$1.3 Billion Billboard Showcases Man With Jetpack (VIDEO)
A new billboard in Dubai is causing quite a stir after it was determined to cost a little more than a billion dollars to operate.
The billboard was advertising the new Skydive Dubai, a skydiving service in partnership with Denver, Colorado-based Go Fast, which produces energy products. The event was held on June 1 in Dubai, which is quickly becoming a premier travel destination.
During a media event to showcase Skydive Dubai a billboard advertising the service incorporated a man flying around in a jetpack to produce an interactive experience.
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Nasser Al Neyadi, Chairman of Skydive Dubai, explained the significance of this endeavor and the hard work that it took to make it happen.
"This is an epic moment, and we are very proud to be part of it. This initiative is another example showcasing Dubai as a world leader in innovation and technology," Al Neyadi said in a press release.
As part of the unveiling of Skydive Dubai a man wearing a jetpack emerged from the center of the billboard and flew around it for about 30 seconds. He then returned to the landing dock in front of the billboard. The reason for the high operating cost is due to the jet pack. If the jet pack would be used for just one month it would have cost around $1.3 billion.
"The billboard came into being with a simple idea that has transformed into an exceptional event to attract a global audience. Our gratitude to our partners, Go Fast and Emaar Properties, without whose support, this would not have been possible," Al Neyadi said.
The math behind the cost to operate the jet pack it quite simple. The cost to fly the jetpack in the center of Dubai is about $500 USD per second. The total flight time would be one month, so by taking the number of seconds in a month and multiplying that by $500 USD, the result is just about $1.3 billion USD for the billboard.
And we thought SuperBowl commercials were expensive.
