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Millions across the world will be thinking the same thing – if only I had thought of that.

But it is 26-year-old Mark Zuckerberg who is reaping the rewards after starting social networking phenomenon Facebook.

The Harvard graduate shot up the list of wealthiest people in America yesterday with an estimated personal wealth of £4.4billion.

After starting the website as a computing student in 2004, Mr Zuckerberg now ranks 35th above well-known, and much older, heavyweights such as Rupert Murdoch, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs and film director George Lucas.

But while they have been at the top of the annual Forbes 400 list for years, Mr Zuckerberg is the star earner this year after his worth went up by 245 per cent – the biggest gain of anyone on the list.

Like last year, Bill Gates is the richest with a personal fortune of £34.4billion.

Since taking a back seat from the company he has also become one of the most generous people in America, donating more than £17.2billion to charity through his own foundations.

And Mr Zuckerberg has followed the Microsoft founder’s relatively modest approach to life, as Facebook has grown to more than 500 million users, knocking Google off its perch as the top website.

The 26-year-old lives in a humble rented home in Paolo Alto, California and drives a £13,000 car.

Luisa Kroll, Forbes global wealth editor said Facebook was the success story of this year which is still suffering from the fallout of the global recession.

‘At a time where there are a lot of the same people on the list and not a lot of new things being created, you do have Facebook,’ she said.

But despite the economic downturn, anyone wanting to get on the list this year must have a personal fortune of at least £638million for the first time since 2008.

The total worth of those on the Forbes 400 rose to £874billion in 2010, up 8 per cent from last year.

Second wealthiest is investor Warren Buffett with a fortune of £28.7billion and in third is Larry Ellison, the founder of computer software company Oracle, with a net worth of £17.2billion.

Mr Zuckerberg followed up the unveiling of the Forbes rich list last night by revealing that he is set to make a £66million donation to help turn around some of America’s worst schools in New Jersey.

He plans to announce the huge gift on The Oprah Winfrey Show today. 

But critics say the announcement comes a week before the much-anticipated opening of The Social Network a Hollywood film which reportedly portrays him in an unfavourable light.

The film details the creation of the hugely popular social networking site that has made him one of the youngest billionaires in America.

Much of the Forbes list is made up of technology moguls and investors including George Soros, who is ranked at number 14 with a fortune of £9billion.

The list is also overwhelmingly male with just a sprinkling of women including Walmart heiress Christy Walton who is fourth richest with £15.3billion.

Representing the world of entertainment were Steven Spielberg at number 110 with £1.9billion, and Hollywood’s richest man, media mogul David Geffen who came in at 54 with a net worth of £3.2billion.

Forbes also highlighted a number of ‘billionaires in the making’ including rapper Jay-Z who has a personal fortune of £287million with a spread of business interests and entrepreneurial projects.

A measure of his success is that in 2007 he tied with Elvis Presley for the most number one albums in the U.S. by a solo performer, only to break the record last year.

Now only The Beatles have more number one records with 19 to Jay-Z’s 11.

According to Forbes the list is compiled by research throughout the year involving employees, rivals, attorneys, ex-spouses and securities analysts.

‘We keep track of their moves: the deals they negotiate, the land they’re selling, the paintings they’re buying, the causes they give to,’ said Miss Kroll.

AMERICAN TOP 10 RICHEST

1. Bill Gates, Microsoft, $54billion
2. Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, $45billion
3. Larry Ellison, Oracle Corp, $27billion
4. Christy Walton and family, Wal-Mart, $24billion
5. Charles Koch, Koch Industries, $21.5 billion
6. David Koch, Koch Industries, $21.5 billion
7. Jim Walton, Wal-Mart, $20.1billion
8. Alice Walton, Wal-Mart, $20billion
9. S. Robson Walton, $19.7billion
10. Michael Bloomberg, Bloomberg LP, $18billion

Figures are according to Forbes magazine – The full Forbes 400 list can be seen at www.forbes.com/Forbes400

Men at the investment bank were allegedly paid up to 100 per cent more than women.

It is also claimed that female staff were promoted less and subjected to ‘systematic and pervasive discrimination’, it is said.

In one shocking instance a male boss hired ‘female escorts’ dressed in Santa hats as entertainment for all the executives on a company holiday.

The lawsuit states that women returning from maternity leave were stripped of responsibilities and those who complained about their treatment were sidelined.

Three women who claim they were forced out by the practices have now brought a class action lawsuit in New York for discrimination.

