Billionaire bling: these are the most luxurious homes in the world
Williams & Williams Estates Group
Decadent homes dripping in gold
They say money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you a whole heap of stuff – and when you own a mega-mansion that spans tens of thousands of square feet, there's a lot of space to fill. From estates adorned in 24-carat gold to plush pads dripping in diamonds, click or scroll on to take a look inside the world's most ostentatious homes...
Magnificent mega-mansion, Los Angeles, USA
The perfect property for a VIP, this contemporary home in the exclusive enclave of Bel Air is currently on the market for just shy of $50 million (£35m). Hidden behind guarded gates, the extravagant estate is surrounded by stunning landscaped gardens and offers luxury amenities in abundance.
Magnificent mega-mansion, Los Angeles, USA
Inside, the luxe residence is spread over 36,000 square feet and boasts eight bedrooms and no less than 20 bathrooms. Decked out in the most luxurious of materials, the opulent interiors have been likened to a 'resort oasis', and we can't say we disagree.
Magnificent mega-mansion, Los Angeles, USA
The showstopping mansion has been designed to perfection, from the glamorous sweeping staircase in the vaulted entryway to the plush lounge complete with a stunning marble fireplace. Elsewhere, there are a whole host of extravagant living spaces, including the chef-style kitchen, a beautiful dining room and this bar complete with LED strip lights and plush seating.
Magnificent mega-mansion, Los Angeles, USA
However, deep underground the mansion is hiding a secret. The 20,000-square-foot basement is home to a state-of-the-art entertaining space complete with a resort-style spa with a pool, massage room, sauna and steam bath. If that wasn't enough, there's also a games room, movie theatre, bar and sports courts – everything a billionaire could ask for!
Playa Vista Isle, Florida, USA
Once one of America's most expensive homes when it was first listed for $159 million (£112m), this mega-mansion in Florida's Hillsboro Beach sold in November 2018 for the cut-down price of $42.5 million (£30m). The expansive grounds offer a 4,500-square-foot infinity pool, complete with a swim-up bar and slide, plus a glass-bottomed hot tub suspended above the pool. If that wasn't enough, there's also a putting green and an outdoor kitchen for entertaining alfresco.
Playa Vista Isle, Florida, USA
Inside, the 60,000-square-foot estate features 11 bedrooms and 22 bathrooms, with almost every inch of the property draped in gold. All of the property's bathrooms are exquisite, with the main guest bathroom offering muraled walls and a golden pedestal and sink, while the grand VIP suite has a Jacuzzi tub and a custom inlaid mother-of-pearl shower.
Playa Vista Isle, Florida, USA
As well as separate wings for VIP guests, the master suite is an opulent marvel, with incredible ocean vistas and direct balcony access. There's an incredible amount of gold leaf spread throughout the property, ensuring that each room is outrageously lavish. It won't come as a surprise to hear that this decadent dwelling was inspired by the Palace of Versailles.
Playa Vista Isle, Florida, USA
There’s also a 1,300-gallon aquarium, a 20-car garage and a temperature-controlled wine cellar that can accommodate 3,000 bottles of the finest vino. Plus, with the world's first residential IMAX 3D theatre on its lower level, this house is perhaps the most extravagant we've seen.
@theonecalifornia / Instagram
The One, Los Angeles, USA
Known as Los Angeles' most expensive home, 'The One' was developed over the course of eight years by high-end developer Nile Niami. Set on a five-acre parcel of land and surrounded by a moat on three sides, the home seems to float above the city. The details of the newly-completed Bel Air property have been kept private apart from the occasional picture on the residence's dedicated Instagram account, but what we do know is that it's magnificent...
@theonecalifornia / Instagram
The One, Los Angeles, USA
With a reported price tag of $340 million (£240m), the home was designed by architect Paul McClean and interior designer Kathryn Rotondi. Featuring 26-foot-high ceilings and an eye-catching rotating sculpture, the main entrance gives a taste of what's to come in the super-luxury home. The wow-factor entryway leads through to an array of lavish living areas that boast panoramic views of downtown Los Angeles and the Pacific.
