Quirky, inexpensive hobbies the rich and famous love
Kooky pastimes you won't believe
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In between swigging champagne and sunbathing on mega-yachts, you'd be amazed at what some of the wealthiest and best-known people in the world get up to in their spare time. From playing with Barbie dolls and collecting bugs to going frog hunting, read on to discover the zany yet surprisingly low-cost hobbies of the rich and famous.
Tom Hanks collects old typewriters
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Tom Hanks might have a $400 million (£302.9m) fortune, but the seasoned actor forgoes the flashy cars and blingy watches, opting instead to collect old manual typewriters. Hanks allegedly owns around 120 if the obsolete gadgets, spending an average of $50 (£38) on each.
Bill Gates does the dishes
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Rocking a net worth of $133.8 billion (£101.3bn), Bill Gates is currently one of the richest people on the planet, but the Microsoft co-founder's tastes are simple and his hobbies include washing plates and cutlery: "I do the dishes every night – other people volunteer, but I like the way I do it."
Beyoncé is a Connect Four pro
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While Beyoncé does have a penchant for diamonds and luxury cars, she also enjoys board games. The pop diva, who is worth $440 million (£333.1m), is particularly keen on Connect Four and once beat Kanye West seven times in a row.
Taylor Swift makes snow globes
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Taylor Swift loves to craft snow globes for her celebrity girl squad buddies. The music star, who boasts a $550 million (£416.3m) fortune, is known to gift her kooky homemade creations to her nearest and dearest at Christmas.
Penelope Cruz collects coat hangers
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Penelope Cruz has an estimated fortune of between $55 million (£41.6m) and $75 million (£56.8m) to tap into, but rather than collect expensive pieces of clothing, she prefers to accumulate the hangers instead. The Spanish actress, reportedly, owns around 500 coat hangers in every shape and size you could imagine.
Leonardo DiCaprio has taken up beekeeping
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Renowned for his eco-friendly ways, Leonardo DiCaprio dabbles in beekeeping to relax and take his mind off work. The Don't Look Up star, who has a fortune estimated to be around $260 million (£196.7m), swears the hobby keeps his stress levels down.
Simon Cowell watches cartoons
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With an estimated net worth of $600 million (£454m), Simon Cowell could indulge in almost any pastime he desired, regardless of cost. However, The X Factor judge enjoys watching cartoons, with classics such as The Flintstones and The Jetsons among his favourites.
Amanda Seyfried is obsessed with stuffed animals
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Multimillionaire actress Amanda Seyfried is big into taxidermy and is the proud owner of a grisly collection of dead animals. They include a stuffed racoon gifted to her by talkshow host Conan O'Brien, a chick named Linda, and an owl that goes by the name Beatrix.
Demi Moore collects toys
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Demi Moore is actually one of the world's biggest toy collectors. The actress, who is worth roughly $200 million (£151.3m), boasts a mammoth collection of dolls and is especially fond of cute toy monkeys.
Mila Kunis is a huge Trekkie
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Picture your typical Star Trek fan and glamorous Mila Kunis probably isn't the first person who comes to mind, but the multimillionaire actress is a major Trekkie. She even does cosplay and attends conventions.
Rod Stewart is mad about model trains
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A major model railway enthusiast, Rod Stewart has one of the world's most impressive sets, which is modelled on postwar New York City and spans 1,500 square feet. The mega-rich rocker is so mad about his model trains, he even books extra hotel rooms for the things when he's on tour.
Janet Jackson had an enormous collection of pigs
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Janet Jackson has earned hundreds of millions of dollars throughout her long career and spent some of that money on the strangest of things. For instance, the music star once had a collection of pig figurines numbering in the hundreds.
Vin Diesel has a Dungeons & Dragons habit
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A Hollywood action movie hero with seriously geeky tendencies, Vin Diesel connects with his inner nerd by playing Dungeons & Dragons obsessively. A fan for over 20 years, the mega-rich actor has taught other stars to play, including veteran actress Judi Dench, of all people, and has a tattoo of his D&D name.
Warren Buffett plays the ukulele
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When he isn't counting his billions, Warren Buffett likes to unwind by playing his trusty ukulele. The Berkshire Hathaway CEO, who learned to play the instrument in his college days to wow a girl, has since jammed with Bon Jovi.
Sarah Jessica Parker loves to knit
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Feuding with co-star Kim Cattrall aside, Sarah Jessica Parker spent her spare time on both the set of the Sex and the City show and movies knitting. The actress, who is worth multi-millions, still enjoys a full-on stitching session when the mood takes her.