The legal complaint filed at Manhattan’s federal court names them as former vice president H. Christina Chen-Oster, 39, former vice president Lisa Parisi, 48, and ex-associate Shanna Orlich, 30.

‘This case challenges Goldman Sachs’ practice of treating its talented female professionals like disposable, second-class citizens,’ said Kelly Dermody, a lawyer for the trio.

‘By coming forward, the plaintiffs are working to ensure a level playing field across Wall Street.’ According to the papers trouble began when Miss Chen-Oster reported an attempted sexual assault by a married male colleague in 1997.

She and other employees celebrating a male colleague’s promotion went to a topless bar in Manhattan called ‘Scores’ as part of a Goldman-sponsored dinner where ‘all employees in the group were encourage to join in’.

‘At the end of the evening, a married male associate in her group insisted that he escort her to her boyfriend’s apartment building a few blocks away,’ the suit alleges.

‘In the hallway outside the apartment, the male colleague surprised Chen-Oster by pinning her against the wall, kissing her and groping her, and attempting to engage in a sexual act with her. ‘Chen-Oster did not invite or welcome the attempt, and had to physically defend herself.’

After she reported the incident Miss Chen-Oster experienced hostility and was marginalised, it is claimed. She later resigned.

The two other claimants have similar stories that men were routinely given the ‘most lucrative and promising opportunities and assignments’.

Miss Orlich claims that a male boss asked every male co-worker in the office to be his golf partner, but did not ask her even though she played the sport for her high school team.

She and Miss Parisi both say they were forced out.

According to the legal papers: ‘Goldman Sachs has intentionally implemented these company wide policies and practices in order to pay their male employees more money than their female counterparts, and to promote them more frequently.’

It is also said that racist e-mails were sent to Chen-Oster, who is of Chinese origin.

One entitled ‘Learn Chinese in 5 Minutes,’ included statements such as ‘Our meeting is scheduled for next week . . . Wai Yu Cum Nao?’ Goldman was recently fined £17.5million after keeping the City watchdog in the dark over an explosive U.S. probe into its sub-prime mortgage dealings.

The Financial Services Authority levied the second largest penalty in its history after Goldman failed to disclose that one of its UK-based staff was under investigation for allegedly defrauding investors.

Goldman bosses have sparked outrage over huge bonuses despite benefiting from billions of pounds worth of bank bailout money which stabilised the economy.

As the rest of the country struggles with the economic downturn, the average Goldman worker is on course this year to scoop a bonus and pay package of £360,000, more than the average person earns in 15 years of work.

A Goldman spokesman said: ‘We believe this suit is without merit.

‘People are critical to our business, and we make extraordinary efforts to recruit, develop and retain outstanding women professionals.’

Sweet 16 took on a whole new meaning in New York last night.

In cargo shorts, cropped trousers and flowing dresses, a parade of glamorous plus-size models showed just how beautiful big can be.

They have been waiting a long time for the chance to prove their point. In 46 years of New York Fashion Week, this was the first show ever to feature only larger-size models.

The audience, which included Gabourey Sidibe, the star of Precious, rose to its feet to applaud what was described as an inspirational development for women marginalised for years by the trend for extremely thin models.

The show paraded clothes from American fashion label OneStopPlus.com, which caters for women a UK size 16 and up, to prove ‘curvy women are equally as beautiful and as fashionable’.

As Whitney Thompson, winner of America’s Next Top Model, declared: ‘There is no reason a size 16 model should not hold their head up high like everyone else.’

Organiser Nancy Le Winter said: ‘It’s simply about time that fashion speaks to all women. It is the first time that women can look around and say “I can wear that!”‘

But having an affair with the boss will boost your career and give you a promotion, research shows.

Some 37 per cent of office workers said that from their experience those who slept with their superiors were rewarded with a career boost.

And no wonder – no matter how high achieving, female executives will not reach the very top of their profession unless they find a ‘sponsor’ who will speak out on their behalf, the study found.

More often than not they are in a position of power and influence, and almost always male and married.

Despite all the risks, affairs in the workplace are still a common occurrence.

Some 34 per cent of women in executive positions said they knew a female colleague who had slept with their boss.

Even at director level or above, 15 per cent of women admitted to having had an office fling.

The risks of inappropriate behaviour in the office were recently illustrated when Mark Hurd, 53, the chief executive of computer giant Hewlett Packard, resigned over alleged sexual harassment of Jodie Fisher, 50, a former reality television contestant turned marketing consultant with the company.

