A multi-award-winning actor, filmmaker and noted philanthropist, George Clooney has no shortage of strings to his bow. Like other Hollywood stars who have snapped up a piece of the property pie – including Adele, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Lopez – Clooney, who turns 59 this month, has wisely invested the money he's made in his 40-year career. From his breathtaking Lake Como villa to his idyllic English manor house, let's go through the keyhole of George's stunning collection of homes.

Looking back to the beginning of his success, Clooney’s first big spend was this six-bedroom villa in the celebrity property hotspot of Studio City, Los Angeles which he purchased back in 1995 for £1.8 million ($2.2m). Not one to court the paparazzi, the actor’s preference for hidden away homes in exclusive locations originally took root in LA. 

Clooney gave his fans insight into his personal life for the very first time back in 2012 with an exclusive CBS “Person to Person” tour of his LA abode. In the interview, the star discussed his family, career and interests while showing viewers around his 7,300-square-foot home, which he bought from Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks. 

Clooney purchased the house during the second season of ER, when the newly famous star was looking for a larger place. He chose the mansion as it’s set back from the street, well hidden from photographers’ prying eyes. The impressive three-storey property features an outdoor pool, basketball court, cinema screening room and extensive gardens.

During the interview, Clooney revealed that becoming a homeowner was important to him because he had to move a lot as a child as his family switched between a number of rental properties when he was growing up. Family has always been an indispensable part of the actor’s home life and he often holds gatherings at the expansive home.  

Studio City, where George’s LA mansion is based, was initially part of the Universal Studio lot and sits on top of a hill surrounded by parkland. The lush garden surrounding the house is perfect for hot summer days and holding alfresco dinner parties.

The party-loving movie star has several bars in his LA home and showed the presenters his extensive spirit collection. On the wall behind the actor, there’s an original Rat Pack photo of the first Ocean’s Eleven film. When Clooney made the remake, the actors, including Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, had their photo taken in the same pose which is also on the wall. 

Clooney picked up his Kennedy memorabilia at a garage clearout, where he also bought a couple of JFK’s ties, pictured here on the wall. He’s also good friends with Barack Obama and the lower photo shows the two together soon after Obama took office. 

When the home served as his bachelor pad, Clooney often had friends over to watch the football in his living room. But the plush homely décor seen here was not Clooney’s own choice. It was the actor’s best friend, Rande Gerber, who told George that as an older man, he needed to give up his frat boy image and redecorate. 

These days, the Studio City mansion is open and airy and many of the rooms open out onto the lush gardens and pool area, making the house perfect for hosting gatherings. One whole wall of this dining room houses Clooney’s extensive wine collection. However, in a 2018 interview, Amal revealed that although the family spend chunks of the year in LA, the home is more of a "low-key house" than an "entertaining space."

Twice voted the sexiest man alive by People magazine, not everyone’s aware that Clooney used to share his bedroom with a pig. Clooney had Max, the Vietnamese potbellied pig, for 18 years and the treasured pet is commemorated in this photo on the actor’s wall next to photos of family.

The noted animal lover never bought another pig, although he has had several pet dogs over the years. Rescued from a shelter back in 2010, Clooney is seen here in the screening room cuddling up with his beloved pooch Einstein. He admitted to Esquire that during the adoption process, he rubbed meatballs on his shoes to convince the shelter inspector that Einstein had taken to him.

It’s no secret that Clooney is a massive fan of Italian culture – the actor married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in Venice in 2014. Clooney fell in love with Lake Como in the early 2000s and has invested millions in the Italian property market since. Lake Como was personally chosen by the star as a film location for his 2004 blockbuster movie Ocean’s Eleven. 

Purchased in 2001 for £10.8 million ($13.5m), this 18th-century home on beautiful Lake Como has gained considerable media attention, with fans and journalists often flocking to its entrance in the hopes of capturing photos of Clooney and his family. The 25-room luxury property contains an outdoor pool, tennis courts, gym and garage, where the actor stores his extensive collection of vintage motorbikes. 

The Clooney family spend summer at the house in Como every year and welcome many of their A-list friends as guests. Recent visitors have included Jennifer Aniston, Matt Damon and Prince Harry with Meghan Markle. Family aren’t neglected either and Amal’s father, Ramzi Alamuddin, recently held his birthday party there. 

With no shortage of homes in stunning locations, Clooney once owned a luxury retreat in Cabo, Mexico – selling it in 2016 for a cool £80 million ($100m). The star purchased the Casamigos compound, a two-villa complex located within the El Dorado Golf and Beach Club, with longtime friends Cindy Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber. The villa is said to have been the inspiration behind Clooney and Gerber's Casamigos Tequila business, which they sold for £800 million ($1bn) in 2017.

Designed by renowned architect Ricardo Legoretta, the seven-bedroom, 10-bathroom former Clooney residence was listed as containing a stunning central courtyard with an outdoor fireplace and a pool that overlooks the ocean. The friends had almost identical properties and were often in and out of each other’s homes.

Growing increasingly aware of prying paparazzi, newlyweds George and Amal chose Berkshire in England over Los Angeles to begin their married lives together. The couple purchased their family home in 2014, giving them plenty of time to make modifications and additions ahead of the arrival of twins Ella and Alexander in 2017. 

The couple purchased Aberlash House in Sonning-on-Thames for £10 million ($12.5m). The Grade II-listed countryside estate has served as a retreat for George and Amal since its purchase and is where the couple escaped to for their honeymoon. The impeccably renovated Georgian mansion sits on a five-acre private island, which makes it an ideal location for George and Amal to raise their children away from the media. 

The property features 9,000 square feet of habitable space, including a marbled entrance hall, four reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room, wine cellar, six first-floor bedroom suites and a further four bedrooms on the second floor. Though the historic house has been given a modern update, it continues to retain its period charm, from the parquet wooden floors to its series of grand fireplaces. 

The couple have had plenty of trees planted around the perimeter of the property to preserve their privacy from paparazzi. But Aberlash House is more than just a family home, and the Clooneys often host exclusive soirées in the pool house. Amal describes the pool house as "the party zone", which reportedly includes a photo booth for guests to document their night.  

There’s speculation that George and Amal’s most recent investment is a luxury New York apartment in the newly built One Hundred East Fifty Third Street. The skinny glass skyscraper was designed by Norman Foster’s Foster + Partners architecture firm and was completed in late 2018.

According to unidentified sources quoted in the New York Post's Page Six, the couple opted out of purchasing the plush penthouse and are believed to own a high-floor apartment above best friends Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber. After selling their twin holiday homes in Mexico, could this be the new hangout for the celeb foursome?

Each amazing apartment in the skyscraper features a modern minimalist interior, with wire-brushed oak cabinetry, marble surfaces and a neutral colour palette. Properties are encased in floor-to-ceiling glass panels, providing plenty of natural light and the most spectacular views of the city skyline. 

The building contains a number of hotel-like amenities, including a communal pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates rooms. Residents can admire fantastic views of the Manhattan skyline from the 60-foot-long pool. There’s also a library and American sculptor Rachel Feinstein has recently completed a custom work of art for the building’s foyer.

George and Amal have said they have no current plans to add to their family, so it might be a while until we see the actor extend his impressive property portfolio again. For now, the pair can occasionally be spotted enjoying walks in the Berkshire countryside or boating in the Italian sunshine.