules.” JFK, Steve McQueen and Ryan Gosling have all been sources of inspiration for the designer, who says the finest compliment any man can receive is “Doesn’t he always look his best?” Still, for Kors, the consummate entertainer, it isn’t always about fashion. Lately he’s been itching to increase his global scope by producing a Broadway play. “If you can’t get on a plane and you want to shut yourself off and go into a different world for a little bit,” he says, “the theatre is a great escape.” When he does find time to unwind, Kors spends much of it travelling with his husband, Lance LePere, the brand’s executive vice president creative director, whom he married in 2011. “I’m a New Yorker and I’m juiced by the mix of people on the streets, the energy, but I recharge by reconnecting with nature,” says Kors. “Give me a beach or a mountain with fabulous service and great architecture, like the Amangiri in Utah or the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur; these are places that just take you out of your urban city life.” Which is to say, despite Kors’ rigorous 24/7 schedule and international fame, he’s a real person. And for now, his biggest goal for the future is resolutely simple. “I just want to stay curious.” ■

P H OTO C O U R T E SY O F M I C H A E L K O R S BY N O R M A N W O N G

Michael Kors Inc. increased nearly eight percent to US$4.7 billion from US$4.4 billion. On any given street, at any given time, whether it’s an oversize bracelet watch or a crocodile-embossed leather bag, you’re bound to encounter a Kors classic. The brand now operates in 668 retail locations around the world, from Dubai to Munich, Beverly Hills to Seoul. Actress Kate Hudson, a close friend, thinks his enormous success comes down to natural ability. “Michael has impeccable taste and he loves and understands women,” she says. “He keeps his design aesthetic both contemporary and timeless.” Kors’ singular focus was never in doubt. His mother, Joan, was a former Revlon model, his grandfather was in the textile business, and his uncle worked in the garment district in manufacturing. “They could debate the merits of single-breasted versus double-breasted or what do you wear when you leave the beach club: ‘Should you wear cream or should you wear white?’ I listened to all of it,” he remembers. At the age of five, when his mother married his stepfather, Bill Kors (a moniker Michael took, while also changing his first name from Karl), he accompanied her to the wedding gown fitting, which turned out to be a critical turning point. “My mother asked me what I thought, and I said the dress looked busy and overdesigned,” he laughs. “The next thing you knew, the tailor was in the room clipping all the bows and trimming the dress.” Though he’s done his fair share of pushing the limits of fashion, at the core, Michael Kors clothes remain steadfastly simple, something the Kennedys could wear today — and fittingly, the famous Ron Galella photograph of Jackie O traipsing the streets of Manhattan once hung in the entrance of his headquarters. As a young man, Kors started out sketching for a friend’s garmento father and experimented largely on himself. “In my early 20s and teens, I wore it all,” he says. “I wore shoulder pads. I wore patterns. I wore harem pants. I wore leg warmers. I was truly a fashion victim with a capital FV.” These days, the reformed peacock sticks to a standard personal uniform: black blazer, black T-shirt, jeans and aviators. At 18, he enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, but dropped out within the year to take a job at the 57th Street boutique Lothar’s. It was there that he made a few well-connected friends, including Cavaco and former Bergdorf Goodman president Dawn Mello, who encouraged him to start his womenswear collection in 1981. Bergdorf started carrying his line soon after, along with Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s. “My wife [editor Kezia Keeble] just loved the clothes: clean, good colours and all these beautiful shapes,” says Cavaco. “Michael’s not neurotic, so anyone could actually wear them.” And they did. Within a matter of months, Kors became the designer du jour, dressing Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Joyce DeWitt, but as fate would have it, 12 years later, in 1993, Kors was forced to file for bankruptcy due to lack of company control, a plight many designers before him have faced. But soon after the filing, Kors began dabbling in a lower-priced women’s line that has become the hallmark of the house he presides over today. A brief stint at the French house Céline followed, and in 2002, he launched

GROOMING

Summer Lovin’ Time to shine with this killer range of men’s skincare, grooming and nutritional products from Chemist Warehouse, bound to keep you looking fresh and groomed throughout the summer season Let’s go head first and start at the top. Headgear Fierce Fiber Strong Hold Styler at $8.99 for 100g has your hair covered no matter what look you’re going for — polished, textured or super slick. For men who don’t have time to redo their hair over and over, this fiberous resin sculpts to perfection. It delivers a super strong hold and a natural shine finish and, best of all, increased fullness. It will take you straight from beach to bar, or anywhere in between. The warmer months can be brutal on skin and all the smart boys have wised-up to the fact that good skincare is not just for the ladies and will keep you way ahead of the pack. Klim Face Wash + Scrub is the ultimate combo and just what you need to get out the door quickly. Crafted with walnut shell and jojoba esters to scrub the skin and brown algae extracts to clean and calm, this musthave product is topped off with the scent of rosemary

and mint and will leave you lots of change at $9.99. While grease might be good for your car, it’s not what you want on your face. Natio for Men SPF 30+ Face Moisturiser is non-greasy and hydrates and smooths your skin while protecting you from UVA and UVB rays at the same time. Vitamin E and Aloe Vera help support and condition your visage and all for just $12.69. The new season needs a knockout scent and you can’t go past Only The Brave Extreme from the House of Diesel for a fragrance that is a stronger, deeper and more sensual version of the original Only The Brave. For those with the couragae to be truly masculine. And just because we also care for your health, we’re adding Voost Energy Effervescent 10 Tablets to the mix. With a range of flavours and health benefits, these give you all the oomph you need to get through the warmer days, with two packs for only $6. Boom!