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Hurd who is married, has settled the matter out of court for an undisclosed sum.

But even if he had kept his job, the study for the U.S. Centre for Work-Life Policy showed the damaging effects that sleeping with the boss would have had on office life for the pair of them.

In terms of morale, 61 per cent of men and 70 per cent of women lose respect for a leader involved in an affair.

Don’t expect that your colleagues will have no idea what is happening – 60 per cent of male executives and 65 per cent of female executives suspect that salary hikes and plum assignments are being traded for sexual favours.

And once they find out, don’t expect any sympathy if it all falls apart.

Some 48 per cent of men and 56 per cent of women feel animosity towards the involved couple, and 39 per cent of men and 37 per cent of women see a fall off in productivity as the team splinters.

Relationships expert Jean Hannah Edelstein said: ‘Office affairs are a bad idea. Your boss already has a lot of power of you so once your start sleeping with him, how do you know that he’s going to fulfil his end of the bargain?

‘Even if it happens in the short term, everyone will know what’s going on and you’ll lose their respect.

‘It poisons the atmosphere and in the long run it is not worth it and will follow you around the industry.’

She added: ‘In some jobs that are boring you’re sitting there all day and you want to fancy someone, or in some high-pressure jobs there is nowhere else to meet people, so these things do happen.

‘If it does, be prepared to leave your job if it goes sour, it can be that serious.

‘You really have to ask yourself: “Am I that into this person I’d be prepared to lose my job over it?” If the answer is no, then don’t do it.’

But Emma Thompson believes that no woman can have the perfect career and be a faultless mother – at the same time.

The 51-year-old Oscar winner, who has a ten-year-old daughter, said trying to ‘have it all’ rarely works well for anyone in a family.

She argued that the only way to manage motherhood and a full-time job was by enlisting hired help, something she insists she won’t do.

Her intervention comes at a time when the idea of ‘having it all’ is under attack from working mothers who find themselves run into the ground as they chase an impossible dream.

Even its most ardent cheerleaders such as novelist Fay Weldon are thinking again as they see the effects on family life.

A recent survey by Grazia magazine revealed that one in ten women who has had children wants to give up work completely.

The debate was further fuelled by Samantha Cameron, who is expecting a child in September and quit her full time job as creative director of Smythson, where she has worked for 14 years, within days of her husband becoming Prime Minister.

Miss Thompson made the comments in the US edition of Good Housekeeping magazine with actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, with whom she stars in the forthcoming sequel to Nanny Mcphee.

The British actress is married to actor Greg Wise, 44, and in addition to ten-year-old Gaia they adopted a 16-year-old Rwandan refugee named Tindyebwa Agaba, who is now 23.

Speaking to Good Housekeeping, Miss Thompson said: ‘I don’t want your readers ever to think they have to have it all. I think that’s a revolting concept. It’s so false!

‘Sometimes you’ll have some things, and sometimes you’ll have other things. And you do not need it all at once; it’s not good for you.

‘You can’t be a great mum and work the whole time necessarily; those two things aren’t ideal.

‘We have an awful lot to work on and to debate about in relation to our working lives, because it isn’t working for a lot of people, particularly for a lot of women.

‘The only way you can have it all is by delegating all the running of the home to other people – which I don’t ever want to do… So you do it yourself, and it takes time and energy and effort. And if you give it the time, it’s profoundly enjoyable.’

Miss Thompson added that when she had Gaia at 41 she was still not a ‘grown up’ but the experience has forced her to mature very quickly.

She does not have a regular nanny and she and Wise take turns to work so one is always home with their daughter.

She added: ‘We’re all supposed to be happy all the time. What is that about? Why have we lost contact with the possibility of saying, “Do you know what? I can’t do that. Sorry, I can’t manage that as well.”‘

In the interview Miss Gyllenhaal, who is married to actor Peter Sarsgaard -with whom she has a three-year-old daughter, Romana, told how Miss Thompson had inspired her to put her husband first more in her life.

The 32-year-old said: ‘Emma, you kind of gave me the idea that a part of my life, a part of my mind, has to be devoted to my husband. My mother’s generation has been bucking against that.

‘But I’ve just been finding so much pleasure in sacrificing sometimes for my husband – going to where he’s working and tidying up his trailer because he couldn’t manage to do it, and bringing him things that will make him feel better, and being a wife in a more classical way. It feels really right to me.’

