From skyscrapers to priceless works of art, the powerful of this world buy ridiculously expensive things, and indulging their own weaknesses, and demonstrating their high status, and simply spending money because they are. We present you a list of the 15 most crazy purchases of billionaires. It does not matter if they are the most expensive or the most exotic that a person has. What was bought for incomparably big money is of corresponding interest. So, buying billionaires that are indecently expensive.
14-foot canned shark (Steve Cohen)
© Alex Segre / REX / Shutterstock
Cost: from $ 8 to $ 12 million.
Many rich people have amazing aquariums with their volume and beauty, but they all look like a children’s toy compared to the pickled shark that Steve Cohen bought in 2004. The well-known hedge fund manager, a billionaire, mothballed a real 14-foot-long tiger shark in a solution of formaldehyde and alcohol. This is one of the most shocking and impressive objects of contemporary art, which has no analogues.
Originally, the shark was acquired by art magnate Charles Saatchi in 1992 for $ 93,000 and received the name “Physical Impossibility of Death in the Consciousness of Someone Alive.” After 12 years, the art object was bought by Steve Cohen for an undisclosed amount, which, according to New York Magazine, amounted to $ 8-12 million.
The most expensive house in India and the world (Mukesh Ambani)
SNEHIT / Shutterstock.com
Cost: $ 1 billion
Mukesh Ambani was fabulously lucky with fate – he inherited a huge oil empire, which enriched him by $ 43 billion. The Indian tycoon spent 1 billion of this amount to build the most expensive house in the world – a 27-story skyscraper with a total area of 400,000 m2. The building is equipped with a six-level underground parking, three helipads and is named after the mythical island of Antilla. Among the amenities there is also a theater for 50 spectators, a ballroom and 9 elevators in the lobby. More than 600 people work for the benefit of the mega-mansion Ambani.
Super Yacht (Roman Abramovich)
Northfoto / Shutterstock.com
Cost: $ 1.2 billion
It’s no secret that yachts are one of the key tools in the debate about who is the coolest rich man on the planet. And in this competition there are no equal to the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. No less impressive is the scale of Abramovich’s other “toys”: Chelsea Football Club, Boeing 767 and icebreaker.
However, the Eclipse yacht is the most expensive thing that the oligarch bought. It has 6,000 m2 of living space, has 11 cabins and apartments, as well as a triple helipad. And in special cases, you can completely leave the ship and dive to the depths of the sea in a three-seater submarine.
Island in Hawaii (Larry Ellison)
drserg / Shutterstock.com
Cost: $ 300 million.
For the richest man, even the most grandiose mansion can be too small to become a home. So, for example, for the founder of Oracle, Larry Ellison, the house is the Hawaiian island of Lanai, which he bought in 2012 for “trifling” 300 million. A personal tropical paradise includes 90,000 acres of land, two Four Seasons resorts, and even a city with 3200 inhabitants. Would you like to spend a vacation in one of these resorts? No problem – it only costs $ 21,000 per night.
The Flying Palace Airbus A380 (Prince Al-Walid bin Talal)
Mauroof Khaleel / Flickr.com
Cost: more than $ 500 million.
Membership in the royal family of Saudi Arabia probably gives a person the widest privileges on the planet. So, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal previously owned a Boeing 737-400 worth $ 220 million. But in his world you will not be impressed. Another thing is the two-story Airbus A380 – the largest passenger aircraft on Earth. The Prince ordered it in an expanded configuration: with seats for horses and two Rolls-Royces. The project cost exceeded $ 500 million. However, later it became known that the prince sold his grandiose toy to an unknown buyer before it was made.
Photo of Billy Kid (William Koch)
© Richard Drew / AP / REX / Shutterstock
Cost: $ 2.3 million.
William Koch, one of the two billionaire brothers to put together the Koch Industries empire and become one of the most powerful political figures, is an ardent fan of the Wild West. In 2011, he paid $ 2.3 million for the only genuine photograph of the legendary criminal of those times – Billy Kid (“baby Billy”).
Paintings (Ken Griffin)
Larry Busacca / Getty Images
Cost: $ 500 million.
Living legend of financial markets and hedge funds Ken Griffin is a well-known art connoisseur. His personal collection contains many valuable pieces, but the pearls are two abstract paintings of the Impressionists Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock, bought at one auction. Their total cost was $ 500 million, and the Chicago Tribune called the deal one of the largest sales of paintings in private hands..
Scientific manuscripts by Leonardo da Vinci (Bill Gates)
© Wikimedia Commons
Cost: $ 30 million.
Bill Gates and Leonardo da Vinci have a lot in common: they both became mathematical geniuses who changed history. It is not surprising that one of the most striking personalities of our time became interested in the works of the great scientist of the Renaissance. In 1994, Bill Gates paid $ 30.8 million for the 72-page Codex Leicester manuscript. It was written at the beginning of the 16th century. As a result of the transaction, Gates became the owner of letters, sketches, diagrams, ideas and drawings of future inventions. The purchases of billionaires are not complete without valuable items of history.
Car Collection (Sultan of Brunei)
james wk / Shutterstock.com
Cost: $ 5 billion.