1. Headgear Fierce Fiber Strong Hold Styler 100g EDLP $8.99 2. Klim Face Wash + Scrub 150ml CWH EDLP $9.99 3. Natio for Men SPF 30+ Face Moisturiser 100g CWH EDLP $12.69 4. Diesel Only The Brave Extreme Male 50ml Eau de Toilette Spray $59.00 5. Voost Energy Effervescent 10 Tablets 2 packs for $6 1

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All products on this page are available from Chemist Warehouse chemistwarehouse.com.au

Double Down Back yourself during the Spring Racing Carnival season with this winner Giddy up! Horse racing season is in full swing, so make sure your hairstyle is as stylish as your wardrobe. You don’t have to spend a bucketload either — just grab yourself the new VS for Men The V Double and you can create your own stress-free style at home. This clever hair clipper is just $89.95 with a three-year warranty, and it allows you to achieve a precision cut the ladies will love, thanks to dual blades! You just move The V Double backwards and forwards in a sweeping motion and you can get the hottest hair looks in no time. The blades are carved from self-sharpening, diamond sharpened,

stainless steel to truly deliver a cool, clean finish, and with five comb guides (Number One through to Four), an ear taper guide so you don’t cut your earlobes, washable blades and an ergonomic design that makes manoeuvring around your head a breeze, you may not ever need to visit the barber again. The V Double is so versatile and simple to use, that you can go supershort, leave it longer on top, or style it to fade out, without fear of stuffing up your style. What’s more, it’s lithium-ion powered for fast charging and super- high and sustained performance. BY S H O N AG H WA L K E R

Watch The V Double in action and find your nearest stockists at vdouble.com.au

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GAMES

The Reborn Dragonborn e Gam e h t f o Month

Game: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition Format: PC, PS4, XBO Developer: Bethesda Game Studios Release: October 28 It’s hard to believe it was five years ago that legendary RPG developer Bethesda Game Studios redefined what was possible in the genre with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Taking home over 200 game of the year awards, it not only earned itself hundreds of play hours from fans who revelled in its vast open world, but received three huge expansions — Dawnguard, Hearthfire and Dragonborn. This month that beloved experience gets an HD makeover and re-release on current-gen consoles.

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What is all the fuss about?

Bethesda specialises in classic role-play gaming, where you start off as a blank canvas and develop into a character unique to you who is destined to have great impact on the world. Set in Skyrim, a large kingdom in the north of the world of Tamriel, players step into a land on the verge of Civil War. It’s during this period of political uncertainty that the Nordic god of destruction, Alduin, and the dragons return to wreak havoc. The game begins with your head on the chopping block about to be executed, but the timely return of the dragons spares your death. And it’s a lucky thing, too, as it turns out you are a Dragonborn, and the only one that can defeat Alduin. We could go on for pages about everything there is to do in Skyrim, from raiding dungeons to owning and furnishing your own home, but it still won’t do the game justice. Because it’s the feeling of freedom, and of really being in and a part of this world, that makes it so special. One second you’re exploring a little stream in a pretty valley, and the next you are up on a snow-capped mountain fighting a dragon. It truly is magic.

What’s so “Special” about this Special Edition?

With such a deep, immersive and detailed world to explore, as soon as gaming made the leap to the current-generation of consoles, you wished Skyrim could come along for the ride. This Special Edition does just that, bringing the game’s visuals and audio up to modern standards. Fully remastered art and effects, including snow shaders, volumetric god rays, dynamic depth of field and screenspace reflections, breathe new life into the land. Perhaps more exciting for console players is the addition of full mod support; this means user created quests, environments, characters, dialogue, items, weapons and more are now available to lounge lovers. Plus all three add-on expansions are included, so there will be no shortage of gaming to enjoy. We were already in love with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, easily one of our favourite games of the last generation. Diving back in to see it all again with its gorgeous new paint job and additional content is a thrill. And if you somehow missed it first time out, you simply have to dive in a check out this piece of RPG godliness.

BY C H R I S STEAD

MAFIA III (PS4, XBO, PC) Six years after its predecessor, we finally get a new entry in this fantastic, mobster drama series. Set in 1968, the action unfolds in a reimagined version of New Orleans and looks a treat. Think of a period-era GTA and you will have an idea of how it plays, with a great focus on story and style, and a real mix of gameplay experiences.

GEARS OF WAR 4 (XBO, PC) It’s 25 years after the events of the original trilogy and players now fill the shoes of J.D. Fenix, Marcus’ son. The planet Sera Is under martial law, with some survivors existing in rebel camps as a new threat appears. There’s now windstorms, which can sweep through levels and impact the gameplay, as well as new weapons, executions and shoulder charges.

Paper Mario: Color Splash (Wii U) Nintendo’s little console keeps pumping out quality gems, and the latest in this crossover platformer-RPG series is plenty of fun. Using your hammer, you bring colour back to the world with every whack. The thrills though come from the inventive ways Nintendo uses its paper-built world and characters to facilitate quirky gameplay ideas.

BATTLEFIELD 1 (PS4, XBO, PC) Interest has been reinvigorated in DICE’s long running Battlefield series thanks to a big change in setting. Unfolding during World War I, the game strips away all the tech to return to old-school weapons (even swords) and vehicles (even horses). The famous 64-player online mode returns, as do high-end visual effects like world destruction.

TITANFALL 2 (PS4, XBO, PC) This first sequel in a new series by the creators of Call of Duty retains the gameplay of the original, but adds a tonne of tweaks and new features. This includes seven new moves, such as sliding, a grappling hook and holo-pilot. But more notably, a full storydriven single player campaign. All the titans have been scrapped, too, with six new types built to offer more strategy.

PLAYSTATION VR The way you play games could change forever this month. The highly anticipated PlayStation VR peripheral finally lands and it’s fantastic. While not quite delivering the quality of Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, it’s still more than capable of immersing you fully into a game’s world and it’s comfortable to wear. Where it trumps its competitors in a big way is that it is available in local retailers, is far cheaper at $550, it works with a PS4 (so no PC upgrading required) and many of the developers who already contribute to the console’s library have titles in the works. Playing in VR is stunning and so impactful, it’s hard to go back to a normal TV. We highly recommend it, although be warned that initial shipments are low and you may have to backorder a device. Our Top 5 games to pick-up before Xmas: 1. Farpoint 2. Battlezone 3. Eagle Flight 4. Resident Evil VII: Biohazard 5. Star Trek: The Bridge

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24 HOU RS TO LI V E

THE BONDI

HIPSTERS I N T E R V I E W S A N T I P I N TA D O

Australian comedians, Christiaan Van Vuuren and Nick Boshier, aka the Bondi Hipsters and stars of comedy series Soul Mates, discuss their final day on Earth CVV: If by God you mean the game-creator, then I would want to congratulate said God on what a realistic life-simulation they managed to put together. For a while there I genuinely thought that it was real and that I was a real person.

