£3bn a year! Hedge fund boss's astonishing pay (that's £8.5m a day or £100 for EVERY second)

Biggest payday in history: John Paulson earned £3bn last year - 125,000 times the average British wage of around £25,000

A hedge fund manager is celebrating possibly the biggest payday in history – after earning more than £3billion in a year.

John Paulson, 54, made the astonishing pile of cash in 2010 by investing in commodities such as gold and oil, and in developing economies rather than Europe and America.

The payout is the equivalent of £350,000 an hour or £100 a second.

Mr Paulson’s clients are delighted at the success of his fund – but the billionaire has his enemies.

The American came under fire after it emerged he had amassed £2.5billion in 2007 by successfully predicting the credit crunch, and making huge financial bets on it happening.

Criticism grew when it last year emerged that Mr Paulson – nicknamed ‘the undertaker’ – had helped Goldman Sachs design investments in mortgages for the low-paid that he personally believed were doomed to lose money.

Supporters counter that Mr Paulson simply spots opportunities and makes the most of them.

Certainly his firm, Paulson & Co, delivered huge profits last year. Its £20billion investment portfolio reported growth of more than 10 per cent, earning him personally a ‘performance fee’ of more than £600million.

But he also has huge sums of his own money invested in the fund, and his personal stake grew by another £2.5billion, giving him his total earnings for the year of £3.1billion, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

In practice, Mr Paulson is likely to have only a small percentage of his earnings paid into his bank account, with most being rolled back into his investment fund in the hope of earning even more.

The married father of two already owns a £15million mansion in New York and has one of the finest homes in the costly Hamptons oceanside resort.

He is, however, said to take the subway and bus to work and regularly eats lunch at his desk.

Mr Paulson, whose total fortune is around £15billion, realised in 2005 that the property boom was unsustainable and searched for a way to profit from the coming slump. He bought huge volumes of insurance which would pay out if householders defaulted on mortgages.

Mr Paulson grew up in New York’s working-class borough of Queens. He launched himself in business at the age of six by splitting up packets of sweets and selling them individually at a profit.

He is said to have lived a ‘playboy lifestyle’ until his 40s when he decided to look for a ‘cheerful wife’ and realised the ideal candidate was his PA, Jenny.

Now this is what you call 'haute cuisine': World's highest restaurant opens in Dubai a dizzying 1,350ft from the ground

• At.mosphere is on the 122nd floor of the world's tallest building
• The most expensive item on the menu is a £100 Maine lobster
• It takes a minute in the elevator to reach the restaurant
  

The French are renowned for their haute cuisine, which literally means 'high cooking', but in Dubai developers have taken it to another level.

The world's highest restaurant opened its doors yesterday... and it's a dizzying 1,350 feet (422 metres) from the ground - not ideal for vertigo sufferers.

At.mosphere, as it has been named, can be found - via a minute-long elevator ride in a private chrome and glass lift - on the 122nd floor of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

Two floors below the observation deck and furnished with mahogany-panelled rooms and cosy leather booths, the neck-craning restaurant is breath-taking in more than one sense.

Dizzying: At.mosphere, on the 122nd floor of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, is the world's highest restaurant

At.mosphere can serve more than 200 covers at any one time, and those looking for fine dining will not be disappointed as a number of top-drawer chefs have prepared a raft of mouth-watering dishes.

A sumptuous variety of food from all over the world can be found on the menu (in English, then Arabic), with sea food and grilled meat being the staple offerings.

For starters, you may wish to begin your meal with chestnut and pheasant soup, 'diver's' scallops, or Angus and Wagyu beef tatare.

Room with a view: At.mosphere is an amazing 1,350ft from the ground and offers a staggering view of the emirate state

View from the fridge: At 442 metres At.mosphere is aptly named and this is what you will see while munching on your food or sipping on your tea

Grand opening: Marc Dardenne, CEO of the Emmar Hospitality Group, claps as the staff of At.mosphere release balloons in front of the Burj Khalifa

And for a main course, there is roasted Brittany wild sea bass and Australian free range Salt Bush lamb, for example.