Ryan Gosling loves to knit, too
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Likewise, Canadian-born actor Ryan Gosling absolutely loves to knit. The A-list star, who is reportedly worth $70 million (£53m), picked up the skill from a group of elderly ladies on the set of his 2007 movie Lars and the Real Girl, and hasn't looked back.
Paris Hilton goes frog hunting
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Moneyed heiress Paris Hilton has a curious pastime she likes to indulge in now and again: humane frog hunting. Hilton said, “I love it. I go at my ranches. I have one near Oakland, California, and another in Nevada, and I own an island. So I catch frogs and put them in a bucket and then let them go”.
George Lucas feeds squirrels
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Staying with animal lovers, billionaire Star Wars director George Lucas is into all sorts of sci-fi nerdery, but lists feeding the squirrels that congregate in his neighbourhood as one of his principal pastimes.
Kristen Stewart likes to juggle
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The Spencer star, who's estimated to have $70 million (£53m) in the bank, has a talent for juggling. She even demonstrated her skills on late-night talk show, Lopez Tonight.
Antonio Banderas learns fashion design
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Spanish actor Antonio Banderas has a thing for fashion design and went as far as to enrol on a summer course at London's famed Central Saint Martins back in 2015. The style-conscious star has since collaborated with Selected Homme and served as Honorary President of Miami Fashion Week.
Kate Moss does synchronised swimming
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Ever wonder what Kate Moss does to keep in shape? The millionaire supermodel keeps trim by doing synchronised swimming, which she learned while on vacation in Thailand in 2010.
Steve Wozniak plays Segway polo
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When it comes to nerdy activities, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak's favourite pastime is up there with trainspotting and writing fan fiction. The tech multimillionaire is the sport's chief proponent, and the Segway polo world championship, the Woz Cup, is named in his honour.
David Beckham fences with A-list friends
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David Beckham may be more comfortable with a ball than a sword, but that hasn't stopped him from taking up fencing. The soccer superstar, who is worth over half a million dollars, fences with Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Will Smith.
Eva Longoria plays the clarinet
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A star with a hidden talent for music, millionaire actress Eva Longoria was Drum Major in her high school band and began playing the clarinet in sixth grade, mastering the woodwind instrument to a T.
Jennifer Garner plays the saxophone
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Likewise, Jennifer Garner is also musically inclined and plays the saxophone. Despite being one of the world's most famous actresses with an estimated $80 million (£60.3m) in the bank, Garner is still a band geek at heart, and even broke out her marching band uniform and saxophone to perform at A-list friend Reese Witherspoon's birthday bash.
Brad Pitt enjoys pottery
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Upon his divorce from Angelina Jolie, multimillionaire actor Brad Pitt took up the therapeutic hobby of pottery. His Once Upon a Time in Hollywood co-star Leonardo DiCaprio is also a fan of the craft, and the pair allegedly bonded over late-night pottery sessions at Pitt's home studio. We'd love to be a fly on the wall during those boys' nights in...
Claudia Schiffer collects insects
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The last thing you'd expect a glamorous millionaire to collect is bugs, but supermodel Claudia Schiffer is crazy about creepy crawlies. In fact, her home is basically a mini museum dedicated to her strange hobby, and framed dried insects like spiders, beetles, and butterflies adorn her walls.
Johnny Depp plays with Barbie dolls
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Johnny Depp is known for his eccentricities, but you might still be surprised to learn that the actor plays Barbie dolls. The actor, whose fortune is estimated in the region of $150 million (£113.1m), even used his quirky hobby to help him develop iconic characters like Willy Wonka and Captain Jack Sparrow.
Mike Tyson races pigeons
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Once famed for his exotic tigers, Mike Tyson now owns a much more humble pet – pigeons. The former boxing champ reportedly owns over 1,000 of them and, in his spare time, enjoys racing his beloved birds.
Leslie Mann likes to unicycle
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Despite being a multimillionaire actress with the means to pursue any pastime, Leslie Mann prefers to stick to her childhood passion: unicycling. She once told Oprah's O Magazine, "I can do all kinds of tricks, like cycling backwards and jumping off curbs."
William and Kate play bingo
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Royal festivities at Sandringham House may not be too different from a commoner's Christmas Day, as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge reportedly enjoy a game of bingo along with the rest of the family. During lockdown, the couple also popped in for a game of bingo with residents at the Shire Hall Care Home in Cardiff via video call (pictured).
Liam Neeson enjoys fly fishing
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Despite having $145 million (£109.5m) in the bank, Liam Neeson still enjoys the simple things in life. His favourite way to unwind is fly fishing, with the Hollywood star claiming it gives him peace to be on the water.
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