Extravagant Homes Of The 16 Richest Men Alive

2. Bill Gates – Medina, Washington

Bill Gates, with a net worth of $40 billion, owns a 66,000-square-foot compound on a hillside. It’s not surprising to see one of the wealthiest people in America having an extravagant house. His home is on the edge of Lake Washington, which close to Seattle. He spent $63 million over seven years to build his Medina, Washington estate he named Xanadu 2.0.

Gates derived the name from the fictional home of Charles Foster Kane, a character from the book, Citizen Kane. He purchased it at $2 million in 1998 and it’s now worth $123 million. It features the 84-step climb to the ground floor and has an elevator. Other amenities include a 60-foot swimming pool that has an underwater music system and a 2,500-square foot gym.

Also, it has a 1,000-square-foot dining room with 24 seats. The house has a high-tech system that includes a high-tech sensor to help visitors monitor a room’s climate and lighting. Once the guests arrive, they get a pin that interacts with sensors fixed in the house. Visitors can adjust the temperature and lighting according to their preferences.

They hid speakers behind the wallpaper so the music can follow you as you walk through the rooms. The house takes advantage of its natural surroundings to decrease the heat loss. In fact, the surroundings regulate the temperature. When you are inside the house, you can change the artwork on the walls with a touch of a button.

The home boasts of having $80,000 worth of computer screens. And anyone can use them to change the display of their preferred paintings or photographs.

3. Lakshmi Mittal – London, England

In London, England, there is a neighborhood in Kensington people know as Billionaire’s Row. This is where, in 2004, Lakshmi Mittal splashed $128 million to purchase a 12-bedroom townhouse. He bought it for his son, Aditya Mittal and it stands on a 13,000 square foot area.

The Mittal’s home is between Kensington Palace and it has an indoor swimming pool. It also has many state-of-the-art amenities. The Indian steel billionaire, Lakshmi Mittal’s four-story country house has a Gregorian architectural style. It features Turkish baths and a garage space that can take up to 20 cars. There is enough space within the drive-way to accommodate other cars as well.

They decorated their home with marble taken from the same quarry that supplied the Taj Mahal. The house was the most expensive in Britain when he initially bought it. It’s now on the market for $110 million, which is below what Mittal paid forit. The road to the house is lined with famous people, including Formula 1 Chief Bernie Ecclestone’s daughter, Tamara.

The area houses the French, Russian and Japanese embassies. Some of the world’s richest people have their homes there, such as Roman Abramovich. So it’s no wonder that an average price per square meter can be as high as $107,000. The avenue has recently welcomed a new tenant who is the future king of England. Yes, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William also resides in this area.

4. Larry Ellison – Woodside, California

Larry Ellison, the Oracle co-founder, has spent close to $200 million on properties in Malibu, including five houses. His 23-acre estate in Woodside looks like a 16th- century Japanese monarch’s palace. In fact, it cost him over $100 million to build it. Ellison was recently identified as one of the country’s most zealous trophy-home buyers because he has several such houses in a number of places.

Ellison has been passionately purchasing properties globally since he became one of the biggest earners in America. Some of the properties include five adjacent places in Malibu, a Newport, Rhode Island house the Astor family owned. And his Woodside, California home stands on a luxury equestrian estate. The town is famous for being horse-friendly.

However, Woodside is also famous for its millionaire and billionaire occupants. It seems he wouldn’t keep his treasured trophy for long since the house has been put on the market. The estate has two parcels of land, making a total of 6.88 acres. It’s so private and isolated that it provides total peace with nature.

The Ellison’s classic home has four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms and a pool house. It also includes a pond-like pool and an elevated spa. But there are other structures on the estate, too. The property has also another house that contains a one bedroom and one bathroom guesthouse.

There is a beach volleyball court, ponds and equestrian facilities with many amenities, such as a five-stall barn. It’s ideal for those who love horses since it’s well-equipped to provide for so many horses.

5. Michael Dell – Austin, Texas

Michael Dell is an American businessman and the founder of Dell Technologies. He is an investor, philanthropist and author. Dell is currently serving as the CEO of the company and owns 12 percent of its entire wealth. The company is one of the world’s largest. Dell ranks as the 37th richest person in the world by Forbes as of February 2017. He has a net worth of more than $17.7 billion.

Dell’s primary residence is in Austin, Texas, but he has a magnificent Raptor residence in Hawaii for his vacation home. It is an 18,500 square-feet residence located on the oceanfront. His Austin, Texas house was built in 1997 and is 33,000-square feet standing on a 20-acre area. And it is just a few yards away from where he founded his computer company.

People in the area call it the castle because of its high walls and tight security. It is one of the most expensive houses in Texas. The house has eight bedrooms and bathrooms, 13 half baths, a conference room and an exercise room. There are other amenities on the compound, including an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, cabanas and a five-level terraced lawn.