There is also a grill menu, where the star attractions are the Maine lobster (at 590 United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED), or £100, the most expensive dish on offer) and the Japanese Kobe beef fillet (AED440).

Unsurprisingly there is a fine selection of world wines, aperitifs, ports and whiskeys to accompany your meal.

The Emaar Hospitality Group has spent almost £1billion building the Burj Khalifa, which has been named after UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan, who came to the aid of Dubai when the finicial crisis took hold.

According to the group, At.mosphere offers 'one of the finest luxury dining and lounge experiences in the world, with unparalleled views of the Arabian Gulf'.

Tasty: A sample of the menu shows that the dishes offered come from all over the globe (prices in United Arab Emirates Dirham)

It can cater for more than 210 guests and features a 'spacious arrival lobby, a main dining floor, private dining rooms and display cooking stations'.

According to the At.Mosphere website, which is not complete (menus and prices are not yet available) and can be found here, 'guests could choose to dine at the grill or unwind at the lounge overlooking stunning vistas of the world's tallest performing fountains.

The blurb continues: 'Whether you're a connoisseur of fine dining or simply wish to unwind and relax, At.Mosphere promises you an experience like none other.'

The restaurant's American designer, Adam Tihany, said: 'Up here, you feel elegant and luxurious, you feel sexy.

'You are floating - it's a journey. This is your luxury yacht in the sky.

'I came up yesterday five times and after five times, you feel a bit dizzy. You only want to come up twice.'

Fine dining: The restaurant is decked out with mahogany-panelled rooms and cosy leather booths

Elegant: Another photograph shows the dining area, which can seat about 200 people at any one time

UNIQUE RESTAURANTS

- At the Kayabukiya Tavern in Utsunomiya, Japan, you will be served by monkeys

- Hajime in Bangkok, Thailand, has robots for waiters

- The Dutch capital, Amsterdam, is where you will find Kinderkookkafé, where the staff are children

- Cafe Therapy in Prague, the Czech Republic, is a restaurant that assists people to over come drug or alcohol addiction

- Dinner in the Sky, which is owned by a Belgium-based company and travels all the world, is a dining table suspended in the air

Away from the restaurant there is the lounge, which can seat 135 people and has a private area for 35 people, where you can unwind with light dishes and afternoon tea.

As day turns into night the tempo is dialled up and the lounge becomes a vibrant, trendy bar with tunes spun by the resident DJ until 2am.

And the cost for this amazing dining experience? For lunch the minimum spend per person is AED300 (£51), for dinner it is AED450 (£77) and a private room (for at least eight people) will set you back AED650 (£111) a head.

To chill out in the lounge you will need to splash out at least AED200 (£34) and, as reservations agent Charl Vermaak told the Daily Mail online: 'if the total spend per person is less than the required amount, an additional amount will be billed to reach the required minimum spend.'

The cost will be too much for most locals, but the hope is that Dubai's economy will improve and the restaurant will attract business men and women from around the globe and encourage them to re-invest in the emirate state.

Dubai's six-year boom, which fuelled construction of the world's tallest building and artificial island archipelagos, shuddered to a halt in 2008 after the global financial crisis.

Millions of pounds of construction projects were written off or shelved and Dubai is struggling to dig out from under a massive debt burden, estimated at more than £80billion.

Emaar Hospitality say the restaurant opening at these soaring heights is a sign that the low point of Dubai's recession is ending.

'I think really the hospitality business has picked up quite nicely,' said Emaar Hospitality chief executive Marc Dardenne.

'Dubai is still a very attractive destination, with world class hotels and world class restaurants available.'

Designer Mr Tihany added, in a similar vein: 'The top of the crown jewel has to be beautiful. The economy will follow suit, hopefully.'