Miss Thompson has enjoyed a 30-year career as one of Britain’s best known actresses and has won a slew of BAFTA awards.

She starred in her own adaption of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility in 1996, for which she won a screenwriting Oscar.

More recently she has been seen in the Nanny McPhee films, for which she also wrote the screenplays, as well as Anm Education and the Harry Potter movies.

Videos posted on YouTube show a young girl freaking out and leaping up in fear, a teenager shaking violently and a young boy in extreme distress.

This is the world of ‘i-Dosing’, the new craze sweeping the internet in which teenagers used so-called ‘digital drugs’ to change their brains in the same way as real-life narcotics.

They believe the repetitive drone-like music will give them a ‘high’ that takes them out of reality, only legally available and downloadable on the Internet.

The craze has so far been popular among teenagers in the U.S. but given how easily available the videos are, it is just a matter of time before it catches on in Britain.

Those who come up with the ‘doses’ claim different tracks mimic different sensations you can feel by taking drugs such as Ecstasy or smoking cannabis.

The reactions have been partially sceptical but some songs have become wildly popular, receiving nearly half a million hits on YouTube.

Under one called ‘Shroom’, Berecz wrote: ‘just listened to this… at the beginning I began to see some blinking light (while eyes closed), then the pitch went up and I began to feel that Im sinking into my chair…as the pitch went down I began to feel confident, and very relaxed, and I dont want to stand up from my chair and I dont want to say any words…’

Not everyone is taking i-Dosing seriously – some YouTube videos show young adults ‘i-Dosing’ on Neil Diamond and mocking the whole phenomenon.

But there has been such alarm in the U.S. that the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs has issued a warning to children not to do it.

‘Kids are going to flock to these sites just to see what it is about and it can lead them to other places, spokesman Mark Woodward said.

He added that parental awareness is key to preventing future problems, since I-dosing could indicate a willingness to experiment with drugs.

‘So that’s why we want parents to be aware of what sites their kids are visiting and not just dismiss this as something harmless on the computer.

‘If you want to reach these kids, save these kids and keep these kids safe, parents have to be aware. They’ve got to take action.’

He added that another concern is that many of these I-dosing sites lure visitors to actual drug and drug paraphernalia sites.

Schools in the Mustang area recently sent out a letter warning parents about the new trend after several high school students reported having physiological effects after trying one of these digital downloads.

‘We had never come across anything like this and anything that is going to cause these physiological effects in a student, that causes us concern,’ said Shannon Rigsby, Mustang Public Schools Communication Officer.

I-Dosing tracks have imposing names such as ‘Gates of Hades’ or ‘Hand of God’ which are ten minutes long – some sound like a ship’s horn being repeated again and again whilst others are more abrasive and resemble cheap synthesizers being played very fast.

But although they use a very modern method of spreading themselves, i-Dosing is actually a variation on a very old method of achieving an altered state.

In 1839 German physicist Heinrich Wilhelm Dove found that two tones played at slightly different frequencies in each ear makes the listener think they are hearing a quick beat.

He called the phenomenon ‘binaural beats’, and it has been the subject of research in the two centuries since.

Binaural beat therapy is used in clinical settings to research hearing and sleep cycles, to induce various brain wave states, and treat anxiety.

Dr Helane Wahbeh, a Naturopathic Physician and Clinician Researcher at the Oregon Health and Science University, said: ‘Binaural beats happen when opposite ears receive two different sound waves.

‘And normally, the difference in sound between each ear help people get directional information about the source of the sound.

‘But when you listen to these sounds with stereo headphones, the listener senses the difference between the two frequencies as another beat that sounds like it’s coming from the inside of the head.’

But Dr Wahbeh denied there was any possibility that someone could experience similar effects to cocaine or ecstasy.

She said: ‘We did a small controlled study with four people, and we did not see any brain wave activity shifting to match the binaural beat that people were listening to.’

However, other researchers say the ‘high’ listeners claim to feel may actually be a placebo effect determined by the individual’s desire to feet it.

U.S. researchers want tests like brain scans to become the default method of testing for the condition, instead of waiting for physical symptoms such as memory loss.

They claim technology has advanced enough that they can bring forward the first diagnosis by decades.

An international Alzheimer’s meeting in Hawaii was told that this would double or triple the number of people classified as suffering from the condition and could lead to a surge in interest and funding for research.

