The most expensive and surprising gifts of the mega rich
30 March 2016
Uber-grand gestures
With money no object, the super-wealthy go the extra mile and then some when it comes to wow factor gift-giving. From iconic World Heritage sites and priceless jewels to rare endangered animals, here are 31 of the most jaw-dropping presents of all time.
The $1 billion wedding
Russian billionaire Mikhail Gutseriev has spent a reported $1 billion (£694m) on his son's Said's wedding, which featured guest appearances by Jennifer Lopez, Sting and Enrique Iglesias.
$1.5 million dog
It's the one gift most kids want: a puppy for Christmas. But most kids aren't like Royalty, Chris Brown's daughter, who found a $1.5 million (£1m) Tibetan mastiff – yes, that's how much these pampered pooches cost – under the tree on Christmas Day.
Stonehenge
Yes, really. In 1915 Sir Cecil Chubb spent $10,000 (£6,500) at auction to buy the world-famous prehistoric monument as a gift for his wife. Mrs Chubb however was far from pleased that her husband had squandered all that money on a few rocks, and Stonehenge was donated to the nation in 1918 before becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986.
20,000-seat stadium
When Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mohammed married Princess Salama in 1981, the sheikh's father shelled out a staggering $22 million (£15m), gifting the couple their very own opulent 20,000-seat stadium to accommodate the thousands of guests.
Bloody Mary's pearl
Richard Burton famously lavished Elizabeth Taylor with fabulous jewels, including La Pelegrina, the world's most iconic pearl. Bought at auction for $37,000 (£25,700) in 1969, the pear-shaped beauty once belonged to Queen Mary I of England aka Bloody Mary. It was bought at auction for $11 million (£7.6m) in 2011.
Taj Mahal
The breathtakingly beautiful marble mausoleum in Agra, India was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. As romantic gestures go, this really does take some beating.
$18,500 olive tree
Angelina Jolie forked out thousands of dollars on a simple olive tree as a surprise for Brad on Valentine's Day 2008. And no it doesn't grow money. The 200-year-old tree is “very special” according to an insider, hence the inflated price-tag.
Waterfall
Angelina Jolie certainly doesn't do things by halves. For Christmas 2012, she splashed out $1.6 million (£1.1m) on a Californian waterfall for Brad. Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, the couple intended to build a house straddling the falls.
$1.6 million helicopter
Angelina Jolie has clearly set the gifting bar sky-high. As well as bagging a waterfall for her beau in 2012, that same year she splurged almost $1.6 million (£1.1m) on the ultimate boy's toy for Mr Pitt: a helicopter. And it wasn't even his birthday.
Koh-i-Nor diamond
Steeped in history, this spectacular 105-carat diamond was gifted by Maharaja Duleep Singh of Lahore to Queen Victoria in 1850, though some claim the gemstone was taken forcefully. Now part of The Queen Mother's Crown, it is thought to be worth millions.
$1 million cash in a suitcase
It may not be the most imaginative but this is one seriously awesome gift : a Louis Vuitton suitcase bursting with $1 million (£700,000) in hard cash. Label boss Birdman surprised protégé Lil Wayne with the million-dollar case on his birthday in 2008.
White Christmas in LA
How about this for a festive surprise? Mega-rich producer Aaron Spelling once had tons of snow – $2 million-worth allegedly (£1.4m) – delivered to his mansion in sizzling Los Angeles so his kids could experience a white Christmas.
World's most expensive sculpture
Billionaire Roman Abramovich is far from stingy, especially when it comes to spoiling his other half Dasha Zhukova. In 2008 the Russian tycoon dropped a cool $104.3 million (£72.5m) on a sculpture entitled Walking Man I by Alberto Giacometti, which at the time, was the most expensive ever sold.
Part of the moon
That same year, Mr Abramovich snapped up 100 acres of land on the moon for his darling Dasha. The plot is located at 20-24°S latitude and 30-34°W longitude, and neighbors land owned by Tom Cruise and John Travolta.
Private paradise island
Crazy in love Jay-Z reportedly spent almost $4 million (£2.8m) on an idyllic 12.5-acre island in the Florida Keys for Beyoncé's 29th birthday, which is only accessible by helicopter or yacht to keep the paps at bay.