The others notable things are the fantastic views of Lake Austin. This mansion has had some disagreements, especially with the city appraisers. The appraisers had assessed it to the value at $22.5 million but left out a property tax bill of more than $500,000. Although there are little details on the outcome of the contention, it’s believed they settled the dispute for $12 million.

6. James Packer – Sydney, Australia

James Packer has an estimated a net worth of $2.5 billion and ranks at number 261 by Forbes. The media heir grew up at the Packer family compound in Bellevue Hill, Sydney. The Caerleon property consists of a five property-spread on three acres of land. It is the main house that Packer’s father bought in 1935.

Bellevue Hill is a wealthy suburb in the eastern part of Sydney. James’ father, Frank, purchased the Caerleon for just less than $8,000. That was a year after he married his wife, Gretel Joyce Bullmore. The Packer’s children don’t stay there, although his daughter, Gretel bought a house close by in Fairfax Road.

Since buying it in 1935, there have been some developments on the property, including purchasing five separate areas of land to extend it. After Frank passed away, they extended the Bellevue Hill compound when his son Kelly and his wife purchased the property. The additional land cost $9.1 million, including an over-the-back-fence bolt hole.

In 2009, James Packer bought the Guilford Bell-designed home for $18 million. He added two more houses to the estate years later at a cost of $12 million. Recently, Gretel bought an adjoining property for $4 million. James Packer lately acquired three properties and spent $40 million to extend the residence.

The newly-redesigned home includes the six-bedroom main residence and underground parking for 20 cars. It has also a big entertaining area and two self-contained staff quarters under the rooftop lawn and lap pool. This non-waterfront property has an estimated value higher than any property in Sydney.

7. Steve Jobs – Woodside, California

Steve Jobs was worth $3.4 billion and ranked 178 by Forbes before he passed away. Jobs purchased the Jackling House in 1984 when Apple was developing. When the first Macintosh computers entered the market, Jobs moved into the house. It was a house they built in 1925 with 14 rooms. George Washington Smith designed it to depict the Spanish Colonial Revival style.

He lived in the house for more than 10 years and started his family there. His first son, Reed, was born in the mansion, but later relocated to a home in Palo Alto. In the late 1990s, the Jackling House was unoccupied and left to decay. They left the windows and doors open, which caused the house to rot. In 2007, Jobs wanted them to demolish the house since it was no longer habitable.

However, the preservationists in Woodside, California prevented the demolition efforts. This 30-room historic house was a dilapidated Spanish colonial style home that sat on six acres. But Jobs wanted to demolish the 17,000 square-foot mansion and build a small modern house. Steve Jobs didn’t like the Jackling House he purchased in 1984.

He even spent a fortune and time in his final years attempting to have the house brought down. After years of legal fights with local preservation lobby group, he eventually won, so they razed building in February 2011. Sadly, he succumbed to pancreatic cancer just eight months after demolishing the house. But that didn’t stop his wife from proposing a new 15,000 square foot estate, which they will complete in coming years.

8. Lev Leviev – London, England

Lev Leviev is estimated to have a net worth of $1.5 billion and Forbes ranks him at 468. In 2008, the largest diamond cutter moved from Israel to Hampstead, London. His new home cost him $65 million and he called it the Palladio. It is a 17,000 square-foot house with seven bedrooms. And it even features an in-house nightclub and gold-plated indoor pool.

There are famous neighbors who include musicians such as Ringo Starr and Maurice Gibb. The Pallado Residence is one of the most expensive houses in Britain. Lev Leviev bought the house at a reported $70 million. That set a record at the time for the highest price for a recently-built residential property in London.

Also, the house features lots of state-of-the-art amenities. It has a magnificent mirrored entry hall they modeled after the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles. There is a beautiful hand-carved $1.5 million ornamented grand dual stone staircase. The home comes with the latest technology and a family room that converts to a cinema via a button.

Additionally, the basement indoor poolroom transforms into a ballroom or nightclub scene. The Palladio Residence has fantastic hand-carved craftsmanship from more than 150 years ago. The house is next to the famous Billionaires Row where some of the richest people reside. It has a private gate with 24 hour security in Highgate, London.

Other notable features include a steam room, sauna and spa bath. Also, there is a hair salon and a $100,000 bulletproof armor-plated front door. It has also 25 infrared cameras that use remote control Leviev can view from a yacht in the Caribbean.

9. Ralph Lauren – Montauk, New York

Ralph Lauren amassed a net worth of $2.8 billion and Forbes ranks it at number 224. He is America’s fashion businessman and bought a stone and wood beach house in 1981. It stands on five and a half acres and has a clay tennis court. At first, John Lennon and Yoko Ono owned it. Before buying the house, the Laurens rented it during the summer.