@theonecalifornia / Instagram
The One, Los Angeles, USA
The opulent interior sprawls across an enormous 105,000 square feet and offers a neutral colour palette that was specially chosen to let the surrounding landscape do all the talking. There are 42 bathrooms and a whopping 21 bedrooms, which include a private 5,500-square-foot master suite.
@theonecalifornia / Instagram
The One, Los Angeles, USA
Elsewhere, there's a 30-car garage gallery with two display turntables, a four-lane bowling alley, an entire spa floor, a 30-seat movie theatre and a so-called philanthropy wing that can host up to 200 people. Talk about the perfect party pad! Outside you'll find a 10,000-square-foot sky deck and five swimming pools. A truly unique property, the city recently passed new ordinances that mean a house of this sprawling scale can never be built again in Los Angeles.
Sotheby’s International Realty
Casablanca estate, Cape Town, South Africa
Over in Cape Town, South Africa, there's no shortage of bling either. The Casablanca estate, located on the shoreline of Camps Bay, features a whole host of decadent amenities that have us packing our bags already. With plenty of custom wrought-iron work, crystal chandeliers and gold leaf detailing inside, the mansion is every bit as spectacular as it appears from the outside.
Sotheby’s International Realty
Casablanca estate, Cape Town, South Africa
The property was built in 2014 and is currently on the real estate market for $35 million (£25m). The opulent home offers 33,723 square feet of living space, eight bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, each lined with white Carrara marble flooring. The ocean-view master suite even boasts an enormous spa bath carved from marble!
Sotheby’s International Realty
Casablanca estate, Cape Town, South Africa
The estate also contains a Technogym fitness room, a full-sized squash court, a massage room and a sauna that can accommodate 12 people at a time. Downstairs you'll also find possibly the swishest garage we've ever seen with space for up to 14 supercars.
Sotheby’s International Realty
Casablanca estate, Cape Town, South Africa
If all this hasn't made your heart race, then check out the home's luxury cinema room, complete with velvet furnishings, walnut panelling and 15-foot ceilings. After you've watched the latest blockbuster, head over to the wine cellar or the whiskey bar for a tipple, or hit the billiard room for a game or two. There's even an 82-foot swimming pool, complete with its own automatic thermal pool cover for the ultimate billionaire's backyard!
Christie's International Real Estate
Lavish Bel Air mansion, California, USA
Described as a voyage of the senses, this jaw-dropping mansion is considered one of the most innovative contemporary estates on the planet. Nestled on a hillside in exclusive Bel Air inside LA's platinum triangle, the mansion is surrounded by the homes of some of the world's richest people. The colossal 12-bedroom, 21-bathroom pad was designed by real estate developer Bruce Makowsky to suit the needs of the mega-wealthy.
Christie's International Real Estate
Lavish Bel Air mansion, California, USA
Covering 42,000 square feet, every aspect of the building, which includes over 100 art installations, has been meticulously designed. In the main living room are two light fixtures made from gold-encrusted Brut Champagne bottles, while the 17,000-square-foot outside deck offers a luxury glass-tiled infinity pool and a giant flat-screen TV so you don't get bored while you bathe.
Christie's International Real Estate
Lavish Bel Air mansion, California, USA
The home’s fully-stocked champagne and wine cellars are ideal for the adults, while the wall of candy in the games room is every kid’s fantasy realised. Fancy a change of scenery? There's a helicopter parked on the rooftop deck for a quick weekend getaway. If you prefer wheels to wings, downstairs you'll find an enormous garage where more than $30 million (£21m) of supercars can be browsed.
Christie's International Real Estate
Lavish Bel Air mansion, California, USA
Elsewhere in the house, there are three luxurious gourmet kitchens, a four-lane bowling alley and a state-of-the-art fitness room. For leisure time, head to one of the property’s five bars, enjoy a treatment in the wellness spa or recline in the 40-seat cinema. Originally listed for $250 million (£180m), the home finally sold in October 2019 for $94 million (£68m). The unnamed buyer also purchased most of the high-end furniture for around $7 million (£5m).
Luxe Swiss chalet, London, UK
This gorgeous property might look like it belongs in the Alps, but it's actually located in Hampton Court, London. The Grade II-listed chalet was imported from Switzerland around 1882 and situated on the scenic banks of the River Thames.