Tallest: The Burj Khalifa opened in January 4, 2010 and took six years to build. It stands at 828m (2,717ft)

Record 2.2million mothers are working full time to keep families afloat

Recession effect: Extreme pressure of the super-size mortgages needed to buy a home is a significant factor in forcing mothers back to work

A record 2.2million mothers with children as young as six months are now working full-time as family budgets come under increasing strain.

This is a rise of 30 per cent since 1997 – highlighting the severe financial pressure on families with young children.

And in a further sign of the times, the number of mothers working full-time has overtaken the number looking after their children at home for the first time since records began.

The figures, from the Office for National Statistics, show that the number of mothers working full-time has been increasing rapidly in recent years.

Many women now spend more time at work than with their families, some leaving home when their children are barely awake and getting back after bedtime.

In 1997, there were 1.7million mothers working full-time. By 2003, there were 1.9million. This year, the number reached 2.2million.

And that figure is set to rise still further by 2013, when the Government strips millions of middle-income families of their child benefit – currently worth £1,752 a year for a mother of two.

The inexorable rise in full-time working mothers also coincides with the house price boom.

Experts say the extreme pressure of the super-size mortgages needed to buy a home is a significant factor in forcing mothers back to work.

'I HAVE NO OPTION'

Katie Stewart would love to spend more time with her daughter, Jasmine, who is 18 months old, but money is too tight.

After maternity leave lasting just six and a half months, she went back to work in January and has been working full-time ever since.

Mrs Stewart, from Southampton, who earns £22,000 as a brand executive for Aviva Health, the insurance giant, said: ‘I have no option.’

She added that in an ideal world she would only work two days a week and spend the rest of the time with her gorgeous baby, who she describes as ‘a bit of a whirlwind at the moment’.

But she and her husband, David, 27, simply cannot afford any cut in salary.

She works from 8am until 4pm, which means she always gets back for bedtime every night and spends about three hours with her daughter, but has to leave home before Jasmine wakes up.

Mr Stewart has given up his job in catering to be a stay-at-home father because his salary would only have covered Jasmine’s childcare.

In 1997, the average mortgage taken out to buy a home was just under £60,000, which was 3.5 times the average full-time salary of £16,666.

Today the average mortgage has ballooned to £145,000, which is nearly six times the average full-time salary of £26,000.

Jill Kirby, a director of the Centre for Policy Studies and author of The Price of Parenthood, said: ‘Women continue to prefer more time at home with their children – but they just do not have the choice.

Most families simply do not want both parents in full-time careers.

‘Their preferred option is for one parent, usually the mother, to be working part-time, or not at all.’ But part-time work can be a problem – it either pays too little, or the employer refuses to offer a part-time deal when mothers return from maternity leave.

Dr Catherine Hakim, a sociologist from the London School of Economics, said there are two types of women – ‘Cherie Blair’ or ‘Princess Diana’.

Mrs Blair, a mother of four, has a successful career as a barrister, while Princess Diana stayed at home looking after her two sons.

She said: ‘Mothers are happy when they are doing what they would truly prefer to be doing.

‘If you are a Cherie Blair type, you would be desperately miserable if you were forced to stay at home when you want to get out there and set the world alight.

‘If you are a Princess Diana type, you would be desperately unhappy if you were forced to go back to work, and be sitting at your desk worrying about the children.’

Dr Hakim’s research, which will be published next month by the Centre for Policy Studies, found one in ten women returns to work full-time by the time her child is three.

It comes after worrying research found one in eight working mothers with a full-time office job are ­desperate to quit because it is ­damaging their family life.

The report warns that Britain’s growing army of working mothers is plotting a ‘nine-to-five rebellion’.

It found their current working life ‘cannot accommodate family life’, and they feel that they have no option but to find a different type of career.

When asked how they were going to resolve this problem, the most common answer was that they would set-up their own business ‘to give them better control of working hours’.

The report, from the family website Netmums.com and the beauty firm Avon, polled more than 2,200 working mothers.

More than 50 per cent worked full-time in a traditional office-based job which involves working nine to five, or even longer hours.

All of them had dependent children, but most had very young children who were under the age of seven. One in five had a baby who was under 12 months old.

