In the wake of her split with former Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué, Columbian pop icon Shakira is uprooting her life and moving all of her possessions – which include a fleet of luxury supercars – from Barcelona to her home in Miami. And, as if that weren't enough of a nightmare to be getting on with, it has recently been reported that the singing sensation ‘will be forced to pay' a shocking £12.4 million ($15.5m) to cover the eye-watering shipping costs. Click or scroll on to find out more...
Shakira has long harboured a love for luxury vehicles. Today, her collection of 10 supercars reportedly boasts a number of world-class models, including a Mercedes S-Class worth around £101,000 ($125k) and a Mercedes SL550, worth an estimated £92,000 ($114.7k). Though not quite as expensive as these two models, the rest of the cars in her collection are no less glamorous. They include an Audi A7 Sportback, a Mercedes SLK250, a Tesla Model S, a BMW X6, an Audi Q7, a Jeep Wrangler and a Mini Cooper.
Unwilling to part with any of the vehicles, Shakira is preparing to fork out the €14 million (£12.4k/$15.5k) necessary to transport the collection some 4,684 miles across the Atlantic. While the singer’s net worth of roughly £240 million ($300m) should more than cover the cost, her post-split expenses are certainly racking up. The singer is already believed to have moved her furniture and musical instruments over to Miami and is preparing to enroll her two sons in expensive private schools in the city. We hope the Sunshine State is worth it...
Since Shakira and Gerard Piqué confirmed their separation in June 2022, the pair have reached a custody agreement for their sons, which allows Shakira to relocate with them to Miami, giving Piqué ten days a month with his boys, according to the Daily Mail. Given that the couple were not married, it would be assumed they have equal stakes in their shared properties and should be able to divide their assets in an amicable manner.
Relations took a sad turn for the worse, however, when footage emerged in early 2023 apparently showing Piqué’s new girlfriend Clara Chia Marti, 23, in the family home in Barcelona almost a year before his split from Shakira. According to the Daily Mail, the PR student appears to be in the background of a Zoom interview Piqué did there with US video live-streaming service, Twitch. The footballer currently lives with Marti in another apartment he owns in the city.
Meanwhile, plans to sell the Barcelona home where they brought up their sons for a reported €16 million (£14.2m/$17.7m), may have to be put on hold. As reported by The Sun back in January 2023, the singer is delaying her move to Miami for five months due to her father’s ill health and his inability to fly. Shakira’s dad suffered a nasty fall in 2022 and she has been supporting him with his recovery as seen here. We're sure she'll make the move when the time is right.
Read on to take a look back at Shakira's property journey so far...
Shakira has come a long way from her modest childhood in Colombia. With homes in the Bahamas and Uruguay, the star has built up an impressive portfolio over the years, but it looks like her real estate holdings will be getting a shake-up. The Barcelona home she shared with footballer Gerard Piqué before their split in June 2022 – which is at the centre of tax fraud allegations against the singer – is reportedly going up for sale soon. Click or scroll on to retrace Shakira's road to fame and step inside some of the amazing homes she has picked up along the way…
Following her split from Piqué in 2022 and their subsequent custody agreement, Shakira confirmed she and the couple’s two sons, Milan and Sasha, will move back to Miami, where her wider family is based. Although the singer is currently still living in Barcelona, she may choose to move back into the Miami mansion she owns in the coming months. It's just one of several luxury properties at her disposal around the world, but the star wasn’t born into such palatial surroundings…
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on 2 February 1977, in the small town of Barranquilla, Colombia. With a Lebanese father, William Mebarak Chadid, and a Columbian mother, Nidia Ripoll, the star has nine half-siblings from her dad's previous marriage. When she was just seven years old, Shakira's father's jewellery business went bankrupt and the family was plunged into poverty.
Shakira showed promise from very early on. At the age of four, the budding star would entertain herself by writing poems and penned her first song at just eight years old. After signing her first record deal at 13, Shakira released her first album Magia in 1991 and her second, Peligro in 1993. When neither was successful, she decided to take a break from singing to act in the Latin soap opera El Oasis.