Around 700,000 people in the UK suffer from dementia, and more than half have Alzheimer’s.

Earlier this month it was revealed that a simple and inexpensive blood test that can spot Alzheimer’s up to ten years before symptoms show is being developed by British scientists.

The ‘holy grail’ of dementia research, it would allow much earlier prescription of treatments. The test, which may be available in as little as three years, would also give sufferers and their families more time to prepare for the future.

Currently diagnosing any form of dementia is challenging, and experts believe as many as two thirds of cases of dementia are never fully diagnosed.

Patients usually go to their GP who will examine the symptoms being presented, perform some physical tests to rule out any other condition that might be present, then ask the patient to complete some mental tests.

But by the time physical symptoms start to show, the patient may have been living with Alzheimer’s for many years, the US Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease in Hawaii was told.

New diagnosis guidelines would take into account the pre-clinical stage, when clumps of a protein called amyloid are just beginning to form in the brains of people who are otherwise healthy.

This indicator appears around 10 years before dementia sets in and is seen as the most effective time to intervene in the disease.

It is why new imaging agents for PET scans, spinal fluid tests and other so-called biomarkers that predict Alzheimer’s are becoming so important to researchers and drug companies.

The changes are the first update of the criteria used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease in more than 25 years.

They are the work of three expert panels put together by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association.

They suggest Alzheimer’s should be diagnosed in three stages – advanced disease, mild disease and the new category called pre-clinical disease.

‘I think we’re realizing that the process of Alzheimer’s disease begins many years before dementia,’ said Dr Reisa Sperling of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Many researchers believe most Alzheimer’s drugs have failed because they were tried in people whose disease was too advanced to do any good.

Currently, only an autopsy can confirm that a person has Alzheimer’s disease, a fatal and incurable deterioration of the brain that affects more than 26 million people globally.

Doctors diagnose Alzheimer’s by excluding other potential causes of memory loss, such as stroke, tumors and heavy drinking. They can also administer simple paper-and-pencil tests.

Bill Thies, chief medical officer of the Alzheimer’s Association, said the changes reflect an increased scientific understanding of Alzheimer’s, including the use of biomarkers tracked by brain scans, blood and spinal fluid tests.

Many of these new tests will still need to be validated before the recommendations are fully adopted, Thies said.

‘I do think it is useful to stage Alzheimer’s disease,’ said Dr Sperling, who runs clinical trials on Alzheimer’s drugs.

She said many diseases, including cancer, heart disease and kidney disease, are diagnosed on the basis of tests, even before symptoms appear.

‘We shouldn’t put Alzheimer’s disease to a higher standard than we do every other disease,’ she said.

The guidelines are just the first step. The NIA, a part of the National Institutes of Health, and the Alzheimer’s Association are seeking comment on the new guidelines from other Alzheimer’s experts, and they plan to include those comments and and publish them in a medical journal.

Current Alzheimer’s drugs only treat symptoms, but so far no drugs can change the course of the disease.

US researchers are considering giving picky eaters an official classification for the first time and plan to put them in the same bracket as those who have anorexia and bulimia.

Being a picky eater does not carry the same health risks as conditions like bulimia but doctors worry that over the long term it could lead to nutritional deficiencies and cause bone and heart problems.

To reflect the concerns, members of the American Psychological Association plan to label them ‘selective eaters’ and put them in the ‘not otherwise specified’ category of eating disorders.

They will make their decision for the next edition of the respected Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Although considered by many to be a phase that children go though, thousands of adults are picky eaters and place strict limits on what goes into their mouths.

Research into the reasons why has been inconclusive although it is thought textures and smell could account for it.

Scientists have also speculated that a mild form of obsessive-compulsive disorder may play a part.

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In the US, such is the level of interest that researchers at Duke University and the University of Pittsburgh have just started the first national public registry of picky eating which will allow people to log in and report on their unusual eating preferences and habits.

Typical of those affected by ‘selective eating’ is Bob Krause, 63, who runs an online support site called PickyEatingAdults.com that has 1,400 active members.

Mr Krause, who lives in Virginia Beach in Virginia, considered himself a ‘social leper’ who would not stay over at friends houses because of his eating habits.

Even now he will not go to someone’s house before 7:30 pm in order to avoid any chance of being invited to eat dinner.

Other picky eaters frequently report problems with ready-made food such as sandwiches which contain mayonnaise but do not put it on the labelling, or have to ask that food in restaurants be cooked a certain way.

