Keeping up with the Joneses? This is out of their league. The world’s most expensive houses are the sanctuaries for the mega rich. With high-rise residences that take up the entire skyscraper, to tree houses that would fit your real house inside their living room, living in grand style is a lot more expensive than it used to be.
The Villa Leopolda
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King Leopold II of Belgium originally gave this French villa to his mistress, who was then evicted after his death. With grand styling and a worth of over $370 million, this was more than just a Christmas gift. The villa was built in 1902 and has only gone up in price as renovations continue to keep it top of the line.
Updown Court
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Updown Court is larger than Buckingham Palace, and is the largest private residence in England. Located in Surrey, its 103 rooms include several interior pools (one accessed by a private elevator), and over 58 acres of manicured landscape and woodland. The creators of this palace spent over $70 million to create their dream home.
John Travolta’s House
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John Travolta is into planes enough that he had Florida change its laws in order to allow his favorite vehicle, a 747, to land beside his beautiful estate. Parking his planes isn’t a problem, as the grand runway leads directly to his home, with a convenient loading dock directly into the living area.
Platinum Plus Mobile Home
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Some people only want the best. If this includes mobile homes, the Featherlite Platinum Plus is the elite of the elite. At over $2.5 million a vehicle, it has incredibly intricate finishing touches (including stairs of Incan marble), and can easily store one’s day to day ride inside its gigantic undercarriage.
Lev Leviev’s Home
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Diamond magnate Lev Leviev decided to splurge on his new London home, creating a $70 million grand home. Not as large as some of the mega mansions owned by other super rich homeowners, it’s nonetheless gorgeous. With a prime location in an already expensive area, this house is for living, and living well.
Larry Ellison’s Estate
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Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, decided to model his sprawling estate on a Japanese Emperor’s sanctuary. With unique and gorgeous Japanese styling, the house certainly stands out as one of the classiest examples of an elite home.
Bill Gates’ Home
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Bill Gates’ house is known for its high tech pins that can be worn by guests to automatically adjust the temperature and music of any room that is entered. What is not as well known is the estate’s incredible cost. At over $147 million, the land and home carry $1 million in property taxes a year.
Anil Ambani’s High Rise Estate
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Anil Ambani would not settle for a large home outside of his native India. Rumored to have an entire room chilled to the point that snowball fights are possible, this sky rise is also decked out in more utilitarian ways. With 5 heliports, a parking garage for over 150 cars, and its own pool, there’s little missing from this businessman’s residence.
Alnwick Castle Tree House
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Alnwick Castle in England is notable on its own, but a tree house built on the grounds seems to catch the tourist’s eyes just as much. One of the largest tree houses in the world, this sprawling building could fit your house in its elevated living room.
