What is a good indicator of personal wealth? Car, yacht, expensive clothes? We believe that the greatest indicator of personal wealth is the home in which someone lives (or only lives occasionally). The bigger the house, the bigger the wallet. Here are the fifteen most expensive houses in the world, owned by some of the richest people in the world.
15. Penthouse, 15 Central Park West, New York - $45 million
People call the building "Limestone Jesus" because it is full of the most powerful and influential New Yorkers. Daniel Loeb, a very wealthy hedge fund boss, bought an upstairs apartment in 2008, at the beginning of the recession. In other words: Loeb bought an apartment for US$45 million at a time when there was no way the property could be sold for more than what we bought it for. In 2012, Loeb tried to sell the apartment for US$100 million.
14. Maison de L'Amitie, Palm Beach, Florida, USA - $95 million
The house, located in Palm Beach, Florida, was purchased by Donald Trump in 2008. The "House of Friendship", as its name could be translated, offers more than 5,500 square meters of elegance, diamonds and gold, and 50 garages.
13. Shakespeare Ranch, Glenbrook, Nevada, USA - $98 million
The Shakespeare Ranch in Nevada, named after a rock on the property that resembles Shakespeare, is for sale for US$98 million. Nearly 54 acres of coastal land, 17 guest cabins, a barn, an indoor pool in a separate building, and a nearly 122-foot-long pier justify the price of the property.
12. Fleur-De-Lys Mansion, Los Angeles, California, USA – $102 million
Fleur-De-Lys sold for $102 million in March last year, making it the most expensive home ever sold in Los Angeles County. The anonymous buyer who bought the house from David and Suzanne Saperstein paid cash and insisted on remaining anonymous. The house has 12 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms modeled after the French castle of Vaux le Vicomte, a 280 square meter wine cellar, a two-story library, a commercial kitchen and a spacious hall.
11. Xanadu 2.0, Seattle, Washington, USA – US$123 million
You'd expect the second richest man in the world to live in a slightly more expensive house, right? It seems that Bill and Melinda Gates are much more selfless than selfish billionaires. The house is named after the home of Charles Foster Kane (from the movie Citizen Kane). It is full of technological toys and goodies, such as artwork displayed on built-in computer screens that change according to a person's taste, or an underwater music system in the pool.
10. Beverly House, Beverly Hills, California, USA – $135 million
Beverly House is highly regarded among the rich and famous - it has hosted the Kennedy family, Rihanna and the Prince of Monaco, among others. The 30-bedroom estate, a visual masterpiece in the backyard, is just a few blocks off Sunset Boulevard and is currently available to a potential buyer. If they can sell it, it will beat the Fleur-De-Lys to become the most expensive house ever sold in Los Angeles County. The current owner, Leonard Ross, bought the mansion in 1976 when he was just 31 years old.
9. Shepard Krech House, East Hampton, New York, USA - $140 million
As of July 27 of this year, this property, along with the main residence Shepard Krech House, is the most expensive property for sale in America. Located in East Hampton, it spans five acres of some of the most expensive land in America. The house is about 960 square meters and has 10 bedrooms, four fireplaces, an exercise room, an art gallery, a conservatory and a guest house. If we can afford to buy a house like this, then we can also afford to never leave this mini-city, because we certainly won't get bored. All you need are friends.
8. Spelling Manor, Los Angeles, USA – 150 million US dollars
Everyone remembers Aaron Spelling, arguably one of the most successful television moguls of all time. He was an executive producer on Beverly Hills, 90210, Summerland, Wanted, Seven Heavens, and Witches. With a TV reputation like that, it's no wonder Spelling was able to afford one of the most expensive properties in the world. The approximately 5,300-square-foot home was sold in 2012 for an undisclosed price, with the official purchase price being $150 million. It has fourteen bedrooms and twenty-seven bathrooms, along with some highly specialized activity rooms, such as a silverware storage room.
READ MORE: What does Vivienne Westwood's prestigious suite look like?
7. Hearst Mansion, San Simeon, California, USA – $165 million
In 2014, Lady Gaga released her music video “GUY – An Artpop Film”, which featured quite a few of her songs from the Artpop album. It was a spot of intoxicating luxury. And the filming location was real. The spot, filmed in a mansion in California, is valued at 165 million US dollars. They justify the price with three swimming pools, a huge wine cellar and their own zoo. The property is owned by the family of one of the most recognized newspaper magnates in history, William Randolph Hearst.
6. Palazzo Di Amore, Beverly Hills, California, USA – US$195 million
The last house on this list, available under $200 million, doesn't have the name “Palace of Love” for nothing. She will seduce us in an instant. The Mediterranean villa, with more than 4,900 square meters, has an entertainment complex on one quarter, which contains a ballroom; the rest of the house has 12 bedrooms, 23 bathrooms, a bowling alley, theater, tennis courts, swimming pools, waterfalls and 27-car garages.
5. The Penthouse London, One Hyde Park London, Great Britain - 200 million US dollars
This apartment in London costs more than 105 thousand US dollars or more than 66 thousand British pounds per square meter. The apartment has floor-to-ceiling windows, a panic room, trained security guards, bulletproof windows, 24-hour room service by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal, access to luxury spas and squash courts.
4. Fair Field, Hampton, New York, USA – US$250 million
Fair Field is an estate of about 25 acres, overlooking the ocean. The house has 29 bedrooms, 39 bathrooms, a power plant, three swimming pools, a synagogue, two courtyards, an orangery, a home cinema with 164 seats, a basketball court and a bowling alley. The house is so huge that nearby residents filed a lawsuit against the owner. Of course, they lost, but local legislators then ratified the law, and from then on a house in Southampton could be no larger than 1,800 square feet (Fair Field is over 10,000 square feet).
3. Penthouse in Tour Odéon, Monaco – 400 million US dollars
Monaco, like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, is known for its extreme, sun-kissed luxury. The penthouse in the Tour Odéon is the most expensive apartment in the world. The second tallest building on the Mediterranean skyline, it has 360-degree sea views and access to a rooftop infinity pool with a water slide. The apartment is in Monaco, a tax haven, it only attracts "big cattle" and life is quite glamorous.
2. Villa Leopolda, Villefranche-sur-mer, France – US$750 million
Most of the properties on this list are relatively new. If they weren't, people probably wouldn't pay so much money to get them. Expensive old houses are either part of the cultural heritage or they are torn down to make room for something new. But Villa Leopolda has been standing for quite some time. King Leopold of Belgium built the villa in 1902 as a gift for one of his mistresses. In 2008, a Russian billionaire named Mikhail Prokhorov tried to buy a house that was valued at 500 million euros. Despite the fact that it does not have all the "cool" things that other homes have, Villa Leopolda is a monument to an aristocrat with good taste and still successfully occupies about 20 hectares of desirable land.
1. Antilia, Mumbai, India – US$1 billion
By far the most expensive house on this list - you could buy several houses on this list for the price of Antilia - definitely not worth the price. Although it was designed by the progressive office of architects Perkins & Will and has a temple, a floor dedicated to health, a home theater, three helipads and a garage for 168 cars, it is inconceivable that any house would ever be worth one billion US dollars. The house is more than 37 thousand square meters, but instead of being flat and wide, it is a 27-story skyscraper.
