built on land once owned by kings the 750 million dollar villa leopolda is the most
expensive private home in europe and the third most expensive residence in the world
villa leopolda went from being a wealthy king's gift to his mistress to the personal estate of a
widowed billionaire the french riviera villa has hosted billionaire parties and been the backdrop
to films including one by alfred hitchcock renovations have kept the property's rich history
intact while adding modern luxuries like a helipad massive pool and even a bowling alley it's time
to explore the glamour and history of europe's priciest private estate this is villa leopolda
a large detached villa in vil franchumer on the french riviera the villa is situated on
50 acres of lush grounds between nice and monaco two areas frequented by the rich and famous the
breathtaking estate is surrounded by greenery with sparkling views of the mediterranean before
we head inside the epic property let's clarify its title as the most expensive home in europe
technically buckingham palace is the most expensive residence in europe but unlike
villa leopolda it can't just be bought by anyone who has the money and the palace isn't nearly as
private as this waterfront estate like buckingham palace the villa is rich with history it dates
back to 1902 when it was first bought as multiple parcels of land by king leopold ii of belgium
throughout its history the villa has undergone massive renovations and been owned by royalty
and billionaires but before we go deeper into its past let's explore what the massive villa looks
like today at the time of making this video villa leopolda is estimated to be worth 750
million dollars it's believed to be the third most expensive residence in the world behind buckingham
palace and antilia in mumbai the villa features more than 80 000 square feet of excessive luxury
the main house contains 11 deluxe bedrooms each with its own elaborate private bath and
outdoor terrace there are 14 bathrooms inside the lavish abode renzo mongiardino was the main
interior designer of the home which features expensive marble exposed wooden beams stone and
opulent chandeliers the luxurious second floor bedrooms were decorated by mica ertijun though
few pictures of the interior have been published it's reported you can also find a bowling alley
several dining rooms a number of kitchens and even a movie theater inside the expansive home
as expected the villa is decorated almost like a museum with valuable marble and old period
artwork as well as well stocked libraries in fact the home is registered as a french
historical monument because it features the style of bella polk which was popular from 1871 to 1914.
it's hard to imagine not feeling like a king or queen while traversing the halls of this
labyrinth-like mansion but the villa's expansive grounds are possibly even more impressive
villa leopolda's sprawling 50 acres of land offers sweeping views of the sea with the house and
many of its terraces overlooking a picturesque forest that keeps the property pretty private
the grounds include 1 200 trees of different varieties that are maintained by more than 50
full-time workers there's also a large greenhouse on the property and multiple outdoor garden areas
including serene private courtyards of course the first thing that pops when you look at the
aerial photos of the property is this stunning blue pool it's surrounded by the perfect lounge
area for relaxing and catching some sun there are both covered and uncovered seating areas out there
they're decorated with perfectly manicured hedges and opulent stone statues you'll find the entrance
to the pool house behind the main covered seating area if one gorgeous outdoor pool isn't impressive
enough you'll be pleased to hear that there are reports of additional pools inside the mansion on
the opposite side of the house from the main pool is another large man-made body of water this long
pool is usually shown in pictures as a decorative feature with theatrical fountains setting a lavish
scene that's perfectly appropriate for one of the world's most expensive homes other amenities found
on the property include a guest house a sports court and a helipad located next to a large garage
the property is packed with paths exterior staircases and terraces allowing the villa's lucky
owner to easily traverse and enjoy the incredible grounds villa leopolda is packed with rich and
interesting history that includes being owned by royalty and billionaires while villa leopolda as
it currently stands was designed and built from 1929 to 1931 by an american architect ogden
codman jr the land was once owned by the king of belgium king leopold ii bought the land where
the estate now sits as a present for his mistress blanche zelia josephine de la croix also known as
caroline lecroy he would escape there to see his mistress and enjoy his time by the water
eventually the villa was named after him after leopold's passing blanche de la croix
was evicted from the property and a new king moved in king leopold ii's nephew king albert the first
by the time codman got his hands on the property in the 1920s he was ready to completely reimagine
the estate he studied european architecture for months and then traversed across france and
italy in search of inspiration once back from his journey of discovery codman started building he
created the main house to have two distinct wings and added plenty of terraces he was also the one
who installed the large swimming pool outside of the north entrance in addition to being a
royal residence and designer's dream project the property was used as a military hospital
during world war one now for the property's more modern history in 1987 villa leopolda was bought
by lebanese-born brazilian banker edmund safra and his wife lily they reportedly held large parties
at the villa with a guest list so vast that there would be a party on saturday and a second party on
the monday flowers were airlifted in from holland the food was arranged by a popular gourmet chef
and the music was provided by safra's favorite musicians flown in from california and the uk
after her husband passed away lily safra decided that she might be ready to part with the beloved
property russian businessman and billionaire mikhail prokorov made several attempts to buy
the villa before he reached out with an offer in 2008 that finally made her agree to sell
the final offer was 370 million euros over 555 million dollars at the time plus 19.5 million
euros or 28 million dollars for the villa's luxe furnishings the villa's history doesn't end
there though prokhorov was hit hard by the 2008 financial crisis he quickly tried to withdraw from
the sale which led to a lawsuit between prokhorov and safra over the 39 million euro or 58 million
dollar deposit he'd paid on the villa in november 2012 a french court ruled against prokhorov
and lilly announced that she would donate his deposit to various global charities it's
not like she really needs the money considering she's currently worth about 1.3 billion dollars
villa leopolda has also made its mark on pop culture it was used as the location of lermentov's
villa in the 1948 film the red shoes alfred hitchcock also used the villa as a set in his
1955 movie to catch a thief today villa leopolda remains in lily safra's name though it's reported
she doesn't actually live there the home has many rumored new owners the most prominent one being
microsoft founder bill gates which of the world's billionaires could you see buying the villa next