Libyan rebels sacked Moammar Gadhafi's residential compound in Tripoli yesterday. And like a piñata at a Pharaoh's funeral, the compound is yielding some fascinating - and very golden - treasures. Check out this video of a Sky News reporter examining "Colonel Gadhafi's ... er, I don't know what you call this ... but it's a sort of Masonic ... bushy ..."
We don't know what you call it either:
Is it a golden totem of power and fertility? Or an overpriced feather duster? By the time the entire compound is cleared out, we're guessing a few more unnecessarily ostentatious golden items could turn up.
Like this gold-plated juicer:
This incredible golden barbecue:
And of course, the ultimate accessory for a dictator's "private time," a solid gold toilet:
Although Gadhafi's gaudy and insanely luxurious taste is worthy of mockery, one fact is clear: the money he and his sons used to purchase these extravagances rightfully belongs to the country of Libya and its people.
As banks around the world began freezing the family's assets earlier this year, the extent of their wealth began to be revealed: the U.S. seized $30 billion in assets, Canada froze $2.4 billion, and the UK believes the Gadhafis may have more than $10 billion invested there. Meanwhile, Gadhafi used "tens of billions" he'd hidden in Tripoli itself to keep fighting the rebels. Some estimates put their total worldwide fortune at $94 billion.
@TheStromboShow