They fell in love with it and decided to purchase it. It was their summer escape place and notable names have stayed there, such as Dianna Ross. Antonin Raymond designed the house after working on other grand homes. The compound has four small buildings and a private pool. The main house features a living room, dining room, den and master suite.

It has a guest house, a cottage and three bedrooms specifically for their children. There is also a screening room to watch movies, which happens to be their passion. However, their love for low ceilings, stone walls, expansive fireplaces, plywood and sliding doors caused them to renovate. They changed it to suit their taste by putting Ralph’s trademarks on it, which is pristine white paint and white linen upholstery.

The Laurens added to the house to make it complete with items such as saddle brown leather and polished nickel accessories. They also added black and white photography and the latest devices. The outcome was a classic home surrounded by nature and creativity. They were wise enough to leave some things to keep the authenticity of the home.

10. George Lucas – Marin County, California

George Lucas, the renowned filmmaker is estimated to be worth $3 billion and Forbes ranks him at 205 in the world. He resides and works from his famous Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California. The home sits on 5,156 acres of land. It has its own fire brigade, Skywalker Sound and a post-production company. It has also five acres of olive trees and a herd of longhorn cattle.

The place is on secluded but open country near Nicasio. Since 1978, he started building the compound in stages, costing him more than $100 million. When neighbors complained he was polluting the environment, he acquired 3,000 acres of adjacent land. The ranch has a barn, vineyards, an outdoor swimming pool and fitness center. Other notable things include the racquetball courts and a man-made lake.

Indoors, there is a 300-seat theater and several screening rooms. Outside, there are hidden parking spaces to preserve the natural views. Skywalker Sound returned to the ranch in 1987. And the main house contains the company research library. The fire station is part of the Marin County Mutual Aid system and assists firefighters in other areas.

Lucas was able to add two more screening rooms and a bridge across the Bull Tail Creek after getting permission from the county. Although they designed Skywalker Ranch to be the filmmaker’s vacation home, he uses it for his business operations. The head office of his film company is in Lucas’ Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco. Lucas does not reside at the ranch and has another home where he stays.

11. Steven Spielberg – East Hampton, New York

Steven Spielberg is worth $3 billion, and Forbes ranks him at number 205. He is a legendary director with record-breaking movies under his belt such as ET and Jaws. His calls his home Quelle Farm. It stands on a 12-acre Georgica Pond and acts a summer retreat house. Spielberg and his wife host the biggest stars and their families each summer, including the Clintons and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Spielberg narrates stories and creates memorable visual experiences. These skills have helped him develop a variety of beautiful residencies. Charles Gwathmey designed the East Hampton estate and worked on the guesthouse. It has a lot of room for family and friends and features bright lights that go through a long-hipped skylight.

The kitchen has a well-planned open, participatory space. It has a circa 1875 folk art horse-head mold that fits the mahogany cabinetry and the stone countertops. The dining area of the guesthouse faces southward across the terrace and lawn. It looks towards the Spielberg’s main house. It’s all about open spaces that give you nice landscape and a lot of relaxation.

Naomi Leff did the interior design. She used muted colors to combine the different color-styles of art and furniture. She selected the fabrics and their hues to fit the design of the house. They created the children’s bedrooms to give a sense of intimacy and sharing. A Matthew Imperial rug is the center of attention. It’s where the bunk beds meet in a ship cabin style.

12. Donald Trump – New York, New York

Donald Trump has an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion and Forbes ranked him number 450. The real estate tycoon used to live in the 32,000 square-foot triplex penthouse of his Trump Tower office building. He has since relocated to the White House after becoming the President of the United States. Trump spoke with his advisers to see how much time he would be spending in New York.

The penthouse is situated on Fifth Avenue in New York City and is adorned with 24-karat gold. It is full of marble in the style of Louis XIV. It’s a three-story penthouse that has a dedicated elevator to carry Trump to his office. The house is valued at $100 million and features large chandeliers and rich furnishings. The gold fixings line the space from the ceilings and moldings.

It is not surprising that Trump splits his time between the White House and New York City. The security to the area costs New York City close to $1 million. And that is just to protect the area surrounding the building. The art and portraits of his family line decorate the walls. The scenic view faces the New York City’s Central Park.

The late Angelo Donghia designed the building. He was known to have also designed other properties belonging to famous people such as Dianna Ross and Ralph Lauren. As the president of the United States, Trump is supposed to reside at his official resident home, the White House. However, they have equipped the house in New York so he can carry out his presidential duties.

13. Oprah Winfrey – Montecito, California

Oprah Winfrey is worth $2.7 billion and ranks number 234 according to Forbes. The media magnet purchased the 23,000 square-foot Georgian-style house in 2001. She paid $50 million to the house Winfrey calls the Promised Land. In 2007, they estimated the house to cost close to $85 million. However, Winfrey is quite private about her home that sits on 43 acres of land.