Inside Roman Abramovich's palatial £150million home by Harrods.. that extends three storeys underground

It is a mansion fit for a king - or even a tsar.

Not content with the dozens of houses he already owns around the world, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has purchased all nine flats of a prime London block with Harvey Nichols and Harrods as their corner shops.

Spread across two stucco-fronted properties in Knightsbridge in London, the eight-bedroom building is expected to be worth up to £150million.

The massive home extends three storeys underground and has a swimming pool, staff apartments and 30,000 square feet of space

It should provide plenty of space for Abramovich, 44, girlfriend Dasha Zhukova, 29, and their baby son Aaron, one.

For Chelsea football club owner Abramovich, whose £14billion fortune makes him the 15th richest person in the world, the house will be a measure of his vast wealth and an opulent expression of his personal style.

'It looks as though it will be palatial,' said a source familiar with the plans. 'He wants a very plush interior in the style of high neoclassical Victoriana to match the exterior.

'This is clearly a personal project, because men like him would normally hand such a massive undertaking to some upmarket interior design firm.

'He's going to be very hands-on and there will be nothing minimalist about his taste. Inside will be all cornices, thick pile carpeting and heavy drapery.'

Abramovich and heiress girlfriend Dasha Zhukova escaped the British cold with sun and shopping in St Barts earlier this month

The proposals, approved by Kensington and Chelsea council, should also prove more than adequate for Mr Abramovich, if his older five children do occasionally visit.

The development, over five storeys above ground and three basement levels, boasts a cinema/entertainment room, an indoor pool, steam room and sauna, as well as a children's study and entertainment room.

All six family bedrooms have en suite bathrooms, as do the two guest rooms. In a linked mews development behind the main building, four flats above a multicar garage will be used as staff accommodation.

The total size is 30,000 sq feet, five times the area of a normal five-bedroomed family home.

The home is currently two adjoining townhouses, which were split into nine apartments in 1998.

Mr Abramovich has been buying up the individual flats over the years to convert the building into the single home, but did not change the exterior.

He first bought a flat there in the late Nineties, spending £1.2million. He and his then wife, Irina, spent a similar amount gutting and remodelling it and it was their London home for several years.

That was before he bought Chelsea FC, a Sussex estate and a London home worth £40million, which Irina kept following their divorce.

The palatial Knightsbridge home has plenty of room for all six of Roman's children, five from his marriage to ex Irina and son Aaron with Dasha, seen here frolicking on the beach in St Barts

'I knew he was buying property,' said a property expert. 'But I didn't realise all of them were in these two buildings. He was obviously determined to acquire them and just waited patiently until, one by one, they came on the market.'

By cannily buying up individual flats, the Russian has ended up paying between £15million and £20million for the two historic houses, a great deal less than their eventual worth.

He bought the freehold for the buildings from Sun Life for only £1.8million.

Abramovich is believed to have a large property portfolio including a villa in the South of France and multiple yachts.

The Knightsbridge building was designed by renowned master builder Thomas Cubitt, who worked on a swathe of grand designs in West London in the 1830s.

Cubitt was also responsible for the east front of Buckingham Palace. The new interiors are designed by neoclassical architect John Simpson, a favourite of Prince Charles who was responsible for the Queen's Gallery addition to Buckingham Palace, built in in 2002.

John Martin Robinson, a historic building consultant who has assessed the proposals, said there was so little period detail remaining that the work could only improve the building.

'It will reintroduce a grand town house of the type which originally featured in the square,' he said.

'The work will revive some of the original early Victorian glamour of the square and introduce a classical interior worthy of the elevation.'

Britain's most expensive caravan sold for £550,000 (and you can only live there for 20 years)

With its luxury Italian kitchen, top-of-the range flat screen television and iPhone controlled heating system, it’s not your average caravan.

But then, at £550,000, it doesn’t come with the average caravan price tag either.

The luxury three-bedroomed static holiday home has become the most expensive caravan in the country after being sold to a millionaire couple last month.

