As buildings set new records for height, economies tend to set new records the other way. This is known as the Skyscraper Index.

The completion of the Empire State Building in 1932, then the world's tallest building, signaled the onset of the Great Depression. In 1973, the completion of the Sears Tower marked a two-year, 45-percent plunge in U.S. stocks.

In 1997, Malaysia's Petronas Towers surged skyward to become the "world's tallest building," and the Malaysian stock market tanked 50 percent in gratitude.

Now Dubai, with its construction of the "world's largest building," the Burj Dubai, sees its economy in the gutter and the owner of the building in default on billions in notes.

Shanghai is tempting fate with the construction of the world's second highest skyscraper, set to open in 2014. Will China tank that year?

The Koreans are aiming to complete the world's tallest twin skyscrapers, the Incheon Towers, in 2015, so a Chinese crash could ripple eastward and take South Korea in its wake.

Don't tempt fate with the world's biggest, tallest, largest or whatever, argues speculator Victor Niederhoffer in his book Practical Speculation.

He cites the example of the Nasdaq's MarketSite tower, which featured the world's largest video display when it opened in December 1999; in short order the Nasdaq composite plunged 70 percent.

The Saudis are also tempting fate by constructing a complex called the Abraj Al-Bait Towers in Mecca, which will lay claim to being the world's largest building in terms of floor space when it opens next year.

You've heard of "dead pools," where bets are placed on which famous person will go next. Maybe we need a "Skyscraper Pool" too, though it might prove to be too predictable.