Skip
Current Issue
This Month's Print Issue

Follow Fast Company

We’ll come to you.

1 minute read

Masters of Design 2007

How to Live Like a Billionaire

  • <p>Any architect would agree that a house is the perfect balance between design and practicality. The homes of these famous billionaires are as opulent as they are convenient, elaborate as they are innovative. This is what it looks like when design meets construction and the price it takes to turn a billionaire's house into a home.</p>
  • <p><strong>Resident:</strong> Donald Trump<br /> <strong>Net Worth:</strong> $2.9 billion<br /> <strong>Location:</strong> Palm Beach, Florida<br /> <strong>Estimated Price:</strong> $125 million<br /> <strong>Size:</strong> 43,000 sq. ft.<br /> The real estate mogul won the auction for Abe Gosman's mansion, Maison de l'Amitie, in Palm Beach in 2004. The estate has 475 feet of beachfront access, a gym, a beauty salon and a sunken garden complete with a pool and a fountain.</p>
  • <p><strong>Resident:</strong> Jeff Bezos<br /> <strong>Net Worth:</strong> $3.6 billion<br /> <strong>Location:</strong> Beverly Hills, California<br /> <strong>Price Paid:</strong> $25 million<br /> <strong>Size:</strong> 12,000 sq. ft.<br /> The founder of Amazon.com recently purchased a mansion nestled in the jungle of luxury, just north of Sunset and with four fountains, a private veranda, a media room, separate guest apartment and a six-car garage.</p>
  • <p><strong>Resident:</strong> Michael Dell<br /> <strong>Net Worth:</strong> $15.8 billion<br /> <strong>Location:</strong> Austin, Texas<br /> <strong>Estimated Value:</strong> $12 million<br /> <strong>Size:</strong> 33,000 sq. ft.<br /> Dude, you're getting a mansion! The computer billionaire spent an estimated $30 - $60 million constructing this complex described by Fortune magazine as "Bauhaus-meets-spaceship-meets-community-college." In 1997, city appraisers assessed the value at $22.5 billion, but Dell wasn't happy with the property tax bill of half a million dollars, so they settled for $12 million.</p>
  • <p><strong>Resident:</strong> Bill Gates<br /> <strong>Net Worth:</strong> $56 billion<br /> <strong>Location:</strong> Medina, Washington<br /> <strong>Estimated Value:</strong> $53 million<br /> <strong>Size:</strong> 66,000 sq. ft.<br /> This billionaire's home features a 60-foot swimming pool with an underwater sound system, a domed library with secret doors as bookcases, and a trampoline room. Visitors wear small electronic pins, which let the house-as-computer know who and where they are. The lights, the digital artwork on the walls, the music, and the temperature all adjust accordingly.</p>
  • <p><strong>Resident:</strong> David Geffen<br /> <strong>Net Worth:</strong> $4.7 billion<br /> <strong>Location:</strong> Beverly Hills, California<br /> <strong>Price Paid:</strong> $47.5 million<br /> <strong>Estate Size:</strong> 9.4 acres<br /> The Dreamworks executive and founder of Geffen records set a Los Angeles real estate record when he purchased (in cash) this mansion in 1990 from legendary movie mogul, Jack Warner. The price included some of Warner's expensive antiques and other home furnishings. Now the mansion houses most of Geffen's large modern art collection. With a rumored $45 million spent on renovating the estate ($20 million on landscaping alone). The Beverly Hills mansion is estimated to be worth well over $100 million.</p>
  • <p><strong>Resident:</strong> Larry Page<br /> <strong>Net Worth:</strong> $14 billion<br /> <strong>Location:</strong> Palo Alto, California<br /> Google founder found a home in a Palo Alto landmark with touches of Spanish architecture. Although protected by a gatehouse to meet Page's high security and privacy concerns, the property is now easily accessible to be viewed on Google Earth.</p>
  • <p><strong>Resident:</strong> Oprah Winfrey<br /> <strong>Net Worth:</strong> $1.5 billion<br /> <strong>Location:</strong> Montecito, California<br /> <strong>Estimated Price:</strong> $50 million<br /> <strong>Size:</strong> 23,000 sq. ft.<br /> The media mogul's house wasn't even on the market when she set her eyes on it, but her offer couldn't be refused. The estate, along with the barn, the two ponds and the lake, became hers in 2001. Since then she has built a home theater, populated the manmade lake with rare fish, and decorated the quarter-mile long driveway with Montecito sandstone bricks. Her closet is the size of a master bedroom in her very own version of the Hearst Castle.</p>
  • <p><strong>Resident:</strong> Richard Branson<br /> <strong>Net Worth:</strong> $3.8 billion<br /> <strong>Location:</strong> British Virgin Islands<br /> <strong>Estimated Price Per Night:</strong> $46,000<br /> <strong>Size:</strong> 74 acres<br /> What's the point of being a billionaire if you're not going to have a private island? Leave it to the Virgin Group founder and British entrepreneur to purchase a tropical paradise and use it as his personal retreat. The resort is open to the public, for $46,000 a night, you too can vacation like a billionaire.</p>
  • 01 /09

    Any architect would agree that a house is the perfect balance between design and practicality. The homes of these famous billionaires are as opulent as they are convenient, elaborate as they are innovative. This is what it looks like when design meets construction and the price it takes to turn a billionaire's house into a home.

