Bloomberg News
Haim
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Tropical Storm Ana has trumped a billionaire birthday bash on Lanai.
Billionaire Haim Saban, the creator and producer of the Power Rangers franchise, was supposed to host his 70th birthday celebration this weekend on Lanai featuring the Beach Boys and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to two sources who requested anonymity. Secret Service agents also had been on the island scouring the area in advance of Clinton’s arrival.
But one thing money couldn’t buy was a sunny forecast.
Saban is ranked as the 462nd richest person in the world by Forbes magazine with a net worth of $3.4 billion.
The approaching storm forced organizers on Wednesday to cancel the event that was expected to attract 300 to 400 guests. Rooms at the two Four Seasons hotels owned by billionaire Larry Ellison — The Lodge at Koele and the Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay — had been purchased for the event. Now they’re closing down ahead of the storm.
Los Angeles-based event planner Mindy Weiss, who had been hired to organize the festivities, has created weddings, parties and baby showers for clients including Fergie and Josh Duhamel, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia Rossi, Jessica Simpson, Lala and Carmelo Anthony, Serena Williams, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, and Heidi Klum. She also organized the TV weddings of ABC’s "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" series for Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter, as well as J.P. Rosenbaum and Ashley Hebert.
Ellison, the fifth richest person in the world with a net worth of $47.9 billion according to Forbes, owns 98 percent of Lanai as well as interisland carrier Island Air.