Luxe Swiss chalet, London, UK
Inside the 5,478-square-foot house, there are four decadent bathrooms where homeowners can relax and unwind in the lap of luxury. One offers a pair of $12,000 (£8.6k) freestanding copper bathtubs, gilded Italian washbasins worth $23,500 (£16.8k) apiece and bespoke Japanese toilets. Even the parquet flooring is made from gold!
Luxe Swiss chalet, London, UK
Talk about a billionaire bathroom! The luxurious ensuite also boasts a central rainfall shower and two hand basins carved from marble and 24-carat gold. Elsewhere, sliding double doors adorned with Swarovski crystals dazzle in each room, while the Italian-designed kitchen features no less than five Gaggenau fridges, worth thousands of dollars each.
Luxe Swiss chalet, London, UK
If the home's private River Thames frontage and moorings weren't enough, the luxurious basement contains its very own beach with 40 tonnes of sand. The indoor beach features underfloor heating, a performance stage and bespoke wine racks. Large skylights allow light to flood inside, while nautical murals adorn the walls. There's also a Japanese water garden complete with koi carp, plus a bridge decorated with samurai swords.
Hilton & Hyland / YouTube
Opus, Beverly Hills, USA
This glistening property is another brainchild of real estate developer Nile Niami. Positioned in the sought-after heights of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, the pad, known as Opus, is dripping in gold from top to bottom. The marketing video for the development turned quite a few heads too as it even featured gold-painted models.
Hilton & Hyland / YouTube
Opus, Beverly Hills, USA
The 20,500-square-foot mansion, which is the ultimate bachelor pad, has a solid marble façade with veins of gold running through it. Even the house sign and front gate are made from solid gold. The estate also comes with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, one of which features a waterfall. In 2017, the lavish property hit the real estate market for a colossal $100 million (£71m). Listed for three years, the price was bumped down to $60 million (£43m), when it was snapped up by a real estate investor.
Hilton & Hyland / YouTube
Opus, Beverly Hills, USA
The house also includes a 10-car museum, complete with a Lamborghini Aventador Roadster and a Rolls-Royce Dawn in, you guessed it, gold! Priceless artwork on display ranges from works by Damien Hirst to a portrait of Muhammad Ali by Andy Warhol, equating to over $2 million (£1.4m) in value.
Hilton & Hyland / YouTube
Opus, Beverly Hills, USA
Over in the gold-gilded champagne vault, you'll find 170 pristine bottles of Cristal just waiting for a special occasion. There are also seven bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a spa, a beauty salon and a 15-person cinema. The main living rooms feature Roberto Cavalli flooring and Longhi doors in suede and embossed leather, meanwhile, in the kitchen you'll find an iPod-controlled coffee machine – what could be more bling than that?
Exclusive luxury villa, Dubai, UAE
Over in Dubai, opulence abounds. The XXII CARAT Palm Jumeirah development offers luxury waterfront villas for the mega-rich. Designed with flawless attention to detail, every property on the estate is dripping in gold, marble and the finest furnishings from around the world. No wonder then that the likes of David and Victoria Beckham own property here! Let's step inside...
Exclusive luxury villa, Dubai, UAE
Each luxury villa was designed with Renaissance architecture in mind. Picture stucco masonry, classical columns, pergola terraces, handmade ceramics and dramatic wall murals. Almost every room is decorated with fine gold and silver leaf, from the trims of the kitchen cabinets to the taps in the bathrooms.
Exclusive luxury villa, Dubai, UAE
In fact, the bathrooms are perhaps the villas' most luxurious rooms, offering everything from floor-to-ceiling marble to 18-carat gold finishes. All this luxury comes with a hefty price tag though, with costs starting at $9.6 million (£6.8m). But, to soften the blow, every villa also has direct access to a private beach and unobstructed views of Dubai's iconic skyline.
Exclusive luxury villa, Dubai, UAE
In some of the villas, the lucky owner can also take a soak in a bathtub carved from rock crystal. The colossal tub weighs in at 10 tonnes and was sourced from the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. The opulent bath comes with an equally lavish price tag, with a single tub costing anywhere up to $1 million (£700k).
