boki9 (35) in #mark • 7 years ago
I think we all dream of having a bit of luxury in our lives once in a while. For me, luxury means a really nice bath with an expensive bath bomb so it’s a bit shocking to see how the really rich live their lives.
I can’t understand the desire to own more than one home. Isn’t that stressful? I can’t imagine having to clean 19 rooms. Of course, these billionaires have cleaning staff to deal with messes. But that’s another reality I can’t imagine. The best part of being a billionaire? Not having to worry about money in the normal sense.
From multiple homes and dream vacation getaways to luxury cars and private jets, these 20 billionaires have made their fortunes and are living large. Can you guess who’s at the top of the list?
DILIP SHANGHVI
Dilip Shanghvi has a net worth of over $10 billion and made his fortune in the pharmaceutical industry. Shanghvi had a house built in the city of Surat. It’s a beautiful, luxurious home that features lush green lawns. He’s the second richest man in India and unlike other billionaires on this list, he holds a University degree. He’s also another billionaire who prefers to keep a low-profile. I think if I was a billionaire, I’d keep a low profile too and spend my billions on a fancy gym and lots of delicious take-out. I’d probably commission a house be made too and if it were modelled after Shanghvi’s home I would be happy about that. It’s a modern design and looks like a fortress. Privacy and security are definitely important when you’re this rich and successful.
WILLIAM LAUDER & FAMILY
William Lauder is the executive chairman of the famed Estee Lauder cosmetics brand. He is the grandson of Estee Lauder herself. In an early 2016 profile, Forbes estimated Lauder’s net worth to be around $1.2 billion. Not bad for a guy who likely owns just under 6% of stock in the company. And what does all that money buy? William Lauder owns not just one luxury home, he owns several. He has houses in New York and Colorado. And what else does one do with a bunch of extra cash? Obviously, hire someone to conduct a private investigation on their mistress! Lauder’s life is not without drama. Did you know his mistress purchased a child from a child trafficking ring? Who doesn’t just go out and buy a baby to make sure their child has a friend to play with… Totally reasonable.
PIERO FERRARI
Piero Ferrari is the son of Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the Ferrari car company. Piero is actually the illegitimate son of Enzo but despite this strained connection to the family tree, he has become the heir to the family business. When his father died, he became vice chairman. He also owns 10% of the company. It’s a good thing his dad prodded him away from the dangerous world of racing because he’s still in one piece and has a net worth of over $1 billion. He’s also got a passion for luxury yachts and he recently invested in the Ferretti Group which builds luxury yachts for super rich folks to take out onto the open sea.
AMANCIO ORTEGA
Amancio Ortega is the founder of Zara, the famous clothing brand. In September 2016, an article was featured on Forbes.com explaining that Ortega had surpassed Bill Gates in net worth. It wasn’t long-lived though, in fact, the two have been frog-jumping back and forth vying for top place, as richest man in the world. Not a bad title to hold, even for a few hours. It’s true that he’s a private guy and actually lives most of his life quite humbly. He lives in an apartment with his wife and he’s a creature of habit. But being a billionaire means he also owns his own equestrian centre, he hangs out the rich and famous and he owns of the tallest buildings in Spain. Oh, and did I mention that he also owns a jet? Yeah. It costs around $45 million to own one of those babies.
JEFF BEZOS
Jeff Bezos is the founder of Amazon.com. The place where we all go these days to fulfill our need to get things immediately delivered to our doorsteps. As of February 2nd, 2017 Bezos’s net worth, according to Forbes.com, is around $72.3 billion. Pretty impressive for a guy who wanted to call name the famous shopping website, Cadabra. Recently, he purchased the largest house in Washington. It used to be the Textile Museum and he’s turning it into a swanky home for himself. He paid for the property with cold hard cash. No big deal, just $23 million out of pocket. It’s a gorgeous home and once he’s moved in with his family he might just be knocking on the Obama’s door to borrow some milk.
MARK ZUCKERBERG
Mark Zuckerberg is a name you most likely recognize immediately. He’s the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Facebook. He’s worth over $50 billion. Not bad for a Harvard drop-out. Ironically, he’s pretty serious about his privacy and for the most part he’s a pretty normal seeming guy. But none of us normal non-rich people have $100 million to drop on a secret Hawaiian getaway spot. He also paid $45 million for his Palo Alto home. But a super successful guy like Zuckerberg clearly needs more than one home! He also bought a luxury property in San Francisco. You can check out photos of one of his gorgeous homes at Forbes.com. The master bathroom is HUGE and the outdoor fireplace area is just incredible.
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG
Michael Bloomberg has a net worth of over $40 billion. He served as the mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013. He’s also the founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He owns a luxurious 5-story townhouse in New York but that’s not enough for Mr. Bloomberg. He’s slowly bought out units next door and in the vicinity in an effort to create a sort of mega-mansion. Bloomberg also owns a grand home in London for which he paid $25 million. The giant home is just a vacation spot though and just for good measure, he also owns another home in London. He also has a helicopter which he knows how to fly! But don’t worry, he still keeps a jet around too. Without it, he wouldn’t get to fly privately to his oceanfront vacation home in Bermuda.
LILIANE BETTENCOURT
Liliane Bettencourt is worth over $35 billion and she owns 33% of L’Oreal along with her daughter and grandsons. She is actually no longer in control of her estate. Sadly, she suffers from dementia. She is now 94 years old. In 2015, she was the center of a trial in France that accused several close associates of taking advantage of the woman’s frail state. When I’m old and frail I only hope I get to spend my time in a giant mansion. In 2012, she sold her private island for triple what she paid originally. Despite her current fragile state, she’s definitely done some impressive things in her lifetime. Her father, the founder of L’Oreal, would no doubt be proud. Hopefully her daughter and grandchildren are thankful for what they have been given.
LI KA-SHING
Li Ka-Shing is a high school drop-out who is now one of the richest men in Asia. He’s worth over $30 billion. He started his path to success when he opened his own factory as a young man. He’s made his fortune via manufacturing, property development, investing and just having a savvy mind for business. Li Ka-Shing lives in Deep Water Bay, which is an area in Hong Kong that exclusively houses the very wealthy. It’s a gorgeous, lush landscape speckled with grand mansions and estates and it’s right by the water. Another little tidbit about Ka-Shing: his oldest son was abducted for a HK$600 million ransom. That’s no small sum. If I had a child and he was abducted and I was asked for that kind of dough, my kid would be gone forever.
SHELDON ADELSON
Sheldon Adelson is the CEO and Chairman of Las Vegas Sands. He has a net worth of over $25 billion. He’s made his fortune with casinos and he lives in the casino capital of North America: Las Vegas. He has a lavish mansion in Las Vegas. Remember, Las Vegas is in the dessert. Of course, Adelson could care less about that! His estate features beautiful, lush green lawns. Saving water? What’s that? His mansion also has 13 and a half bathrooms. Having that many bathrooms is definitely a necessity when you’re living in nearly 44,000 square feet worth of space. When you gotta go, you gotta go. If you take a look at photos, you can spot a tennis court and an oddly shaped pool. The whole property can probably be seen from space.