How do you want to die? CHRISTIAAN VAN VUUREN (CVV): I’d want to go down in a plane. I always imagined it would be peaceful not being able to control it, having literally zero ability to add any value to the situation and no skills that would come in handy during the process of the free-fall. NICK BOSHIER (NB): Having such an understanding of the afterlife or my future life that death would excite me as opposed to terrify me. Do you have any deathbed confessions? CVV: When I was a teenager, I once tried masturbating with the inside of a mango skin… I heard that it was supposed to feel quite realistic. NB: Um, let me get one off my chest now so I don’t have to wait that long. OK, I stole 50 cents off my friend Gillan McClean in primary school and I have never ever ever said that out aloud to anyone. To this day I get that tepid rush of guilt to my face. Gillan, sorry man. You were a lovely guy and a good friend. What’s your last meal? CVV: Something vegetarian. I think that becoming a vegetarian or a vegan is part of the life path and that to attain a higher level of reincarnation or energy redistribution, or whatever the f—k happens when you die, you have to reach a point somewhere in life where you realise that eating meat is cruel. NB: My Dad’s carbonara. Now… that’s a bleak request because, if I’m having Dad’s carbonara, it means he’s outliving me, which is against our genetic programming and is literally the only thing my father has asked of me in my life. Are you going to Heaven or Hell? NB: I believe I will find Heaven or Hell long before death. CVV: I don’t believe that either of these

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ABOVE: Hipsters Van Vuuren (left) and Boshier; OPPOSITE PAGE: As cavemen Rocky and Sticks in ABC’s Soul Mates

places necessarily exist in the way that we think they do, but I feel like I will go to the more favourable of post-death places because I have genuinely lived my life in a way where I have I tried not to be a c—t. I think I’ve been good at not being a c—t. What do you say to God or the Devil when you get to Heaven or Hell? NB: Would you please just come clean. Stop being coy or stop giving the actual truth about humanity, our origin, the meaning of life, to a select few human beings. Devil, stop trying to make yourself more important than you actually are by convincing everyone you’re such a bad guy — just tell them you’re an opposing force that gives people something to work against to give them purpose and relativity. God, stop representing yourself as a human man, I don’t buy it — be what you are. If you made earth, I dare say you have some more going on than the constrained male human body, just be real… whatever that is.

Which legendary people will you hang out with in the afterlife? CVV: I want to hang with all the Mayans and ask how they managed to work out all the crazy universal shit they managed to work out without any access to technology. NB: John Lennon. I have never done drugs, well, at least not cocaine or heroin or ecstasy — and don’t plan to while I’m alive, but I can imagine he would be a hugely convincing enabler. What’s the greatest joke or scene of yours that never made saw the light of day? NB: Probably a new one about Hilary Clinton that we just wrote. CVV: Dom and Adrian make it into the final of the Cleo Bachelor of the Year. The competition night is full of 45+ boilers wanting to hook up with young Cleo Bachelors. Adrian ends up hooking up with a lactating, single mother of three, who has taken a couple of caps. When Dom goes to the bathroom to do a line, he finds Adrian in the cubicle — suckling on her breast and getting high on her pinged-up breastmilk. To whom on Earth do you owe an apology and why? CVV: I suppose I owe an apology to that mango I f—ked… Oh, and also definitely animals. I owe them a massive apology for eating so many of them, and for purchasing their dead bodies at a supermarket, then bragging about what a “nice piece of meat” I bought for dinner, and then cooking them and being like, “How good does that smell?!”

“I FEEL LIKE I WILL GO TO THE MORE FAVOURABLE OF POST-DEATH PLACES BECAUSE I HAVE GENUINELY LIVED MY LIFE IN A WAY WHERE I HAVE TRIED NOT TO BE A C—T.”

NB: In 1994 I remember having this weird epiphany, in high school, that if anyone messed with me, I’d punch them in the face — no questions asked, no warning, no shittalk — just my fist connecting to their face. I was not a violent kid, my parents were not hugely physical with us, but from nowhere I decided to face-punch any fool who gave me any QTY of lip. One day a kid in my Year 7 class got mouthy, I punched him in the face. Another kid at a train station gave me some ’tude — bam! I would like to one day apologise to these two guys I punched. What’s your greatest achievement during your time on Earth? CVV: The fact that warm liquid from my balls created the best little person I’ve ever met. NB: To get to 34 and not be a huge, jaded pain in the ding-a-ling. I’m happy about that. We all have a certain percentage of dinga-ling, expressed brilliantly by the fact that I use the word ding-a-ling, ever, but yeah – I feel like I’m not taking my time on earth for granted and I’m human-levels of happy. What’s the dumbest thing you ever did on Earth? CVV: Got drunk and lay down in front of a car on the road at 3am because I thought it was cool at the time. NB: Getting into a strange, tinted, black, hotted-up Mercedes with two tattooed,

well-to-do (in a criminal-kind-of-way) guys who pulled-up and asked if I “wanted to have a good night” whilst tiddly in Bangkok as an adventurous 18 year old. I ended up in a very strange place with some people who wanted me to do something without a tonne of clothing on, to strangers without a tonne of clothing on either. In front of cameras. For a small sum on money. I am a fast runner. I am also agile for my size. I employed both these things to avoid partaking in their “good night”. Name one thing you’re glad you’ll never have to do again? CVV: Deal with a hangover. NB: Live in a windowless warehouse convert in downtown Los Angeles near skid row with a flatmate who let his dog wee on the floor in the bathroom and poo on the lounge floor. What are your mates saying over your casket? CVV: “Where the f—k has Vano been for the last four years?” NB: “Nick is naughty. He would say some naughty things. But he’s also kind. He would eat really well but smoke for a month and then give up for a year. He would eat avocados in cinemas. To his dying day I’m very stunned that he still gets such a kick out of farts. If he didn’t like working so much

he would be homeless. I would say Nick is kind and sexually harmless.” What are you saying over Nick’s casket, Christiaan? CVV: I wish I appreciated him more when he was here. Nick, what are you saying over Christiaan’s casket? NB: Vano is, and was, a thoroughbred. His surname literally means “From The Fire”. He is actually from fire. I never saw him not eat meat. I feel that in spite of his infinite creative gifts, he should be leading a revolution, or a union, or Australia, or a coup, or the Sea Shepherd. What’s written on your tombstone? NB: “Not a c—t.” CVV: “Christiaan Van Vuuren — had a go at life.” Got any last words? NB: Yes. CVV: I love you Felix. Thank you for choosing your mum and I to be your parents. Your mother is an amazing woman, and you have both made me endlessly happy. Don’t just get a job and pursue material success until you end up hating life. Find something you love, and never let it go. ■