It’s good to be a sultan. Doubt it? Then take a look at the car collection owned by the Sultan of Brunei – a country that occupies an area 5 times smaller than Crimea. In the legendary fleet of the monarch from 5,000 to 7,000 of the rarest, most expensive, powerful and beautiful cars in the world. The total value of the collection exceeds $ 5 billion. Among the most precious models are 342 Ferrari, 604 Rolls-Royce, 21 Lamborghini, as well as a cabriolet “star of India” – the most expensive car in the world (~ $ 14 million)
Unusual furniture (Hans Adam II)
© Roger Askew / REX / Shutterstock
Cost: $ 36 million.
In 2004, Prince of Liechtenstein, Hans Adam II, spent $ 36 million on furniture that IKEA certainly could not find. Badminton Cabinet Office in Florentine ebony, adorned with precious stones such as lapis lazuli, amethyst and agate. The bureau was first sold at auction in 1990 for $ 15 million, and the Prince of Liechtenstein bought it in 2004 for $ 36 million..
Newspaper and Publishing House (Jeff Bezos)
Radu Bercan / Shutterstock.com
Cost: $ 250 million.
The famous Washington Post was controlled by the Graham family for over 80 years, until Amazon founder Jeff Bezos decided to buy it in 2013. To acquire America’s most influential print media, the billionaire had to pay $ 250 million. The Wall Street Journal noted that the news of the deal came out of nowhere, like a bolt from the blue. Three years later, Bezos confirmed that he took the negotiations lightly and, in fact, simply accepted the first price called by the seller.
Violin (Maxim Viktorov)
© Sergei Ilnitsky / EPA / REX / Shutterstock
Cost: $ 3.9 million.
Let’s not forget about the purchase of billionaires from Russia. In 2008, one of the rarest and most valuable instruments on Earth played music for the first time in seventy years. The Guardian wrote that all the creams of Moscow society were present at the landmark event. All these were guests of Maxim Viktorov, a wealthy lawyer, a favorite of the ruling class of our country and an avid violin collector. That night, the maestro played on a new copy of Viktorov’s collection – Guarneri del Gesu. This is one of the 150 surviving violins of the famous 18th-century master Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesa. The works of this master are considered the only more valuable instruments than the violins of Antonio Stradivari.
Submarine (Elon Musk)
JamesDuncanDavidson / Flickr.com
Cost: about $ 1 million.
Elon Musk, who made a billionaire fortune on technological projects, is one of the main engineering minds of the planet. One of his goals is to build a global Hyperloop tunnel. It is not surprising that the tycoon’s personal transport has an outstanding appearance and functionality. In 2013, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX became the proud owner of James Bond’s Lotus Espirit from the movie The Spy Who Loved Me. For a transforming car that can turn into a submarine, Musk, according to The Guardian, paid $ 997 thousand. Interestingly, this exhibit was originally discovered in a barn, which some garbage collector bought in 1989 for $ 100..
Museum in Mexico City (Carlos Slim)
Luis Alvarado Alvarado / Shutterstock.com
Cost: $ 800 million.
There are two types of art collectors: those who collect works of art, and those who buy entire museums. Telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim is Mexico’s richest man with a fortune of $ 71.4 billion. In 2011, he was the richest man in the world. In the same year, according to NPR, he opened the Museo Soumaya, a six-story metal museum complex with no windows, necessary to demonstrate the personal collection of the billionaire. Incidentally, it consists of more than 65,000 exhibits and includes some invaluable works of art from Mexico and Europe..
Titanic (Clive Palmer)
© Steve Bell / REX / Shutterstock
Cost: $ 425 to $ 567 million.
Instead of collecting expensive yachts, Australian politician and businessman Clive Palmer decided to purchase the most famous passenger ship in history. However, the Titanic itself has been resting on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean since 1912, so Palmer ordered the Titanic 2. This is an almost exact copy of the original liner, finalized in accordance with modern technical capabilities and safety requirements. The project provides for a sufficient number of lifeboats for all passengers.
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What are the top 15 most expensive purchases made by billionaires? Curious to know how they spend their wealth extravagantly and what items make it to this elite list. Are these purchases purely lavish or do they also contribute to philanthropy or personal interests?
What do these billionaire purchases reveal about their priorities and values? Are these extravagant expenditures simply a way to showcase their wealth or do they have a deeper significance?
What are some of the most extravagant and jaw-dropping purchases made by billionaires?
Some of the most extravagant and jaw-dropping purchases made by billionaires include private islands, mega-yachts, luxury jets, customized supercars, and artwork worth millions. For instance, billionaire Richard Branson owns his own private island in the British Virgin Islands called Necker Island, which he reportedly purchased for around $180,000. Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the world’s largest yacht, named “Eclipse,” for a staggering $1.5 billion. Billionaire Warren Buffett splurged on a private jet, while the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen owned multiple extravagant luxury yachts and a fleet of rare cars. Additionally, billionaires often invest in collector’s items such as rare wines, vintage watches, and exclusive real estate properties, further demonstrating their opulent lifestyles.