Boasting eye-watering valuations even the richest billionaires would balk at – or delight in if they were lucky enough to hold the deeds – the planet's priciest residential properties are dripping in opulence, occupying sought-after property hotspots across the globe. Join us as we take a tour around the world's most ridiculously expensive homes. Click or scroll on for more...
More than eight years in the making, The ONE in Los Angeles' Bel Air was set to be America's most valuable property upon its completion. Stretching over a colossal 100,000 square feet, the extravagant giga-manse was the brainchild of Hollywood producer turned high-end property developer Nile Niami.
Surrounded by a moat-style pool that makes the property seem like it's floating on air, The ONE is the ultimate billionaire home, and then some. Design plans include an indoor-outdoor entrance hall with bold contemporary design to undoubtedly impress with an eye-catching marble firepit. And that's just for starters.
The many reception rooms will be packed with the swishest bespoke furnishings imaginable and segue beautifully into the outdoor spaces with their array of phenomenal infinity pools and manicured terrace gardens that will provide breathtaking views of the Los Angeles skyline and the neighbouring hills and mountains.
One of the property's most jaw-dropping features was set to be the jellyfish chillout room with its glass tank walls and ceiling, the perfect spot to escape to and marvel in its awesomeness, but sadly this did not come into fuition. But the huge indoor-outdoor nightclub with several bars and an expansive dance floor did.
Once rumoured to be hitting the market for a staggering $500 million (£362m) it's now reportedly set to be listed for $225 milllion (£163m) after it was taken over by a court-appointed property manager after accumulating millions of dollars in loans and debt. Only time will tell if this expansive manse will host the most glittering A-list house parties the City of Angels has ever seen.
Rumour has it the apartment may be being rented by a mega-rich Ukrainian, who could be paying upwards of $483,000 (£345k) a month for the privilege. Like the rest of the exclusive high-end tower, the lobby is as luxe as they come. Dripping in marble and gold, it features bespoke wall sculptures by celebrated French artist Matéo Mornar.
Amenities in the tower are top-notch as you might imagine, and include a spa, fitness centre, café by prestigious restaurant group Cipriani, and a whole lot more besides. The mind-blowing penthouse has a number of stunning reception rooms, all featuring floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the captivating vistas, as well as a kitchen on every floor.
Entrepreneur and philanthropist John Caudwell pulled out all the stops with his phenomenal renovation of the Grade II-listed Ancaster House and adjacent 8 Chesterfield Gardens in London's posh Mayfair district, creating a jaw-dropping mega-mansion worth an estimated $349 million (£250m). The British tycoon, who joined the billionaire's club in 2006 after selling his Phones4U chain for almost $2 billion (£1.5bn), sunk $91 million (£65m) into the opulent refurb.
An army of 300 builders worked on the staggeringly expensive renovations, which saw 78 miles of cables and 650 electrical sockets installed, while 20,000 sheets of gold leaf were used to decorate the interior. Among the many highlights is the Thai-themed dining room, featuring a meandering river filled with tropical fish and a fabulous faux cherry tree.
A groovy psychedelic wonder that looks like a cross between a pad worthy of Austin Powers and a Bond villain lair, the 13,000-square-foot Palais Bulles ('Bubble Palace') was designed by experimental Hungarian architect Antti Lovag and completed in 1989. It was constructed over a period of 14 years and snapped up in 1992 by Italian-French fashion designer Pierre Cardin.
A French Riviera landmark, the Palais Bulles has hosted a Christian Dior fashion show, as well as stars like Pierce Brosnan and Marion Cotillard, and was used as a location for Absolutely Fabulous The Movie. The far-out home features a gigantic reception room and panoramic lounge filled with custom furniture, including a circular leather sofa that blends effortlessly into the space.
The 10 pod-like bedrooms are suitably psychedelic and in keeping with the curvy theme of the home with their circular beds. In fact, stark straight lines are pretty much non-existent in the unique Côte d'Azur bubble home, which while incredibly original, is most definitely an acquired taste.
In total, there are 11 disc-shaped bathrooms in the home, as well as multiple terraces and patios, three round infinity pools and even a 500-seat amphitheatre. Sadly, the property has been languishing on the market for years, with its last reported sale price listed at a staggering $390 million (£294m).
You really don't get much for your money in Hong Kong, where space is at a premium like nowhere else. Cue 24 Middle Gap Road. Located in the highly sought-after Victoria Peak neighbourhood, the 6,200-square-foot mansion, which has four bedrooms, is on the market at the time of writing for an astonishing $451 million (£323m).
Barring the rather attractive circular swimming pool and spacious garden, the entrance hall of the home, which was built in 1991, is probably the property's standout feature. It features quality parquet flooring and a beautifully designed staircase with extra-large arched windows.
The open-plan lounge and dining room offers modern, airy living in a neutral palette of greys and whites. However, the scale of the interior accommodation on offer here is notably smaller than the other grand properties in our round-up – a testament to the sky-high property prices in Hong Kong.
Elsewhere, the kitchen is streamlined and modern, if a little on the small side, featuring a compact island and built-in appliances. Located in Victoria Peak, an exclusive enclave across the water from the bustling centre of Hong Kong, it's clear that what you're paying for here is location, location, location.
Listed with Landscope, the mansion also offers four-and-a-half bathrooms, a family room, utility room and maid's room. The garden stretches a generous 7,146 square feet, plus there's a two-car garage on the property too.
Valued at more than $1 billion (£716m) by Forbes, the exceedingly ostentatious Antilia in India's commercial capital of Mumbai is home to billionaire magnate Mukesh Ambani and his family. Located on the city's upmarket Altamount Road, the contemporary 27-storey tower stands 568 feet tall and was named after a fabled phantom island in the Atlantic.
Built at a cost of $1 billion (£716m) back in 2010, there's also a cavernous ballroom, 50-seat home cinema and mega-temple within the building, not to mention a six-floor garage with space for 168 supercars, including the billionaire's prized Maybach 62. The property even boasts an ice cream parlour and an ice room with walls that spit out manmade snowflakes – no doubt ideal spaces for escaping the blistering Mumbai heat.
Drum roll please, the most valuable home on the planet is none other than London's Buckingham Palace. Putting a value on the iconic 828,000-square-foot royal residence, which dates back 317 years, is tricky to say the least, but online estate agent Emoov recently calculated the cost of the property at a colossal $7.7 billion (£5.5bn).
The Queen's official London residence encompasses 775 rooms including 52 royal and state bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 78 bathrooms and 92 offices, 760 windows and 1,514 doors, as well as the largest garden in the capital, which spans over 39 acres. The Queen is pictured here delivering her 2018 Christmas message in the White Drawing Room, one of the palace's 19 State Rooms.
We obviously couldn't leave out the Throne Room, so here it is in all its glory. In the foreground is a replica of the Queen's coronation bouquet. Along with being the world's most valuable building, the palace is currently undergoing the world's most expensive home renovation, which is expected to come in at some $514 million (£369m). Interestingly, a number of other stately buildings have been used to replicate the palace in the Netflix series The Crown, such as Lancaster House and Eltham Palace.
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