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THE WORLD’S NUMBER- ONE MEN’S MAGAZINE

2016

AUSTRALIA

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2016

HOT

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AUSTRALIA

THE DEFINITIVE LIST OF AUSTRALIA’S MOST BEAUTIFUL, SUCCESSFUL AND TALENTED WOMEN OF THE YEAR STARRING JENNIFER HAWKINS, SIA, MIRANDA KERR, BINDI IRWIN, JESSICA MAUBOY, MARGOT ROBBIE AND MORE… BY S C O T T K E E N A N & S A N T I P I N TA D O

W

omen. Beautiful women, talented women, sports star women, newsworthy women, model women, reality TV women, impressive women, commercial women, movie women, amazing women, surfer women, funny women, exquisite women, pop star women, delicious women, artistic women, political women, rock star women, spicy women, great women, hypnotic women, incredible women, gutsy women, blogger women, wonderful women, soapie star women, brilliant women, extraordinary women, TV presenter women,

magnificent women, sexy women, intelligent women, HOT women. Yes, welcome to the 2016 MAXIM HOT 100 — our annual, eclectic list of the most gifted and gorgeous Australian women who have impressed — and undressed — this year. There’s an abundance of fine femmes who have wowed us with their aptitude, intellect, sexiness, humour, coolness, physical attributes, and overall mega-talents, for you to feast your eyes on. So, please sit back, grab a drink and celebrate this special special edition of MAXIM — and feel free to to drop us a line or two at [email protected] Cheers,

Santi Pintado EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

KITTY CHILLER

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JULIE BISHOP

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CAROLINE WILSON

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Pauline Hanson

Kitty Chiller

Julie Bishop

Being Australia’s Most Serious Woman can’t be easy but the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party nails it, making us feel like we could be doing more with our lives. If only the Libs didn’t think being PM requires a penis.

Caroline Wilson

Not only was the Rio Olympics Chef de Mission for Australia one of the most talked about people of the year — something to do with the games being an utter shit show — but her name is also fun to say, especially after a few drinks.

As chief football writer for The Age newspaper, Caroline is a thorn in the testicles of the AFL elite and, as it turns out, a go-to name for misogynistic jokes within the code. And we salute the way she continues to handle jibes from the likes of Eddie McGuire.

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Tanya Plibersek

Sophie Page

Celeste Barber

As a newly re-appointed senator, Pauline’s 2016 maiden speech deftly adapted her classic ’96 effort by replacing the epithet “Asians” with “Muslims”. Love her or hate her, the Ipswich Icon isn't afraid to force her political views down the public’s throat.

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While the men in the top jobs in the House of Reps posture and do bad dad jokes, Shadow Minister and Labor Deputy Leader, Tanya, often seems a lone, sensible voice in a sea of meaningless sound bites. Take note, BS.

Jetstar flight attendant and MAXIM Australian Swimwear Model of the Year (ASMY) finalist, Sophie is definitely one to watch. She appears in the ASMY calendar and even made it into the MAXIM Switzerland HOT 100 list.

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TANYA PLIBERSEK

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SOPHIE PAGE

CELESTE BARBER

After years in comedy, it is actually her Instagram account, where Celeste does hilarious DIY recreations of model poses and selfies by the likes of Kim Kardashian and Miranda Kerr (see below), that is taking her career global.

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Lucy Turnbull

Kate Langbroek

It’s been a tough year for our First Lady but the former Sydney Lord Mayor has provided her hubby, PM Mal, with an ally used to political games. Let’s face it, for posh Lucy, The Lodge was a downgrade.

There’s nothing hotter than a woman who isn’t afraid of inneundo nor afraid to speak her mind. As drivetime co-host on KIIS FM with Dave Hughes, and host of TV’s Unreal Estate, Kate brilliantly delivers on both.

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Jessica Rowe

Tara Brown

Never one to mince her words, author, journalist and co-host of Studio 10, Jess continues to keep it real while still looking as classy as ever. She’s a beautiful breath of fresh air that brightens our mornings.

After a failed 60 Minutes story (see: professional kidnapping attempt), Tara landed herself in a Lebanese jail only to be released a few days later. She’s either resilient or, like us, Channel Nine really value her journalistic skills.

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Chrissie Swan

Melissa Tkautz

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Fifi Box

Angie & Yvie

Wrangling obnoxiously verbose children on The Great Australian Spelling Bee must be a tough gig but Chrissie manages to juggle this and doing breakfast radio in Melbourne on Nova 100. Talented.

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LUCY TURNBULL

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KATE LANGBROEK

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MELISSA TKAUTZ

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JESSICA ROWE

Former ’90s soapie star and purveyor of classic pop hits “Read My Lips” and “Sexy Is The Word”, Mel made a hot return to the spotlight by landing a gig on Foxtel’s The Real Housewives of Sydney airing in 2017.

Fox FM breakfast radio host Fifi scored a gig on Neighbours this year. “When I heard they had a role I jumped at it. All jokes aside acting was my first love and I loved drama in Year 12.” Hey, we love a bit of drama, too!

Gogglebox is chock-full of amazing women — we love you all — but it’s housemates Angie and Yvie, with their witty cynicism, and delinquent dogs, who have our hearts. When can we move in, girls?

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Lisa Wilkinson

Emily Scott

Dannii Minogue

Kylie Minogue

Lauren Jackson

Sure she’s had a great media career, but Lisa warrants more credit for her patience. Anyone who can deal with both Karl Stefanovic (her Today co-host) and ex-rugby player/journo Peter FitzSimons (her hubby) deserves some kind of recognition.

