Homes of high-profile personalities like George Clooney, Beyoncé, and Mukesh Ambani are valued at $100 million to $2 billion.
There’s no shortage of lavish homes around the world, especially those that belong to the rich and famous. From mansions to towering buildings, high-profile personalities have invested a great deal in creating the perfect getaway and safe space for themselves.
READ ALSO: On The Market: Sofia Vergara Lists Her Beverly Hills Home For $18M
For some individuals, these investments have cost them millions to billions of dollars. The result? Homes that are far from the ordinary in every way, both in size and features.
Below, we take a deeper look at five of the most valuable residential properties owned by the world’s biggest personalities:
Mukesh Ambani’s “Antilia”: $2 billion
Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani is not only the richest person in Asia—he also owns the most expensive residence in the world. His 27-floor home, named “Antilia,” covers an impressive area of 37,200 square meters and is valued at $2 billion. With those measurements, the home is practically a private building.
Located in Mumbai, Antilia is a vertical paradise designed by architectural firm Perkins&Will and hospitality design company Hirsch Bedner Associates.
So what’s inside the capacious property? As expected, a whole lot of facilities and features. This includes a private ice cream parlor, health spa, yoga studio, ballroom, movie theater, temple, and grand terrace gardens. The home also boasts three swimming pools, three rooftop helipads, a “snow room” (to help residents keep cool on sweltering days), nine high-speed elevators, and a six-story parking space for Ambani’s extensive luxury car collection.
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more luxurious, the home’s very architecture was designed to withstand magnitude eight earthquakes on the Richter scale.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Malibu mansion: $200 million
Beyoncé and Jay-Z are known for owning some of the most glamorous properties in the world. The musical power couple already got the internet buzzing after purchasing a grand Bel Air residence valued at $88 million.
However, the pair recently made headlines again for buying a $200 million Malibu mansion—making it the most expensive property in California and the second priciest real estate deal in the United States. Designed by Pritzker-winning architect Tadao Ando, the 40,000-square-foot property is anything but simple.
The mansion overlooks the Pacific ocean and took 15 years to build. Its sleek, gray-toned interiors and floor-to-ceiling glass walls provide an inimitable air of elegance and modernity. The home boasts a private beach, two lavish swimming pools, manicured lawns, and a welcoming patio, among other opulent features.
Bill Gates’ “Xanadu 2.0”: $130 million
Bill Gates is one of the world’s richest individuals, so it’s no surprise that his home reflects that. The Microsoft founder’s mega mansion in Washington is valued at $130 million today and took seven years to build. This makes sense, considering the abode’s massive size. Named Xanadu 2.0, the mansion has around 6,130 square meters of living space. James Cutler and Peter Bohlin were the minds behind its architecture, while Thierry Despont designed its interiors.
Gates purchased the property in 1998, and the structure itself is made from 500-year-old Douglas fir trees. This is because of the wood’s ability to regulate temperature within the home.
Inside the abode are seven bedrooms, six kitchens, 24 bathrooms, a trampoline room with 6-meter ceilings, a 2,322-square-meter gym, and a 195-square-meter library. The library, in particular, is quite interesting due to its rare collection of valuable books—including Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Codex of Leicester, which Gates bought for $30.8 million in 1994.
Of course, let’s not forget that this is the home of one of tech’s biggest names, so state-of-the-art technology is a certainty.
The mansion is lined with changing digital screens that showcase a variety of artworks. It also has high-level security systems and a state-wide server system. Gates even gives guests distinct pins that allow them to change the temperature, lighting, and music in different rooms.
George Clooney’s “Villa Oleandra”: $100 million
Actor George Clooney’s lakeside home ranks third on this list with a value of $100 million. He purchased the 18th-century property—which once belonged to the ketchup-manufacturing Heinz family—in 2002. The 25-room villa is located in Italy’s Lake Como, and features immaculate gardens, a tennis court, an outdoor swimming pool, a gym, a theater, and even a pizza room. Meanwhile, the actor keeps his large collection of vintage motorcycles and cars within an expansive garage.
The home has welcomed its fair share of famous guests, including former president Barack Obama, Julia Roberts, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry. For the romantics out there, perhaps the most charming part of the home is its sentimental value, as it also happens to be the place where Clooney first met his wife Amal, the famous lawyer-activist.
George Lucas’ “Skywalker Ranch”: $100 million
Apparently, one need not go to a galaxy far, far away for an out-of-this-world experience, especially if you’re American filmmaker George Lucas. The creator of Star Wars owns a $100 million property—aptly named “Skywalker Ranch”—nestled in the hills of Marin County, California.
It spans around 1,900 hectares and contains three houses, as well as a bed and breakfast. Though Lucas only resides in the ranch occasionally, he certainly spared no expense to build it for other filmmakers and members of his company Lucasfilm.
It’s here where professionals in the industry can work on their ongoing projects. The residence boasts 50 editing suites, an ADR stage, a 300-seater Stag Theater, and 15 sound mixing suites.
What’s more, the Main House contains the sprawling Lucasfilm Research Library, which contains thousands of books about television, film, and even theater. Staying true to the “ranch” part of its name, the property also holds an animal barn, fruit and vegetable gardens, a vineyard, an olive tree grove, and a bee colony.
A hilltop conservatory, giant Yoda statue, and picturesque “Ewok Lake” complete the impressive residence and pay homage to Lucas’ sci-fi legacy.
Banner photo by Henry Kellner via Wikimedia Commons.
