From basketball courts and imported sand to homes steeped in history, there’s no doubt that celebrities splurge on their abodes. Whether it’s Taylor Swift investing in Hollywood history or Bill Gates creating a tech savvy household for all of his visitors, A-listers definitely don’t shy away from spending big.
Here are nine of the most expensive celebrity homes on the planet – read on to find out what makes them so extraordinary.
9. Taylor Swift – US$32 million
In 2015, Taylor Swift bought her Beverly Hills mansion for US$25 million. According to HGTV, the home used to belong to film mogul Samuel L. Goldwyn. Swift was granted landmark status for the home because of its strong ties to Hollywood history.
The 11,000 sq ft Georgian Revival mansion has seven bedrooms and 10 baths. Swift is the first person to own the home outside the Goldwyn family. It has a sweeping staircase in the foyer with a screening room and large entertainment area. It was built in 1934 and Swift said she has plans to restore it to its former glory.
It’s now reportedly worth US$32 million.
8. Kylie Jenner – US$36.5 million
Kylie Jenner is one of the most famous celebrities in Hollywood who’s constantly getting papped. So it comes as no surprise that she needs a big home that provides plenty of privacy. Spanning over 15,000 sq ft, Jenner’s mansion in Holmby Hills has been compared to a resort because of its size.
According to The Richest, it has seven bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, 20 parking spaces, a bar, games room, home cinema and chef’s kitchen. The home has a minimalist look and feel and the main living room is decorated in shades of grey. It’s worth US$36.5 million, per the same source.
7. Ellen DeGeneres – US$45 million
This 5.2-hectare estate is a Tuscan-inspired oasis in California. The villa was originally designed by architect Wallace Frost and is worth US$45 million, reports Hello! magazine.
With nine fireplaces, multiple libraries, two pools and a tennis court, Ellen DeGeneres is definitely living her dream life. The former TV host also has neighbours like Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
6. Tiger Woods – US$54 million
Located in the super-exclusive Jupiter Island, the sporting legend’s home is known for having a golf course in the backyard. The four-hectare mansion reportedly has a basketball court, lap and diving pools, spa, a putting studio and running track. The Richest reports a price tag of US$54 million.
5. George Lucas – US$100 million
The Skywalker Ranch has gained its name in honour of George Lucas and his iconic series, Star Wars.
The traditional mansion is on a 10.5-hectare estate and has a 300-seat theatre, vineyard, outdoor swimming pool and farm animals. The ranch is home to Skywalker Sound employees and is even used by Lucas as a filmmaker’s retreat, per CBS News. It’s reportedly worth US$100 million.
4. George Clooney – US$100 million
The actor bought the 18th century villa, located in Laglio, Italy on Lake Como, in 2002. “I realized how beautiful life was in Italy and how it really helped calm me and not feel so pressured,” Clooney said, per Yahoo! News.
According to Milan Design Agenda, the house has 25 rooms, a theatre, a swimming pool and garage.
3. Bill Gates – US$130 million
Bill Gates spent US$63 million to spruce up his home known as Xanadu 2.0. Some of the unbelievable additions include sand imported from a Caribbean Island, a man-made stream filled with salmon and a giant trampoline room.
The house spans over 66,000 sq ft and has 24 bathrooms. It also has a stateside server system and guests are given a device where they can enter their personal preferences during their stay. The home is worth US$130 million, as previously reported.
2. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt – over US$160 million
Château Miraval, a villa in Correns, in the south of France, used to be the location for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s family retreats. Then, in 2008, they bought a controlling stake in the vineyard.
The estate is sprawled over 485.6 hectares and is surrounded by Roman roads and multiple structures from the 17th century. According to People, the house has 35 rooms, an indoor and outdoor pool, cinema, spa, dirt bike course and helicopter pad. According to multiple reports, the villa is now worth upwards of US$160 million – more the double what the couple originally paid for it.
In 2021, Jolie caused a stir when she sold her stakes in the vineyard – after she and her ex-husband Pitt agreed in 2016 not to do so without the other’s permission, Pitt alleged.
1. Jay-Z and Beyoncé – US$200 million
The Carters recently Paradise Cove in California’s famed Billionaires’ Row their home. Well, one of them.
After making music history, Beyoncé and Jay-Z also made a property record. The not-so-humble-abode that Queen Bey and the hip-hop mogul share costs a cool US$200 million, making it the most expensive home ever sold in California, as per TMZ.
It sounds like an insane amount of money even after scoring a whopping US$100 million off – the house had been privately listed at US$295 million. Their next-door neighbour, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, holds the record for the second most expensive home bought for a staggering US$177 million in 2021.
Note: This story was originally published on SCMP and has been republished on this website.