She’s wowed many men with her modelling ways (including bowling over cricket legend and exboyfriend Shane Warne, who no doubt still sends her an SMS or two), but as a DJ she is killing it — be it touring the world or playing her sexy set at a MAXIM VIP party.

Since vacating her judge’s seat on The X Factor, Dannii has quietly been plotting a musical comeback spending much of this year in the studio and also supported Culture Club at their Melbourne concert in June. Watch this space for more!

An Aussie institution, Kyles cemented her iconic status when Kylie On Stage, a collection of her most memorable concert outfits, went on display at the Arts Centre in Melbourne recently. It would be un-Australian not to include her on this list.

The former Canberra Capitals (WNBL) and Seattle Storm (WNBA) basketball superstar was the only Aussie honoured by the WNBA in their 20@20 list, a fantasy team of “the 20 greatest and most influential players in WNBA history.”

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TARA BROWN

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CHRISSIE SWAN

P H OTO S : N E I L D I XO N ( 8 4 ) ; C A R O L I N E M C C R E D I E / G E T T Y I M A G E S F O R D AV I D J O N E S ( 8 5 )

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FIFI BOX

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ANGIE & YVIE

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LISA WILKINSON

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EMILY SCOTT

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DANNII MINOGUE

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KYLIE MINOGUE

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LAUREN JACKSON

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KYLIE GILLIES

SAMANTHA JADE

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ROXY JACENKO

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CATE BLANCHETT

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JACKIE O

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P H OTO S : N E I L D I XO N ( 72 ) ; F E AT U R E F L A S H P H O T O A G E N C Y / S H U T T E R S T O C K . C O M ( 78 )

Kylie Gillies

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SANDRA SULLY

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ISLA FISHER

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SONIA KRUGER

Now in her ninth year of hosting The Moring Show (alongside Larry Emdur) and throwing to advertorials for products your nanna can’t stop buying, Kylie remains one of our morning TV faves. You know, while we pretend to work.

It’s been a tough year for PR queen Roxy. Not only was her husband, former investment banker Oliver Curtis, jailed for insider trading, she was also diagnosed with breast cancer. Yet Rox keeps on rocking. Here’s to a better 2017.

Roxy Jacenko

Cate Blanchett

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Samantha Jade

Jackie O

Sandra Sully

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Isla Fisher

Sonia Kruger

Brooke Evers

She might be known for her soaring vocals, but Hollywood could be calling Sammy. Her role in INXS: Never Tear Us Apart and a stint on Home and Away this year, landed her a part in the upcoming miniseries House Of Bond.

Whether it’s her quirky work in the ING Direct ads, being married to Borat, or her hilarious hijinks alongside Zach Galifianakis in her latest action comedy flick Keeping Up With The Joneses, Isla just keeps on delivering. #love.

With a co-host as trying as Kyle Sandilands, Jack deserves every cent of her raise that this year made her the highest earning woman in Australian radio. The duo’s renewal deal with KIIS will earn them up to $5million a year for the next five years.

After airing controversial views about Muslim immigration, the Today Extra host was the most talked about woman in the country. For a few days, at least. Wrong as they may be, her comments stoked debate, and for that Ms. Kruger makes this list.

Australia’s Queen of Acting didn’t gift us with a fine film performance in 2016, but the master thespian and mother of of four did show up to several red carpets in designer frocks, having us and fashion bloggers frothing at the mouth.

What we love most about our favourite newsreader is her wicked sense of humour. When recently reporting on the sale of Kings Cross’ famous Coca-Cola sign, Sandra offered, “It’s not the first time Coke has been sold in the Cross.” GOLD!

For years she’s hotted up our world with her modelling, dancing, TV and radio hosting and Instagram, but it’s her work as a DJ where Brooke has truly made her mark internationally, playing gigs to packed clubs around the world.

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BROOKE EVERS

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OLIVIA PHYLAND

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ASHER KEDDIE

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KITTY FLANAGAN

68

LEIGH SALES

67

REBECCA MADDERN

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ERIN MOLAN

65

GINA LIANO

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Olivia Phyland

Asher Keddie

Sadly, we usually watch weekend morning music show The Loop with a throbbing hangover. Thankfully, Olivia knows just the right way to introduce a Justin Bieber video so as to not worsen our sore heads.

The 2016 return of your girlfriend’s fave show Offspring saw Asher's character Nina involved in a very steamy sex scene with her reallife husband Vincent Fantauzzo. For realz? Sure looked that way!

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Kitty Flanagan

Leigh Sales

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Rebecca Maddern

Erin Molan

The relentlessly funny Kitty delivered another year of chuckles with her contributions on ABC TV’s The Weekly with Charlie Pickering and touring the world with her brilliant standup show Seriously?

P H O T O S : W AY N E D A N I E L S ( 6 5 , 6 4 )

After 22 years, and the controversial departure of host Garry Lyon, The AFL Footy Show finally welcomed a female panel member in the form of journo Rebecca — a much-needed addition.

RENAE AYRIS

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ANNA MEARES

Some believe Leigh is the evil queen of a vast left-wing conspiracy, others say she shamelessly flirts with PM Turnbull. Either way, we love her work on ABC TV’s current affairs flagship 7.30.

As co-host of The NRL Footy Show, Erin has never looked hotter or more comfortable than this season, often showing up her male counterparts on the panel. Time to take a back seat, Fatty Vautin?

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Gina Liano

Renae Ayris

The lawyer, and star of The Real Housewives of Melbourne has had a stellar 2016 releasing a fragrance and an autobiography, plus appearing on Neighbours and the front cover of MAXIM!

One of our all-time favourite MAXIM cover girls, and Miss Universe Australia 2012, Renae continues to light up the modelling and social media worlds. Check out @renaeayris on Instagram now!

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Anna Meares

Heather Maltman

As Opening Ceremony flag-bearer, and captain of our Olympic team, cycling champ Anna made us proud leading fellow Aussie athletes into Rio’s Maracanã Stadium before nabbing a bronze medal in keirin.

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A stand-out in 2015’s The Bachelor, Heather’s hot trademark wit earnt her a hosting gig this year on the brilliantly titled I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! spin-off I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here NOW! Cute, too!