The house is situated in a wealthy coastal neighborhood next to Santa Barbara. The equestrian estate hadn’t been on the market for 40 years before she bought it. It borders another parcel of land, which is 40 acres. The estate has a one-story building and the ranch-style main house at about 5,000 square feet.

Cliff May designed the house, which includes avocado and fruit orchards, as well as horse stables. May has worked with other celebrities before. Also, it has a pool and there is a big mansion on the other property. The estate boasts two private wells. It’s close to three-quarters of a mile from the beach to the mountains. Many celebrities stay in this area. In line with her weight-loss program, the estate grows a lot of fresh foods.

The two wells are functional even during droughts and keeps the produce growing. It seems Winfrey has big plans with her recent acquisition as she already owns the 42-acre estate in Montecito. The other celebrities who own property in this area include Ellen DeGeneres and Rob Lowe. There are many well-known neighbors to keep her busy in the community.

14. Roman Abramovish – London, England

Roman Abramovich is a Russian billionaire and owner of the private investment firm, Millhouse LLC. He is also the owner of Chelsea Football Club. The property is on London’s Billionaire’s Row, which is the Kensington Palace Gardens in West London. It has an underground extension that features a tennis court, health center and auto museum. The house cost him $90 million.

Abramovich’s home has 15 bedrooms and extensive gardens. Also, there is an amazing subterranean playground beneath the house. Soon, it will have a house tennis court, health center and a private museum for his vintage Ferrari cars. Abramovich is worth more than $10.3 billion and purchased it without using estate agents. This was after he was reportedly wanted to spend $150 million on renovations on other properties.

His neighbors in the Kensington Palace Gardens include one of Britain’s richest men, Lakshmi Mittal. Mittal has a property in the same area he named the Taj Mittal. Other famous residents are Jon Hunt, who founded Foxtons estate agency and Len Blavatnik. They are both billionaires. The tree-lined road has also some houses belonging to the foreign embassies.

Kensington Palace is on the street on the eastern side and used to be the home of late Princess Diana. It is still a resident of various minor royals. Due to this, the area has increased in the significance and the property value has skyrocketed.

15. Lily Safra – Cote D’Azure, France

Lily Safra is a Brazilian philanthropist and widow of Lebanese banker William Safra. Her husband passed away, so she now owns one of the most expensive houses in the world. Her husband had several houses across the globe. The house had a long-term plan with the owners.

They wanted a long-lasting solution, not one they had to adapt over time. This is seen in its design and materials they used. The estate has a commercial-sized greenhouse, swimming pool, pool house and outdoor kitchen. And the guest house is bigger than the other mansions that are worth millions of dollars.

They used the house in the 1955 movie, To Catch a Thief. It has been reported that the house is going up for sale at 860 million pounds. This came about when the country was facing economic turmoil. The going price makes it be one of the most expensive proprieties in the world.

The house offers a great view of the ocean and has a large swimming pool. It was once home to Belgium’s King Leopold II. The 10-bedroom house features an Olympic-size swimming pool. It sits in the billionaire’s area called the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. It has the some of the most beautiful gardens in Europe.

The other features include 35 acres of manicured lawns, 15,000 plants and two greenhouses. Their greenhouses contain some rare tropical plants. The home is a haven, comfortable and welcoming for both family and friends.

16. Ira Rennert – Sagaponack, New York

Ira Rennert owns the Renco Group, which is a holding company that has investments in auto manufacturing and smelting companies. He also has other investments in metal and mining industries. But his mansion in Sagaponack, New York has been in the center of some controversies. There are claims that he used the funds from his company to build it.

He constructed the house in the 1990s at the value of $110 million, but it’s now worth much more. The 29-bedroom home stands on 63 acres of land and has a power plant. It features 39 bathrooms, a basketball court, a bowling alley and squash courts. It has also tennis courts, three swimming pools and a 91-foot dining room.

It’s not surprising that this home is one of the largest homes in the United States. The home is now worth $248 million and is expected to go up. The estate has several other houses in addition to the main house. There is a playhouse and two pool houses. The playhouse measures 10,000 square feet and has a two-lane bowling alley.

The house also has a 164-seat theater and the garage can hold up to 100 cars. The hot tub in the house cost $100,000, costing more than their three swimming pools. There have been some disagreements with his neighbors, especially with his expansion plans. Rennert intends to build a 10,000 square-foot private museum on the estate and this hasn’t gone over well.

It’s reported that the house has $500 million worth of art. His plans to expand the pool house irritated his neighbors. In 2013, his Pilates studio plans were also thwarted by the community around him.

These are the homes of the Top 16 richest man alive you need to see to believe. Have you chosen your favorite? Perhaps some of their design ideas have inspired you to try them in your own home.