19th floor of the world’s tallest building
Bollywood actress and reality star Shilpa Shetty landed on her feet in 2010 when her business tycoon husband Raj Kundra bought her an entire floor at Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.
Solid gold bathtub
Now worth a relatively measly $1 million (£700,000), Mike Tyson boasted a fortune of $300 million (£210m) back in the day and didn't think twice about gifting Robin Givens, his wife at the time, a $2.3 million (£1.6m) bathtub made from solid 24-carat gold.
$84 million yacht
Billionaire Anil Ambani went all out to impress his wife Tina when he gifted her an $84 million (£58m) yacht in 2008. The Italian-made vessel, which measures an impressive 34 meters, was named Tian, a combo of the first two letters of the couple’s names
Trip to Space
Katy Perry reserved a seat on the first commercial flight to space for her then-husband Russell Brand's 35th birthday in 2010. The Virgin Galactic Spaceline is yet to launch however, so this the British comic may have to wait even longer to enjoy his out of this world gift.
Gemstone-encrusted toilet seat
When he was engaged to Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck wowed the singer/actress with a $105,000 (£73,000) porcelain toilet seat studded with diamonds, sapphires and rubies. All in the best possible taste of course.
Private Airbus jet
India's richest man, Mukesh Ambani wasn't going for the budget option when he gifted his wife Nina a $60 million (£41.6m) Airbus 319 corporate jet in 2007. Decked out with every luxury imaginable, the well-appointed plane features plush furnishings, cutting-edge tech and a glitzy sky bar.
Nappa Valley vineyard
Whether Victoria Beckham is partial to a glass of Chardonnay or two is anybody's guess, but the former Spice Girl no doubt has enough bottles of vino to last a lifetime after husband David gifted her a multi-million dollar Nappa Valley vineyard for her 34th birthday.
$100,000 Hermès handbag
For doting David, only the very best is good enough for his Posh, and for Christmas 2008, the former soccer player dropped $100,000 (£70,000) on a diamond-encrusted special edition of Hermès' Himalayan Birkin bag, one of a limited edition of just three.
Komodo dragon
This fearsome creature isn't the first thing that comes to mind as a suitable gift for the leader of the free world, but in 1990, the president of Indonesia presented George H W Bush with none other than a komodo dragon.
Pair of pandas
If you really want to impress, you probably can't go wrong with a couple of endangered animals. Pandas Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing were gifted to President Nixon by the Chinese government in 1973 and the famous pair lived out the rest of their days in Washington DC's National Zoo.
Bejeweled model boat
The Emir of Bahrain presented the Prince and Princess of Wales with a $1 million (£700,000) jewel-encrusted model of a dhow boat as a gift for their wedding in 1982. The blingy boat was later stolen from Princess Diana's Kensington Palace apartments and has never been recovered.
Gold-plated motorcycle
Jennifer Aniston revved up her gifting to full throttle when she surprised her then-fiancé Justin Theroux with a gold-plated motorcycle in 2008. The blingy bike set her back a whopping $1 million (£700,000) and Jen threw in a $500,000 (£350,000) Hermès biker jacket just in case the motorcycle wasn't enough.
$12,000 Chanel bike
It seems that Jennifer Aniston has a thing for gifting her nearest and dearest ultra-expensive bikes. The former Friends actress splurged $12,000 (£8,400) on a branded Chanel bicycle for BFF Courtney Cox's 39th birthday.
366 cupcakes
We're not sure if this is the best way to reach out to figure-conscious Victoria Beckham but Heidi Klum seemed to think so. In 2008 the model gifted Mrs Beckham an entire year's-worth of luxury cupcakes.
Ultimate employee outing
Oprah is renowned for her unending generosity and the media mogul displayed that famous largesse when she gifted her 100+ employees – and their families – a 10-day luxury Mediterranean cruise in 2009, all expenses paid.
Staples Center hire
Justin Bieber most definitely pulled out all the stops when he rented out the entire Staples Centre in Los Angeles for a date with girlfriend Selena Gomez in 2011. The 20,000-seat venue, home to the Los Angeles Lakers, costs almost half a million dollars (£350,000) to hire for the evening.
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