Landlord Products / ServicesTruly surprisingly, one of the most visited pages on this website is the Most Expensive House In The World 2007 blog post, which briefly goes over 2 properties in London that were purchased for a staggering £70m, which set new world records.
Unfortunately, that’s yesterday’s news. It’s officially 2008, and there’s a new top dog in town that’s taken the crown of being the most expensive house in the world (2008 edition).
So what’s the latest? Well, apparently £70m won’t buy you the most expensive house in the world anymore; it won’t even buy you the swimming pool located in the current leader’s premises.
A new record for the most expensive house in the world has been set, and it’s not only squeezed past the previous record holder, it’s shamelessly smashed through the barriers and has setup camp in a whole new league.
How much was the most expensive house in the world bought for?
£392m. I kid you not. That’s enough to cure a small third-world county, sadly.
Who owns the most expensive house in the world?
Russian precious-metal mogul, Mikhail Prokhorov.
About the property
The property goes by the name Villa Leopolda, a Belle Époque mansion in the French town of Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Cote d’Azur, on the French Riviera. It was built in 1902 for Belgian King Leopold II.
In August 2008, the previous owner, Lily Safra (wife of the deceased Syrian (Lebanon-born) businessman Edmond Safra), a famous Jewish philanthropist, decided to sell it to its new Russian owner.
The estate is so big that it requires 50 full time gardeners. The grounds cover 20 acres of garden and visitors can stroll amongst 1,200 olive, orange, lemon and cypress trees.
Unlike the previous most expensive houses in the world, there is extremely little information about the property out there, so it’s difficult to know exactly what we’re meant to be envious of (besides from all that wealth). I can’t even tell you guys how many bedrooms, bathrooms and parking spaces there are. But I imagine it could comfortably house The Waltons, and the monthly electricity bill probably costs more than my entire house.
I have a feeling more information will start to surface as more people start to get a little bit more curious. However, everything has been pretty hush, hush; even the owners are refusing to admit that they actually purchased the damn thing.
But I guess the lavish details aren’t that important, the main fact is that someone purchased a property in France for £392m, consequently there are people out there that have so much money that it makes me want to cry! To put things into perspective, I don’t even have £1 in my pocket right now, just a few coppers cluttering up my Ikea desk. I’m trying hard not to think about it too much, because it can become pretty demoralising knowing that my yearly salary wouldn’t even cover this guy’s weekly grocery expenses.
Pictures of the property
Like the lack of information, there’s also a shortage of clear pictures. But this is what I managed to find…
Does that look like a property worth £392m? Hmmm…your guess is as good as mine.
About the owner, Mikhail Prokhorov
Prokhorov is ranked as the 24th richest man in the world with a $22 billion fortune. Born May 3, 1965, he’s a Russian self-made billionaire. He made his name in the financial sector and went on to become one of Russia’s leading industrialists in the precious metals sector. He is the former chairman of Norilsk Nickel, the world’s largest producer of nickel and palladium, and the current chairman of Polyus Gold, Russia’s largest gold producer.
So what’s a man worth $22 billion look like? You guessed it… like Bob Saget.
If anyone has any further information on this property, please let me know!
Disclaimer: I'm just a landlord blogger; I'm 100% not qualified to give legal or financial advice. I'm a doofus. Any information I share is my unqualified opinion, and should never be construed as professional legal or financial advice. You should definitely get advice from a qualified professional for any legal or financial matters. For more information, please read my full disclaimer.
Does anyone know the 5 Most expensive properties worldwide?