Sotheby's International Realty
Modern mega-mansion, California, USA
You know you've found a fine piece of real estate when the likes of Beyoncé and Jay Z are vying to buy it! Yet despite the power couple's attempts, they lost out on owning this extravagant home. Instead, it was snapped up by billionaire video game creator Markus Persson, who paid a whopping $70 million (£50m) for the Beverley Hills pad in 2014.
Sotheby's International Realty
Modern mega-mansion, California, USA
It's not hard to see why A-listers would be fighting over this home. Kitted out in top designer furnishings from the likes of Bentley and Hermès, the interior is immaculate. In fact, the Bentley couch and cushions are thought to be worth $500,000 (£357k) alone! In the living room, there's also a giant James Dean mural and a replica of the motorcycle he drove in the classic Hollywood film Rebel Without a Cause.
Sotheby's International Realty
Modern mega-mansion, California, USA
Covering 23,000 square feet, the property offers eight luxury bedrooms and a staggering 15 bathrooms, including one decked out with bespoke Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent and Chanel fire extinguishers in their own display cabinet. Outside, the poolside dining area has 24 Roberto Cavalli place settings – we wouldn't want to go spilling anything on those...
Sotheby's International Realty
Modern mega-mansion, California, USA
As with all ultra-luxe LA pads, there's no shortage of space to store supercars. The basement level is dedicated to showcasing some of the finest motor vehicles in the world, with rotating platforms and a car lift. If this wasn't enough, the house also offers a dazzling infinity pool, a temperature-controlled glass wine cellar and a giant candy wall for the ultimate sugar fix.
Sotheby's International Realty
Baroque palace, Rublyovka, Russia
Rich Russians are renowned for their decadent tastes – think caviar and Fabergé eggs – and when it comes to their real estate, they're no different. This Baroque-style billionaire pad went on the market in 2015 with Sotheby's International Realty for $109m (£77m).
Sotheby's International Realty
Baroque palace, Rublyovka, Russia
Located in the exclusive Moscow neighbourhood of Rublyovka amongst 97 acres of pine forest, the bedazzled property oozes opulence and is covered from floor to ceiling in marble, gold and precious gems.
Sotheby's International Realty
Baroque palace, Rublyovka, Russia
While the master bathroom is home to an opulent gold shower, the grand hallway offers delicate chandeliers, stunning drapery and more marble than we could ever imagine. Fine antiques are scattered around every room, while intricate wall and ceiling murals make each space feel like the seat of royalty.
Sotheby's International Realty
Baroque palace, Rublyovka, Russia
Some of the rooms, including this lavish master bedroom, offer bespoke wooden floors and lashings of gold, velvet and crystal. Bursting with regal finishes and costly décor, this Russian palace is by far one of the world's most blinged-out properties.
Williams & Williams Estates Group
Swish super-mansion, California, USA
Also competing for the crown of most luxurious property in Bel Air is this mega-mansion, known as Sarbonne. With nine stunning bedrooms, the property extends to 25,000 square feet and offers an additional 20,000 square feet of outdoor space, including sundecks and manicured gardens.
Williams & Williams Estates Group
Swish super-mansion, California, USA
One of the most jaw-dropping home features money can buy, a film screen rises up from the edge of the stunning infinity pool, which features statues that are reminiscent of Academy Awards. If that wasn't enough, there is also a library, art studio, gym, temperature-controlled wine cellar and billiards room.
Williams & Williams Estates Group
Swish super-mansion, California, USA
The perfect property for petrol heads, the mansion boasts its own state-of-the-art glass car elevator, which allows luxurious supercars to be stored safely and offers the perfect super-sized display case to show-off a treasured collection.
Williams & Williams Estates Group
Swish super-mansion, California, USA
As well as 15 luxury bathrooms, many offering panoramic views across Los Angeles, there is also a private at-home spa, complete with treatment rooms and a sauna. In December 2018, the lavish home went on the market for $88 million (£62m) and sold in July 2019 for $75 million (£53m). Talk about opulent!
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