Nestled on the seafront in Abersoch, North Wales, the chalet has spectacular views over the Lleyn peninsular and even its own private decking and staircase to the beach below.

The site is popular with the Cheshire set. They pay several thousand pounds in annual lease fees on top of gas and electricity bills. The site also has a gym, club house, tennis courts, restaurants and four swimming pools

The marble-tiled bathroom comes complete with Jacuzzi bath while the master bedroom has fitted wardrobes, silk sheets and en suite spa shower

'Financial infidelity' on the rise as 30% lie to their partner about money

Little white lies: Sixteen percent of couples affected by financial infidelity said the deception led to a divorce and 11 percent said it caused a separation

It's not unusual for partners to tell 'harmless' lies to avoid revealing how they spend their money.

But a new poll has revealed that 30 per cent of Americans commit 'financial infidelity' and sometimes even suffering consequences such as separation or divorce.

The Harris Interactive online poll of 2,019 adults showed 31 percent of American couples who have combined finances were not truthful about issues such as hiding cash or a bank account or about debt or earnings.

'Financial infidelity may be the new normal,' said Forbes.com, which commissioned the survey with the National Endowment for Financial Education.

One-third of respondents also say they have been deceived, and both sexes lie to their partners about money in equal numbers.

'These indiscretions cause significant damage to the relationship,' said Ted Beck, chief executive of the National Endowment for Financial Education.

Sixteen percent of couples affected by financial infidelity said the deception led to a divorce and 11 percent said it caused a separation.

Sixty-seven percent said it led to an argument and for 42 percent it lessened trust in the relationship.

The most common lie, at 58 percent, was hiding cash, according to Forbes.com.

Fifty-four percent of respondents admitted hiding a minor purchase, 30 percent hid a bill, 16 percent did not disclose a major purchase and 15 percent hid a bank account.
Eleven percent lied about debt and an equal number were untruthful about earnings, the survey showed.

Half of new pensioners who retire are too broke to stop working

Worrying about the bills: Many pensioners who retire return immediately to work while others get part-time jobs. Posed by model

One in two people who retire quickly realises that they cannot afford to stop working, alarming research reveals today.

The report warns that Britain’s new ‘retirees’ are too broke to quit their jobs, and find themselves forced into desperate measures.

Many return immediately to work, while others get a part-time job, or have to use their home as a cash machine.

This involves either downsizing to a smaller property, moving to a cheaper area, or taking out an equity release product which gives them money from their home.

The report, from pensions company Scottish Widows, paints a bleak picture of the life facing the country’s rapidly ageing population, who have now become a ‘part-tirement generation’.

In the poll of more than 2,000 adults, half of the retirees admitted they faced a funding gap when they finished work. And nearly a third discovered they ‘did not have enough money to enjoy their new free time to the full’.

One in ten said they had no choice but to get a part-time job to ‘make up their retirement funding shortfall’.

Ian Naismith, a savings expert at Scottish Widows, said: ‘Many people underestimate how much money they will need when they retire to have the lifestyle they are accustomed to.’

Official figures show the average worker aged 60 or above, who works full-time, earns an annual salary of £23,565.

By comparison, the State pension – if they qualify forthe full amount – is worth just £5,078 a year, or £97.65 a week.

The majority of private sector workers do not have a company pension, and have little or no savings or investments to fall back on.

The Government is urgently introducing changes to force all bosses to pay into a pension for their workers for the first time in a bid to eradicate this problem for future generations.

With people living longer, the need for a large retirement pot has never been greater. One in six people alive today in Britain will reach 100. If they retire at the age of 65, they will have 35 years in retirement, if they can afford not to work.

Mr Naismith said: ‘We recommend people save at least 12 per cent of their salary from the age of 30 into a pension pot to ensure they have enough income in retirement.’

But official figures show that the number of older people whose finances are in a mess is growing rapidly.

