KEY POINTS:
The more the merrier is the ethos of popular social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, but a new online club hopes to attract only the richest, most beautiful and interesting people in the world by promising absolute exclusivity.
Diamond Lounge aims to do for the world of internet networks what Studio 54 did for New York nightlife, and the identity of members is being kept strictly secret in order to maintain an aura of glamorous mystery.
"If Donald Trump becomes a member, we're not going to go out and say Donald Trump is a member," said Arya Marafie, the club's founder and managing director.
A committee vets applications for membership, which costs around $NZ115 a month. Of the 5,000 people who have already applied to become members, less than five per cent have been successful, according to Mr Marafie.
A privileged few will not have to put their ego on the line by applying for membership. About 1,000 invitations have already been sent out to the likes of billionaires, Hollywood film stars and top sportsmen and women. Mr Marafie insists the new venture is not about making money - in the short term at least - but about establishing a brand that will still be around in 50 years time.
But establishing a successful social network is a trick even some of the biggest companies in the business have failed to pull off.
Nate Elliott, an analyst at Jupiter Securities, said: "It's an interesting concept, but the reality is it's difficult to get social networks to catch on, and this one seems to be trying very hard, perhaps a bit too hard. If Google and Yahoo have failed in their goal to establish social networks, you know it's not easy."
He believes Diamond Lounge's insistence that it will not carry advertising is a mistake: "That would seem to me to be turning down a pretty logical way of making money."
Over the last year, the company has questioned hundreds of potential members on what they would like to see from an online club. Privacy came top of the list.
When Diamond Lounge launches on 1 October, it will be divided into a number of separate "spaces". For example a businessman could network with contacts in "The Boardroom", using applications such as video conferencing, then under a different username, he could meet beautiful women in the socialising area of the site.
Most exclusive of all is "The Vault", which will only be open to A-list celebrities.
Also at the top of prospective members' wish list was the freedom to create their own profile, rather than providing standard details.
"If you're Brad Pitt, you don't want to have to go online and choose to say 'I'm 6ft2 and blonde'," said Mr Marafie. Not all the networking will take place in the virtual world.
Diamond Lounge will also issue invitations to parties on yachts and private jets in some of the most exotic locations in the world, as well as organising corporate hospitality events ranging from a box at Wimbledon to seats at the Monaco Grand Prix.
The only comparable internet network, according to Mr Marafie is www.asmallworld.net, a private online community which you can only join by invitation.
Founded by former Lehmans Brothers banker Erik Wachtmeister, A Small World counts Ivanka Trump, Naomi Campbell and Tiger Woods among its members.
But while A Small World's membership has doubled over the past year to around 130,000, Diamond Lounge anticipates an upper membership limit of 30,000.
"It depends who comes along," said Mr Marafie. "It's not just about money or looking beautiful, it's about bringing something to the club. If you can imagine the best party you've ever been too, it wasn't necessarily the richest people there who you remember, it was the most interesting. There are millionaires and even billionaires who haven't got in."
- INDEPENDENT