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HEATHER MALTMAN

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MANDY McELHINNEY

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LAURA GEITZ

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LARA WORTHINGTON

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ROSE BYRNE

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MEGAN GALE

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SHERIDYN FISHER

P H OTO S : D E B BY W O N G / S H U T T E R S TO C K . C O M ( 5 8 ) : N E I L D I XO N ( 5 6 )

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MEL GREIG

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SAM FROST

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JODI ANASTA

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REBEL WILSON

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SYLVIA JEFFREYS

50

AMANDA KELLER

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Mandy McElhinney

Laura Geitz

Lara Worthington Rose Byrne She may be expecting her second child with actor Sam Worthington but the babe formerly known as Lara Bingle continues to grow her bronzing and tanning line, The Base, while still looking sexy as ever.

Showing true tenacity, Rose spent this year juggling motherhood and stardom, as she promoted her hit flicks Bad Neighbours 2: Soririty Rising and X-Men: Apocolypse. Whatta trooper!

Bouncing back into the spotlight with her role in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road, this year the Perth beauty became a permanent judge on Australia’s Next Top Model with Jennifer Hawkins and Alex Perry.

With over four million social media followers and more than 12 years industry experience, it’s easy to see why model, swimwear designer and MAXIM cover girl Sheridyn connects with those who cross her successful path.

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Mel Greig

Sam Frost

Jodi Anasta

Rebel Wilson

Sylvia Jeffreys

Amanda Keller

This AACTA and Logie award winner has played mag editor Nene King, tycoon Gina Rhinehart and Rhonda in those AAMI ads. This year the star of TV drama Love Child added cop show Hyde & Seek to her CV.

The Wave FM radio host had a tough 2016 after splitting up with her husband, but the beauty bounced back looking sexy after losing heaps of weight and scoring an ACRA radio awards’ nomination!

After 64 Test caps for Australia, including just three losses in 29 matches as skipper, this two-time world champ is putting her netball career on hold to have a baby. We salute you and all the Diamonds, Laura.

She found love with Sasha Mielzarek on The Bachelorette and hosts breakfast radio on Sydney’s 2DAY FM with Rove McManus — but we will never hold either of these things against her. We still love you, Sammy.

Back in the spotlight after recently joining Neighbours Jodi's first episode saw her character strip down to her bra, after having a drink thrown on her, then inviting a younger barman back to her place. #yay!

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In 2016 this multitalented funny girl continued to soar, launching her own fashion line, Rebel For Torrid, and having us LOLing in Grimsby and The Absolutely Fabulous Movie.

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Megan Gale

Sheridyn Fisher

Working with your in-laws-to-be is a tough gig, but Today's resident newsreader makes sitting next to her fiancé Peter Stefanovic’s brother, Karl, every weekday seem like a breeze.

This year the TV and radio host was awarded an OAM for service to broadcast media and the community. “I’m really humbled to be on this list,” she said. We’re sure she’ll feel the same way about making it on this list, too.

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Sophie Monk

Fox Sports Presenters

From what we can tell, Soph’s current gig is appearing on the odd TV and radio show and sharing embarrassing stories... or posting images like this one (right) on her Instagram. And we bloody love it!

There must be something in the water at Fox Sports if their talented female reporters, including Megan Barnard, Louise Ransom, Lara Pitt, Jessica Yates and Tara Rushton (right) is anything to go by.

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Mel McLaughlin

Nicole da Silva

She not only handled the infamous “Don’t blush, baby” incident with Jamaican cricketer Chris Gayle like a pro, but also did a stellar job presenting the 2016 Rio Olympics and earning the sports host gig on Seven Nightly News.

Although her appearances on Wentworth as sexy tough gal Frankie Doyle were limited this year, Nicole made up for it by appearing in swimwear on Doctor Doctor. Yes, we’ll even give a rural medical drama a go for Nic.

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Emma McKeon

Lauryn Eagle

She won four medals in the pool at the Rio Games then “stayed with a friend overnight”, without notifying team management, which then saw her disciplined for breaching the 2a.m. curfew. Party on!

There’s just no stopping two-time MAXIM cover girl, PT and pro boxer Lauryn. In June she became the Australian super-featherweight boxing champion, scoring a bloody big belt and black eye for her quality effort.

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Steph Claire Smith

Chloe Esposito

With over one million Instagram followers and landing the Myer Fashions on the Field ambassador role at Flemington this year, Melbourne model Steph is definitely the it-girl to watch in 2017.

Making history at the Rio Games by becoming Australia’s first modern pentathlon gold medal winner with her Stephen Bradbury-style comefrom-behind win, Chloe also stole our hearts with that beaming smile!

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Sarah Ellen

Pia Muehlenbeck

Before joining the cast of Neighbours, model and fashion blogger Sarah Ellen already had two million social media followers across all her accounts. Like Margot, Hollywood domination awaits this starlet.

Law graduate Pia never imagined within a year she’d give it the flick in favour of modelling, blogging and running her own luxury sportswear line, SLINKII Athletic. But her 1.4 million Instagram followers don’t lie.

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SOPHIE MONK

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MEL McLAUGHLIN

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NICOLE DA SILVA

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FOX SPORTS PRESENTERS

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EMMA McKEON

LAURYN EAGLE

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STEPH CLAIRE SMITH

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CHLOE ESPOSITO

P H OTO S :

W AY N E D A N I E L S ( 4 4 )

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SARAH ELLEN

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PIA MUEHLENBECK

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DJ HAVANA BROWN

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CARIS TIIVEL

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NATASHA OAKLEY

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ELLYSE PERRY

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DJ Havana Brown

Natasha Oakley

Taking a break from her decks, HB’s appearance on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! earlier this year increased her ever-growing profile and seemingly also increased the ever-growing teepee in Shane Warne’s pants.

Model and co-founder of the A Bikini A Day blog, Natasha has gained huge fame from her fashion and lifestyle photos which she posts to her 1.8 million followers on Instagram. Check out @tashoakley.

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Caris Tiivel

Ellyse Perry

The good news keeps coming for Perth babe, Caris. Not only is she representing Australia at the Miss Universe title in the Philippines next January, but the pageant is no longer run by Donald Trump.