  • 02 /09

    Resident: Donald Trump
    Net Worth: $2.9 billion
    Location: Palm Beach, Florida
    Estimated Price: $125 million
    Size: 43,000 sq. ft.
    The real estate mogul won the auction for Abe Gosman's mansion, Maison de l'Amitie, in Palm Beach in 2004. The estate has 475 feet of beachfront access, a gym, a beauty salon and a sunken garden complete with a pool and a fountain.

  • 03 /09

    Resident: Jeff Bezos
    Net Worth: $3.6 billion
    Location: Beverly Hills, California
    Price Paid: $25 million
    Size: 12,000 sq. ft.
    The founder of Amazon.com recently purchased a mansion nestled in the jungle of luxury, just north of Sunset and with four fountains, a private veranda, a media room, separate guest apartment and a six-car garage.

  • 04 /09

    Resident: Michael Dell
    Net Worth: $15.8 billion
    Location: Austin, Texas
    Estimated Value: $12 million
    Size: 33,000 sq. ft.
    Dude, you're getting a mansion! The computer billionaire spent an estimated $30 - $60 million constructing this complex described by Fortune magazine as "Bauhaus-meets-spaceship-meets-community-college." In 1997, city appraisers assessed the value at $22.5 billion, but Dell wasn't happy with the property tax bill of half a million dollars, so they settled for $12 million.

  • 05 /09

    Resident: Bill Gates
    Net Worth: $56 billion
    Location: Medina, Washington
    Estimated Value: $53 million
    Size: 66,000 sq. ft.
    This billionaire's home features a 60-foot swimming pool with an underwater sound system, a domed library with secret doors as bookcases, and a trampoline room. Visitors wear small electronic pins, which let the house-as-computer know who and where they are. The lights, the digital artwork on the walls, the music, and the temperature all adjust accordingly.

  • 06 /09

    Resident: David Geffen
    Net Worth: $4.7 billion
    Location: Beverly Hills, California
    Price Paid: $47.5 million
    Estate Size: 9.4 acres
    The Dreamworks executive and founder of Geffen records set a Los Angeles real estate record when he purchased (in cash) this mansion in 1990 from legendary movie mogul, Jack Warner. The price included some of Warner's expensive antiques and other home furnishings. Now the mansion houses most of Geffen's large modern art collection. With a rumored $45 million spent on renovating the estate ($20 million on landscaping alone). The Beverly Hills mansion is estimated to be worth well over $100 million.

  • 07 /09

    Resident: Larry Page
    Net Worth: $14 billion
    Location: Palo Alto, California
    Google founder found a home in a Palo Alto landmark with touches of Spanish architecture. Although protected by a gatehouse to meet Page's high security and privacy concerns, the property is now easily accessible to be viewed on Google Earth.

  • 08 /09

    Resident: Oprah Winfrey
    Net Worth: $1.5 billion
    Location: Montecito, California
    Estimated Price: $50 million
    Size: 23,000 sq. ft.
    The media mogul's house wasn't even on the market when she set her eyes on it, but her offer couldn't be refused. The estate, along with the barn, the two ponds and the lake, became hers in 2001. Since then she has built a home theater, populated the manmade lake with rare fish, and decorated the quarter-mile long driveway with Montecito sandstone bricks. Her closet is the size of a master bedroom in her very own version of the Hearst Castle.

  • 09 /09

    Resident: Richard Branson
    Net Worth: $3.8 billion
    Location: British Virgin Islands
    Estimated Price Per Night: $46,000
    Size: 74 acres
    What's the point of being a billionaire if you're not going to have a private island? Leave it to the Virgin Group founder and British entrepreneur to purchase a tropical paradise and use it as his personal retreat. The resort is open to the public, for $46,000 a night, you too can vacation like a billionaire.

Oscar Raymundo 12.19.07 11:09 AM

Any architect would agree that a house is the perfect balance between design and practicality. The homes of these famous billionaires are as opulent as they are convenient, elaborate as they are innovative. This is what it looks like when design meets construction and the price it takes to turn a billionaire's house into a home.

loading