Have you ever driven by a house and thought: man, these people must be doing really well?
It looks like some private property doesn’t just stand out but would strike even legit
millionaires with its luxury. Your private tour of the world’ most expensive homes
starts right now! Counting down from Number:
9. Antilia, $2 billion Named after a mythical island in the Atlantic
Ocean, Antilia stands 570-feet (173 m) tall in the poshest street of Mumbai. The 27-floored
building belongs to Mukesh Ambani, Indian business magnate, the chairman, managing director,
and the largest shareholder of Reliance Industries Limited. He is the richest man in India, which
is no surprise, because who else could possibly afford the most expensive private property
in the world that’s worth $2 billion. The skyscraper has a 49,000-square-foot (4.550
sq m) plot and boasts more floor space than the French Palace of Versailles. The impressive-looking
tower has many double-heighted ceilings, so even though it just has 27 floors, it looks
like a legitimate 45-floored skyscraper. And, all this luxury is home to the Ambani family
of 5 and 600 staff members that take care of the property. 9 elevators allow the family
and guests to travel between uniquely designed floors the interior of which was chosen by
Mukesh’s wife Nita Ambani. The 6 distinct sections of the house symbolize earth, water,
fire, air, sound and light. Now, why would one possibly need 27 floors
in their home? Well, given that 6 of those are fully occupied by a private garage of
168 cars including a pretty pricey Maybach and a private car service for all those beauties,
it does make sense. There is also a huge garden in the space with ‘W’-shape beams that
support the upper floors. Not only are the hanging plants adorable, but also serve a
practical purpose. They absorb sunlight and keep the house cool. There are 3 helipads
on the roof for those who prefer this mode of transportation and a private control center
that occupies the air space floor. Entertainment anyone? There is a little movie
theatre for 50 people, a recreation center that occupies two floors with swimming pools,
yoga studio, dance studio and a juice bar. It’s no surprise there’s also a spa center
and a ballroom with 80% of its ceilings covered in multiple crystal chandeliers. What’s
really cool is an ice room that has a snow generator that provides its visitor with easy
access to Winter Wonderland any time of the year.
8. Villa Leopolda, $750 million
Villa Leopolda is located in Villefranche-sur-Mer on the French Riviera. It got its name after
King Leopold II of Belgium who once owned it. During World War I it served as a military
hospital. The villa as it looks today was designed by American architect Ogden Codman,
Jr. and finished in 1931. In 1955, Villa Leopolda became the set for Alfred Hitchcock’s movie
To Catch a Thief.
The estate occupies a territory of 50 acres (20 ha) and has a huge greenhouse, commercial
buildings, heliports, outdoor kitchens, movie theater, gardens and a bowling alley. There
are 19 bedrooms in the house of rare marble with plenty of artwork inside. In 2008, famous
Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov wanted to buy it for $500 million but had to break
the deal because of the financial crisis. So the estate belongs to Lily Safra, the wife
of Brazilian banker Edmond Safra.
7. Rutland Gate Mansion, $362 million
The house that previously belonged to the Saudi Prince and the Lebanese Prime Minister
is situated near Hyde Park in London. The house was designed by Albert Pinto. It’s
the largest one-family house in London and as it went on the market in 2015 after the
death of its owner it became the most expensive single home ever sold in the UK. The mansion
has 45 bedrooms and is more luxurious on the inside than you could possibly ever imagine
with jewel-encrusted bidets and gold-plated curtains, doors and even waste-paper bins.
6. Four Fairfield Pond, $249 million Fair Field mansion was built in 2003 in the
Hamptons, Long Island, New York state. It looks like it could be owned by the Great
Gatsby himself, but it actually belongs to Ira Rennert, owner of the Renco Group. The
nearly 64,000 square foot (5,946 sq. m) building is one of the largest properties in the US
and has 21 bedrooms, 18 bathrooms, and it’s own restaurant. There is also a basketball
court, 2- lane bowling alley, 2 squash courts, 2 tennis courts and a theater for 164 people.
And, there is a grand garage for up to 100 cars. It’s no surprise the property has
its own power plant to make it all work.
5. 18-19 Kensington Palace Gardens, $222 million Kensington Palace Gardens in London, one of
the most expensive streets in the world, is called “Billionaire Row” for a reason.
Who else would afford a house at an average price of $44 million? And, some houses in
this street with security checkpoints at both ends are worth way more than that. For instance,
the estate at 18-19 Kensington Palace Gardens is worth $222 million. The construction of
two Italian palazzo style villas here began in 1845. The builders used extra stone from
the new Palace of Westminster to construct sections of the walls and finished their work
in 1847. The villas had various residents and for many years were used as the Egyptian
and Russian embassies and then became private property. In the 1990s, property developer
David Khalili bought the two villas, merged them together and added a swimming pool and
floors and pillars made of marble from the same quarry as they used to build -- wait
for it -- the Taj Mahal. It is currently owned by Lakshmi Mittal, one of the richest Indians
and owner of Arcelor Mittal, the world's leading integrated steel and mining company. So, some
people jokingly call it “Taj Mittal” now. There are 12 bedrooms, a Turkish bath and
a parking garage for 20 cars in the estate.
4. Ellison Estate, $200 million The house might look like it’s straight
out of Japan but is actually located in Woodside, California. It actually consists of 10 buildings.
It took 9 years to design and finish the construction of this beautiful estate. The current owner
of it is Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, one of the richest people on the planet. The
estate cover 23 acres (9 ha) and has an artificial lake, a koi pond that can be seen from any
room in the house, an authentic Japanese tea house, waterfalls, spa, and a heated swimming
pool. All this glory is surrounded by Japanese trees and plants.
3. Hearst Castle, $191 million Another Californian estate stands tall on
a hill in San Simeon. Hearst Castle is named so after publishing tycoon William Randolph
Hearst. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan and intended to be a family home for
the Hearsts, but it all changed after their divorce. In the 1930s, it became the true
center for social life. The visitors list included Hollywood stars of that time Charlie
Chaplin, Cary Grant, Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, playwright George Bernard Shaw and British
Prime Minister Winston Churchill himself. They’d have drinks at the Assembly Room
in Casa Grande, have dinner in the Refectory and watch movies at the theater. Then they’d
retire to the guest houses of Casa del Mar, Casa del Monte and Casa del Sol. The estate
has a total of 56 bedrooms, a wine cellar, air strip, an indoor Roman pool, an outdoor
Neptune pool, and the world’s largest private zoo. The best part is that you can actually
go on tour of the estate as it’s a part of the California Park system now, even though
it’s owner is William Randolph Hearst’s administrator.
2. Seven The Pinnacle, $155 million Seven the Pinnacle is the largest property
in Yellowstone Club, Montana. It belongs to Edra and Tim Blixseth, who is a timber baron.
The property is a luxurious ski resort and golf community. Only incredibly rich people
can afford staying at one of its 8 bedrooms. There are several swimming pools, a gym, a
wine cellar, and a ski lift. And, an added bonus is heated floors and even a heated driveway.
1. 17 Upper Phillimore Gardens, $128 million This crazy expensive mansion with 10 bedrooms
in central London once used to be a school. Now it belongs to Olena Pinchuk, the daughter
of Leonid Kuchma, Ukraine's second president. The house has an underground pool, sauna,
gym and movie theater. It’s filled with priceless works of art and covered with expensive
marble and gold.
So grab your wallet and let’s go shopping! Which of these houses would you like to visit
or maybe live in? Share your preferences in the comments section below. Don't forget to
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on the Bright Side of life!