Pensioners are the fastest-growing age group of bankrupts in Britain, according to the Government’s Insolvency Service. The number of insolvent people in the 65-plus age group has increased six times in a decade – 50 per cent faster than other age groups.

Una Farrell, from the Consumer Credit Counselling Service, said: ‘Dealing with debt is particularly hard as you get older as you are likely to have limited opportunities to increase your income.’

The average debt for one of the charity’s clients over the age of 55 is £25,826, compared to £24,274 for all age groups.

But their average annual income is only £12,290, which is ‘significantly lower’ than the £17,316 for all age groups. As a result, many older people’s debts are twice as large as their income.

The mini Monaco that floats: £700million 'hyper yacht' design that even has its own grand prix

For the super-rich it would combine the delights of Monaco with untrammelled access to the ports of the world - as well as bragging rights as to owning the world's most expensive personal yacht.

British designers have produced plans for a floating replica of the principality named Streets Of Monaco which features scaled-down versions of its famous landmarks including the Monte Carlo racetrack.

The 500ft-long boat - expected to cost up to £700million - also boasts miniatures of the famed Monte Carlo Casino, Hotel de Paris, Cafe de Paris, La Rascasse, the Loews Hotel as well as swimming pools and tennis courts.

Whatever floats your boat: Streets Of Monaco would likely become the world's most expensive personal yacht if it becomes reality

Stunning views and total luxury: Living quarters for the yacht's interior seek to replicate the sumptious accommodation found in Monaco's top hotels

The ship will also have miniatures of the famed Monte Carlo Casino (pictured left with Michael Schumacher in front) the Hotel de Paris, pools and tennis courts

Title holder: Roman Abramovich's Eclipse is said to be the most expensive personal yacht in the world

It even has a platform that holds smaller yachts in case prospective owners need something a little nippier to get around in.

The most mind-bending feature is the Monaco Grand Prix-inspired go-kart track complete with tunnel complex which runs around the deck.

The ship is the brainchild of fledgling Derbyshire-based Yacht Island Design.

Company director Rob McPherson said: 'The design theme called for a unique yacht that reflected the style and sophistication of the principality.

'We want to create a truly unique environment that could take the principality of Monaco to the ocean.'

But for the designers the centrepiece of the incredible ship is The Atrium, which links the upper and lower living areas.

The Atrium has seven guest suites which all include their own reception room, bathroom, dressing room, bedroom and balcony.

In total, Streets of Monaco' would be capable of housing 16 guests and 70 crew and would cost the owner tens of millions to run each year.

And the billionaire owner would get the benefit of the main apartment which is spread over three floors, sprawling an amazing 4,800sq ft - the size of a luxury penthouse.

The four-deck yacht will also have BBQ facilities dotted around the deck as well as a mini waterfall and cafe bar with underwater views.

While only at a design stage, The Streets Of Monaco would likely exceed the £665 million price-tag rumoured to be paid by Roman Abramovich for his 'Eclipse' yacht to become the world's most expensive personal boat.

At 500ft, The Streets of Monaco is 25ft shorter than the Chelsea owner's super-yacht but Abramovich would undoubtedly be envious of the Monaco's fully functional kart circuit.

Now that the design has been completed, the only question remaining for Yacht Island Design is whether they can find a billionaire with enough spare change to turn it into a reality.

Blondes have more funds: How reaching for the bleach could see you earn £600 MORE than brunette colleagues

Despite having an 'airhead' reputation, girls with lighter locks bring home around £600 a year more than brunettes or red-heads, a Superdrug study has revealed.

The report found the average blonde takes home £23,150 - or £1,408 per month - compared to £22,586 for brunettes and £22,327 for red-heads.

Many fair-headed girls also admitted they didn't mind their ditzy image, with some even playing up to it.

Blonde ambition: Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Sarah Jessica Parker are three of Hollywood's highest paid actresses

The research of 3,000 professional women also found that despite earning better salaries it emerged the majority of blonde employees don't think they are taken seriously at work.

Brunettes came out on top in that department, with eight out of ten claiming they felt valued in the workplace.