Picky eaters tend to gravitate to certain foods, including blander products that are often white or pale colored, like plain pasta or cheese pizza.

For reasons that aren’t clear, almost all adult picky eaters like French fries and often chicken fingers, health experts say.

Frances Burrows, of British eating disorder charity Beat, said they regularly received calls from parents and adults about picky eating.

He said: ‘It tips over into a disorder when it becomes a problem to do with body image and how an individual perceives themselves.

‘One of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa is that a person has abnormal expectations of their body weight, for example.

‘Conditions such as anorexia develop due to very specific reasons whilst selective eating is usually something that people go through as a child, so there is something of a difference to picky eating.

‘We get a lot of parents ringing up asking if there is something wrong with their child if they are only eating certain foods, and if you are in any doubt, it is best to seek advice.’

Tapping out a text message could become a thing of the past due to new ‘Swype’ technology.

Instead of pressing individual letters, mobile users drag their finger from one letter to the other in a fluid, faster motion.

The computer then calculates which word was intended by the combination of the letters touched upon.

The movements do not even have to be precise because the software can work it out.

According to U.S. inventor Cliff Kushler, ‘Swype’ can increase the speed of even the most nimble texter by up to 30 per cent.

He said the technology could have an enormous impact and be used anywhere people have to use a keyboard, such as video games, sat-nav devices and ticket machines.

Mr Kushler has already invented T9 software, or predictive text, which guesses the word people are thinking of as they text, and thinks ‘Swype’ is the next step.

‘We’ve squeezed the desktop computer, complete with keyboard and mouse, into something that fits in a pocket,’ he said.

‘The information bandwidth has become very constricted. I thought, if we can find a better way to input that information, it could be something that would really take off.

‘The most important thing was that it could accurately figure out which word you wanted to spell.

‘It needed to work no matter what.’

Palm pilots sought to liberate mobile users from texting, but they still demanded that you write each letter on to the device with a special plastic pen.

T9 technology went one step further, and now ‘Swype’ can improve even that. In demonstrations, hurdles like capitals and double letters are overcome by pausing or doing a squiggle, while spacing and punctuation are automatic.

Won Park, director of United States technology sourcing at Samsung said: ‘It could become the de facto standard for tablets, next-generation TVs or next-generation remote controls. It has tremendous potential.’

Swype is now being used on seven smartphones in the U.S. across all major mobile phone companies and by the end of the year, Mr Kushler says its software will be on more than 50 models worldwide.

Deals with Apple for the iPhone are some way off, as is the technology’s arrival in the UK.

A wealthy heiress has sparked a bitter legal row after leaving £8million of her estate to her beloved pet dogs.

When Gail Posner died aged 67 she had already made arrangements to give her Chihuahua and two other dogs a £2million trust fund and a £6million beach-front mansion in Miami.

The dogs were not the only winners in the will – a string of bodyguards and housekeepers were awarded £17million and the right to live rent-free in the property while they cared for the animals, according to legal papers.

Now Miss Posner’s son has launched a legal bid to have her last wishes annulled.

Bret Carr claims his mother was drugged with painkillers and ‘brainwashed’ into spending lavish sums on her pets including Conchita, the Chihuahua, which took regular spas, had a full-time staff, its own wardrobe and was showered with diamonds.

He alleges aides persuaded his mother to change her will in 2008 and used their influence to leave him with just £650,000.

Mr Carr, a director, claims his mother was ‘deeply disturbed’ and was persuaded to hire a publicist to promote Conchita as ‘one of the world’s most spoiled dogs’.

His lawyer, Bruce Katzen, said he believes the publicity campaign was part of a ‘ruse’ to explain why a large trust fund was needed to care for the dogs.

While Miss Posner was alive, her excesses towards her animals became the stuff of legend.

In an interview in 2007 she said Conchita’s most prized possession was a £10,000 Cartier necklace, however the dog refused to wear it after choking on it.

‘Conchita is the only girl I know who doesn’t consider diamonds her best friend,’ she said.

The dog would typically accompany Miss Posner on lunch dates and she once considered buying her her own Range Rover to take the animal for its weekly spa appointments for pedicures and manicures.

In the end she decided to give the dog her gold Cadillac and bought a new car for herself.

Miss Posner, who died in March, was born into wealth – her father was Victor Posner, an American businessman and philanthropist.

The bodyguards and housekeepers declined to comment.

>> For more pictures, visit MailOnline.