As a champion in both cricket and soccer, Ellyse was the first signing and captain of the Sydney Sixers for the inaugural WBBL (Woman’s Big Bash League) cricket comp. Oh, and she’s HOT!

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SALLY FITZGIBBONS

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CARRIE BICKMORE

SIMONE HOLTZNAGEL

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JULIA MORRIS

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SIA

P H O T O S : W AY N E D A N I E L S ( 3 0 , 2 8 ) ; A S M Y . C O M . A U / P R O C O N L E I S U R E I N T E R N A T I O N A L ( 2 8 )

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GEORGIA LOVE

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JEMM MOORE

PARNIA PORSCHE

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Simone Holtznagel

Sally Fitzgibbons

Carrie Bickmore

Julia Morris

The ex-Australia’s Next Top Model contestant is on fire doing campaigns for Playboy, Guess and Bras N Things — the latter drawing complaints to which she defended adamantly. Bless her!

Champion pro surfer Sally had a decent year on the circuit but off it she is set to follow up her book Live Like Sally with a clean living mobile app called Train Like Sally. Is there no stopping this gal?

Changing her hair to brunette may have been a stunt for a home hair dye product, but we can't argue with The Project host's cancer charity, Beanies For Brain Cancer, raising over one millon dollars.

Whether it’s co-hosting reality camping trip I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, her stand-up, doing House Husbands or making the Logie Awards interesting, we can’t get enough of her hilarity.

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Sia

Parnia Porsche

Georgia Love

Jemm Moore

While simultaneously releasing a neverending string of hits, the Adelaide artist also pens them for the likes of Rihanna. And her latest hit “The Greatest” with Kendrick Lamar is simply da bomb.

The model, rapper and budding boxer babe, from the controversial Ultra Tune “Rubber Girls” TV ads and print campaigns, graced the cover of MAXIM’s April edition in a sizzling and exotic fitness shoot.

As a news journo, the gorgeous star of The Bachelorette wowed us with her language skills, even completing full sentences and thoughts — something previous contestants in the franchise have lacked.

This 22-year-old pocket rocket from Emerald City in Queensland stunned many when she won this year’s MAXIM Australian Swimwear Model of the Year. Stay tuned for more of this little er... gem, in future editions. #ASMY

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ROBYN LAWLEY

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FIONA FALKINER

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TEGAN MARTIN

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IGGY AZALEA

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OLENA KHAMULA

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EMILY SEARS

P H O T O S : W AY N E D A N I E L S ( 2 7, 2 6 , 1 9 ) ; N E I L D I X O N ( 2 5 ) ; G R E G O R I O C A M P O S ( 2 2 ) ; E LV I S D I FA Z I O ( 2 1 ) ; C A R O L I N E M C C R E D I E / G E T T Y I M A G E S F O R D AV I D J O N E S ( 2 0 )

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IMOGEN ANTHONY

JESINTA CAMPBELL

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Robyn Lawley

Fiona Falkiner

Tegan Martin

The world famous curve model (never call her ‘plus size’) and swimsuit designer was our sexy cover girl last February and recently became the face of Westfield as their beauty and wellness ambassador.

The Biggest Loser host and MAXIM cover star’s career just keeps hitting greater heights. This year she became an ambassador for Target, Trimfit Bodies, eHarmony and she even travel blogs for Expedia.

When this former Miss Universe Australia and reality TV star posed for our June 2016 cover she told us she is fun, approachable, downto-earth, and a bit of a loud larrikin. And she is. So, what’s not to love?!

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Iggy Azalea

Olena Khamula

Emily Sears

After splitting with her cheating fiancé Nick Young, newly single Iggy is keeping busy as an X Factor judge while reworking her second album Digital Distortion set for release in early 2017. Bring it on.

She finished third but stunner Olena was our winner on The Bachelor for keeping it real. After calling out the douche’s BS and asking him if he was living in a fairytale, she delivered, “This is the real shit.” Boom!

This LA based MAXIM model has been killing it in the US for years but seductively eating bacon in a kitchen with two other hotties, while all wearing bikinis, in the latest ad for Carls Jr.’s 3-Way Bacon Burger is kind of a big deal.

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Imogen Anthony

Jesinta Campbell

Laura Lydall

Between overseas trips this year Kyle Sandilands’ (punching above his weight) sexy girlfriend launched her first-ever clothing line, White Trash Royalty, describing her quirkycool range as the “perfect name”. #WTR

Miss Universe Australia 2010 and David Jones ambassador, Jesinta published her first book, Live A Beautiful Life, and recently wrote a quality message of support to fiancé Buddy Franklin after the Sydney Swans’ AFL GF loss. Whatta gal!

As one of the Ultra Tune “Rubber Girls”, Laura has had a huge year shooting a UT ad with Jean-Claude Van Damme, appearing on our July cover and many international mags, including MAXIM South Africa and Dubai, and she was also crowned Miss Jetset 2016!

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LAURA LYDALL

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CASEY BOONSTRA

ELLIE GONSALVES

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JESSICA GOMES

ELLIE COLE

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Casey Boonstra

Jessica Gomes

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Ellie Cole

Ellie Gonsalves

Our sexy 2015 MAXIM Australian Swimwear Model of the Year was our March cover girl, scored first runner-up at the Miss Tropic Beauty contest in Las Vegas and won two awards at the MAXIM K-Model Awards in South Korea including World Rising Star. She's on fire!

This double-threat Paralympic swimmer and wheelchair basketball player won even more new fans at the Rio Paralympics when she romped home two gold medals, three silver and one bronze. Simply inspirational.

As the face of David Jones, Jess has done countless campaigns and catwalk shows, but she’s also taking on Hollywood. Since her part in 2014’s Transformers: Age of Extinction word is she has three more film roles in the can. What's more, she is also launching her own range of skincare, called Equal Beauty.

LA based Ellie signed with Guess recently, sharing her success with her 1.6 million Instagram followers. But the MAXIM cover girl says, “Social media isn’t the be all and end all. You have to back it up with a business brain, good work ethic and passion for what you do.”