Shakira resumed her music career in 1995 and released two more albums, Pies descalzos and then ¿Dónde están los ladrones? in 1998. Both included hit singles but the star still wanted to break into the American music industry. In 2001 her fifth album Unplugged won the Grammy Award for Best Latin pop album, but it was her next record Laundry Service that really kick-started her international career. Her first English-language album sold more than 13 million copies worldwide. With her career finally setting off, it was time for the songstress to invest in some serious real estate.
In 2000, a year before her hit single 'Whenever, Wherever' hit the charts, Shakira started dating Antonio de la Rúa, the son of the former Argentine president Fernando de la Rúa. The former couple often stayed on their sprawling farm in a small fishing village in Uruguay. It is not known when the singer snapped up the property or how much she paid but we do know that in 2008 she holed up there to begin work on a new album.
Set on over 12 acres of land, the home was up for rent until recently, giving us a sneak peek inside. With seven bedrooms, four in the main home and two in the guest house, plus one in a single third building, there's also room for four staff to sleep. The star described the farm as "idyllic and very romantic" in an interview, perfect for inspiring her writing process.
Inside, the main house has a cinema, a work office and a gym. It was also reported that Shakira built a recording studio within the grounds, so she could work on her music. The tiny village has seen several other famous names holidaying in the area, including Rolling Stones guitarist, Ronnie Wood.
Outside, the home boasts a heated pool surrounded by decking, a lake with boats, a sauna and a tennis court. The estate also has perimeter surveillance to keep the star safe. Shakira is reportedly a fan of keeping fit and is said to have often spent her days on the farm swimming and playing tennis. We can't think of a more perfect spot to pen an album!
Pictured here in December 2009, the couple eventually went their separate ways in August 2010. Having owned several properties together, there was a huge disagreement over who owned what. Just after the split, Antonio tried to sue the singer in an £80 million ($100m) lawsuit for what he felt he was owed after acting as her business manager, despite there being no written agreement. The case was dismissed in 2013.
As soon as she hit the big time in 2001, Shakira started building her luxury property portfolio. In June of that year, she snapped up this Mediterranean-style estate located in the prestigious gated community on Florida's La Gorce Island for a reported £882,000 ($1.1m). Home to big-name stars such as Cher, Matt Damon and Billy Joel, Shakira would have been a wonderful addition to the local celebrity roster of residents.
Spread over 2,700 square feet, it was the perfect home for the star, who would now be spending much more time stateside working on becoming the next huge crossover Latin artist. With stunning detail inside, the arched doorway leads through to the main double-height living space with built-in shelving and a feature staircase leading to the upper floor.
With clean white walls and stone floors, this open-plan living space boasts a gloss-white kitchen, a small dining area and a comfortable living space with double doors that lead out to the garden.
With three bedrooms and two bathrooms, the upper floor is the perfect calm oasis. The master bathroom boasts his and hers sinks, huge floor-to-ceiling mirrors and a luxurious walk-in shower.
Outside, the garden may be on the smaller side but boasts a swimming pool surrounded by decking and lush foliage. The super-private home would have been perfect for the pop star, but sitting on less than half an acre of land, Shakira was looking for more space. She decided to sell up in 2005 for £1.4 million ($1.8m), making quite the profit. Although maybe the star should have kept hold of the property as an investment piece – it’s currently estimated to be worth £4.3 million ($5.4m).
In September 2001, not long after her first Miami purchase, Shakira snapped up this stunning home in the same area. Spanning over 8,000 square feet, the prestigious home was bought by the singer for just shy of £2.7 million ($3.4m). A slight upgrade from her first purchase!
Shakira made sure to renovate the mansion over the 12 years that she was based there and reportedly made a number of upgrades. These are said to have included new hardwood floors imported from Spain, a new front door, updated landscaping and brand-new indoor and outdoor lighting systems.
The sleek kitchen boasts modern white cabinets and gleaming shiny steel appliances. The wide centre island is the perfect social space, while the floor-to-ceiling windows look out over the leafy patio. Elsewhere, the home boasts six bedrooms and eight bathrooms, which would be more than big enough for the singer and her two sons, should they choose to base themselves here.