Simon Comins, Director of Toiletries at Superdrug, said: 'This research goes to show that you can’t judge a book by its cover and you shouldn’t make assumptions about people just because of the way they look.

Committed: Brunettes, like Sandra Bullock, are more likely to stay in a position long-term in a bid to successfully climb the career ladder

'Traditionally the stereotype of a blonde is that she is maybe a little ditzy and a bimbo, but this shows they are the higher earners.

'Over a lifetime earning £600 more a year can really add up, so blonde women really are having the last laugh.

'The good news is that there is no difference for those with a natural hair colour and those with dyed hair, so perhaps women who are looking for a pay rise in the New Year should think about dying their hair over the holidays.'

The study looked into several aspects of workplace attitudes towards women of varying hair colours. It found fiery red-heads are more likely to change jobs regularly in search of better salaries, positions or working conditions.

By contrast brunettes are more likely to stay in a position long-term in a bid to successfully climb the career ladder within an organisation.

Brunettes also emerged as more financially driven than blondes or red-heads with almost one in five admitting the pay packet was the most important thing about their job.

Blondes placed more emphasis on good client relationships. But tellingly, making friends also emerged as an important factor in turning up at the office every morning for blondes.

The study also found blondes are more likely to yearn for recognition from colleagues for their efforts in the workplace, unlike brunettes and red heads who don't need appreciation from others.

While blondes earn more money, brunettes are more likely to be found beavering away at their desk long after everyone else has left for the evening. In fact the typical blonde is a stubborn 'nine to fiver' who will religiously grab her bag and coat and be out of the door bang on 5pm.

Rise of the brunette bombshell: Cheryl Cole and Kate Middleton have boosted sales of brown hair dye

Diligent red heads work at home in the evenings and also emerged as having more drive and ambition than anyone else, with one in two claiming they are 'ambitious'.

A similar percentage of red heads also claimed they would work 'all hours God sent' in a bid to make as much money as possible.

In the education stakes, more blondes than brunettes and red heads have degrees and masters.

Simon Comins of Superdrug continued: 'This research just underlines that hair colour can have a dramatic effect on your life. We know our customers are constantly looking for inspiration when it comes to their hair.

'When Cheryl Cole dyed her hair red on the X Factor this year sales of red hair dye rocketed over night.

'While blonde is a perennial favourite next year we are predicting the rise of the Brunette Bombshell as customers aim to emulate the classic refined style of Kate Middleton.'

Was £2million happiness study a waste of money? It revealed jobs, health and family are important to us

Jobs, health and family are the key factors in people’s happiness.

That, somewhat unsurprisingly, is the conclusion of a controversial Government drive to measure ‘life satisfaction’.

Such an obvious answer seems sure to fuel criticism of the £2million exercise, which some have labelled as a waste of money.

Happiness index: A study has revealed that jobs, health and family are crucial to our happiness and feeling of well-being

For the research – the brainchild of David Cameron’s ‘blue-skies thinker’ Steve Hilton – the Office for National Statistics was asked to draw up ways to calculate general wellbeing.

More than 2,000 people have so far been quizzed to provide a fuller picture of the state of society than is given by traditional economic indicators.

To the surprise of no one, the statisticians have concluded job security, relationships with families and health top the list of what makes people content, with 88 per cent of respondents stating that these things matter most to them in life.

People are more interested in having a steady job than wealth, concerned about their children’s future, and also cite freedom of society and religious beliefs.

Paul Allin, of the ‘measuring national wellbeing programme’ at the ONS, said: ‘The most relevant measures of wellbeing should encompass the elements of life that matter to people most.’

He added: ‘Objective measures such as crime, employment and life expectancy rates will be combined with subjective measures such as fear of crime, job satisfaction and self-reported health, to give a more complete picture of national well-being.’

Ultimately, more than 200,000 families are to face questions about their lives to produce a regular happiness index.

Mr Cameron has previously conceded the initiative will be seen by some as ‘airy-fairy and impractical’.