P H O T O S : W AY N E D A N I E L S ( 1 8 ) ; N E I L D I X O N ( 1 5 ) ; B O N N I E C E E ( 1 4 )

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NATALIE ROSER

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Natalie Roser

Pia Miller

Samantha Armytage

Jessica Mauboy

On top of working the major catwalks around the world, this stunning model, photographer, influencer, blogger and Instagram sensation also launched her sexy clothing range, Roser The Label, and posed for our October cover.

As Home and Away’s Katarina Chapman, the hottest police officer on Aussie TV, Pia manages to solve murders by day and date criminals by night. Kinda like how she juggles being a soapie star, fashion model and yummy mummy. #talent

Hosting breakfast TV means you make the news as much you read it, and as the gorgeous single woman of the bunch, Sam has had her fair share. Well, it’s not like we want to read about Kochie.

When she isn’t singing the national anthem at major events, Jess is acting up a storm in new TV series The Secret Daughter and will release an album of Australian rock covers, alongside some originals, as a soundtrack to the show.

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PIA MILLER

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SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE

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JESSICA MAUBOY

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10 The former MTV host and MAXIM cover girl went global hitting up Hollywood in 2016. It all started with her role as jailbird Stella Carlin in Netflix series Orange Is The New Black. “I couldn’t get an acting job in Australia because nobody was ever going to believe me as anything except Ruby Rose,” she said recently. Well, the move has definitely paid off — Ruby is hitting the big screen in XXX: Return of Xander Cage, John Wick: Chapter Two and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. And the icing on the cake for her this year? Winning a GLAAD award for promoting LGBT equality. Go, girl!

P H OTO S : C O U R T E SY O F B O N D S ( 1 0 ) ; S A S H A S A M S O N O VA / S O N Y M U S I C ( 9 )

Ruby Rose

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The Veronicas Brisbane twins Lisa and Jessica Origliasso have never been shy ladies, but the hot pop duo took things to the next level this year with the cover image of their single “In My Blood”, wearing only purple glitter paint and some sexy pouts. The song itself was pretty decent, too, and in June it saw the sisters hit the No.1 spot on the ARIA chart for the third time in their career. Can’t wait for the new album!

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Bindi Irwin

In the same year that marked a decade since the passing of legendary Aussie wildlife warrior Steve Irwin, Bindi turned 18. No stranger to the limelight the all-growedup conservationist celebrated her big day at Australia Zoo feeding crocs, hanging with dingos and taking selfies with thousands of her fans, while hanging out at the Crocoseum with her new boyfriend, American wakeboarder Chandler Powell. Some advice, mate — when your girlfriend's family owns a pit of crocodiles, you’d best be doing what she says.

7 P H OTO : C O U R T E SY O F G O S SA R D ( 7 )

Olympia Valance

The 23-year-old Neighbours star continues to heat up Ramsay Street as the fiesty Paige Smith, whose latest drama has seen her falling for a hunky Catholic priest! The younger sister of the Aussie soap’s royalty, Holly, Olympia has also done campaigns for both UK lingerie brand Gossard and Cherry Ripe. Perfect combo!

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Our favourite Aussie supermodel continues to blossom, still lighting up the fashion world and also launching stuff like her KORA Organics range of beauty products. However, those hoping to get a look-in after her split from Orlando Bloom must have been fully devo upon hearing she got engaged to billionaire Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel. Come on, nobody can compete with that shit, FFS!

P H OTO S : C O U R T E SY O F B O N D S ( 6 ) ; B O N N I E C E E ( 5 )

Miranda Kerr

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Renee Somerfield

One of the sexiest women to ever adorn these pages, Renee just keeps on going from strength-to-strength. When she’s not travelling the world modelling high fashion brands or frolicking on an exotic beach in the Maldives, the four-time MAXIM cover girl is either working on her swimwear range, Somerfield Swim (which she launched this year), dabbling in acting, doing her animal activist bit for PETA or sharing some amazingly HOT images with her 1.5 million Instagram followers. “I feel sexiest when I’m in my natural habitat,” she says. “At the beach, with no make-up, sand between my toes and sun and salt on my skin.” No complaints here!

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Jennifer Hawkins

Donald Trump-approved supermodel, presenter and ambassador to pretty much any product ever released (like the bottle of Mount Franklin she holds here), Jen is still the same woman and just as beautiful, inside and out, as the day she was crowned the 2004 Miss Universe — then owned by the crazy US Presidential nominee. Since escaping Trump Tower over a decade ago, the face of Myer and host of Australia’s Next Top Model has remained one of the country’s bestloved celebrities and one of our all-time favourite women in the world. Another welldeserved Top 10 spot on our HOT 100 list is simply a given.

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Delta Goodrem

P H OTO S : C A R L O T TA M OY E / S O N Y M U S I C ( 3 )

Our 2015 HOT 100 winner came close to the top spot again this year as she kept busy in the public eye returning to her chair on The Voice, joining the cast of revival theatre production Cats, and releasing a number one album titled Wings Of The Wild. Determined not to rest on her laurels, Delts has also announced a national tour and a return to acting where she will be seen in the next season of Nine’s drama House Husbands.

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Jessica Marais

P H OTO : C O U R T E SY O F B E R L E I

Australia fell in love with Jess the second we saw her on Packed To The Rafters all those years ago. And this year we can’t get enough of her — especially seeing as she stars in two TV dramas on two separate networks. In Channel Nine’s Love Child she plays an obstetrician in 1960s Sydney, and in Ten’s The Wrong Girl she’s a morning TV producer. When she's not hotting up our small screens, she’s doing ad campaigns for the likes of Berlei underwear. Now that’s multi-talented. And hot!

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1

What can we say other than 2016 was definitely the year of Margot Robbie. Firstly, she released three huge films in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, The Legend Of Tarzan and Suicide Squad. Then her popularity grew even more with a sexy cover shoot for Vanity Fair magazine albeit a bizarre story referencing Australia as a backward nation which saw the writer scorned and Margot praised online for defending her country. And more recently, iconic US comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live chose her to kick off their new season as host. Moreover, you, the MAXIM readers have spoken loud and clear — here is your number one HOT 100 winner for 2016. Enjoy.

P H O T O : C O U R T E S Y O F B R I T I S H A I R W AY S / G E T T Y I M A G E S

Margot Robbie