In 2013, Shakira decided to put it up for rent at a huge £36,000 ($45k) a month. She then listed it for sale the same year for nearly £10.4 million ($13m), upping the price in 2015 to £11.1 million ($13.9m) and increasing it yet again in February 2021 to £12.7 million ($15.9m) but the home still failed to sell. It was just as well though, as the star may now be making the property her primary home in the near future.
Fast forward to 2011 and rather than buying another mega-mansion, Shakira made a bold real estate bet on purchasing a share in a private island in the Bahamas. The singer pooled together with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz to buy the retreat for a reported £12 million ($15m), with plans to build luxury hotels, condos and golf courses, turning it into the ultimate artists' retreat.
With five white sandy beaches and three salt ponds, the island is part of the Berry Islands in the Bahamas. This small patch of paradise is spread over 550 acres of tropical landscape with multiple waterfalls, three bays and a number of lagoons.
Shakira met her ex-partner, Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué, on the set of the music video for her single 'Waka Waka' in 2010. In 2015, the couple splashed out a reported €5 million (£4.4m/$5.5m) on a mansion in Barcelona. Spread over 1,500 square feet, the home boasts seven bedrooms, two kitchens, a swimming pool with a waterfall, a gym and a whole host of other amenities. Now, in the wake of their split, they have reportedly agreed to sell the house, though it does not appear to have been listed yet.
In happier days, the family would hang out at the villa making use of the amenities provided, including a games room and a private cinema. It hasn’t been plain sailing for the star, however, who has suffered her fair share of bad luck. In June 2018, the mansion was targeted by burglars. With the couple away, Piqué's parents were sleeping upstairs when the home was raided, with the criminals coming away with expensive watches and jewellery.
That same year, Shakira was charged with tax evasion by the Spanish authorities. Accused of failing to pay around €14.5 million (£12.8m/$16m) in taxes between 2012 and 2014, the singer had listed her official residence as the Bahamas but spent most of her time in Spain, according to a report by Forbes. Under Spanish law, anyone living in the country for more than six months a year must pay taxes.
The singer has denied any wrongdoing but reportedly paid up when the court found Spain to be her main residence. The singer appealed the ruling, but it was dismissed in May 2022. The case looks set to go on though, as despite Shakira’s legal team continuing to defend her innocence, Spanish prosecutors are now seeking an eight-year prison sentence and a fine of more than €23.8 million (£21m/$26m) according to Reuters. So, while there is no official court date yet, a high-stakes trial is likely to take place.
Towards the end of 2019, when Shakira and Gerard Piqué were still a couple, they invested in a new-build villa in one of their favourite holiday spots, the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. Overlooking the Sea of Akamas, the contemporary villa is near Paphos, on the island of Aphrodite.
Located opposite a brand new five-star hotel, Shakira and her family had been frequent visitors to the island over the years and so it was no surprise when they decided to stump up the cash and buy their own piece of paradise here. As well as a quiet retreat, the new holiday home allowed them to enjoy 6,500 square feet of beachfront, a spa and fine dining options in the swanky restaurants and bars nearby.
With prices starting at €2 million (£1.8m/$2.2m), the holiday hotspot is the largest seafront resort in Cyprus. It has 150 villas, a clubhouse with luxury facilities and services including 24-hour reception and concierge services, security, a spa, gym, bar, restaurant and sporting facilities such as tennis and basketball courts, cycling, horse riding, a serviced beach and a kids' playground.
The former couple's eight-bathroom, six-bedroom villa is said to have stunning views of the waterfront, making it an idyllic holiday retreat. With a home cinema, private gym, jacuzzi, private pool and wine cellar, it's the perfect place to take a break.
The palatial spread also features gardens overlooking the sea, with the pool providing stunning sunset views come evening. The question is what will happen to this property – and others owned by the family – now that Shakira and Piqué have split…
One thing is clear, with Shakira’s immense wealth and vast collection of homes – and her own private island – the songstress will have the means to establish a comfortable new life for herself and her boys in Miami, or wherever she chooses when the time is right. We wish her well and look forward to her picking up the trail of her impressive property journey so far…
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