The Top Ten Most Expensive Houses

The world of luxury real estate is filled with some of the most extravagant properties imaginable, each boasting unique features, stunning designs, and jaw-dropping price tags. From historic palaces to modern architectural marvels, the most expensive houses in the world offer a glimpse into the lifestyles of the ultra-wealthy. This article explores the top contenders, including the iconic properties spanning Europe, Asia, and the United States that redefine luxury living.

9. Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Malibu Mansion

Beyoncé and Jay-Z paid $200 million for their Malibu mansion in 2023 as per the Architectural Digest website, setting a real estate record for the most expensive property in all of California’s history. This luxurious mansion is built on an area of 40,000 square feet and is situated in Paradise Cove, Malibu, California. The celebrity couple bought the mansion from Bill and Maria Bell, creators of The Bold and the Beautiful. The original owners commissioned Tadao Ando, a Japanese architect known for his minimalist style, to build the property. The construction work started in 1999 and took 15 years to complete. 

The property includes an infinity pool, private cinema, outdoor kitchen, fire pit, outdoor dining, and parking for up to six cars. Inside it features European oakwood floors, a floating oak stairway, four spacious bedrooms, and custom walk-in closets. The property has mature olive trees for privacy.

8. 18-19 Kensington Palace, London

The 18-19 Kensington Palace is a prestigious property located in Kensington Palace Gardens, London, and has an estimated worth of approximately $222 million as per Forbes in 2024. The property is approximately 55,000 square feet (over 5,000 square meters) in size.

The buildings were originally constructed as embassies by Sir Charles Barry, the architect behind the Palace of Westminster, in 1845. The palace has been owned by prominent families, including the Rothschilds and Reuters. Lord Lee of Fareham previously occupied 18, then renovated by Lionel de Rothschild around 1912. It later became the Egyptian Embassy and 19 became the Russian Embassy. Eventually, the properties fell into disrepair before being acquired by Sir David Khalili's company, Favermead Ltd., in the 1990s.

All original features were meticulously restored, including 40 Adam fireplaces, one of which was replaced after being deemed irreparable. High-quality materials included marble sourced from the same quarries as those used for the Taj Mahal and semi-precious stones from Italy, Spain, Portugal, and India.

In 2001, David Khalili sold the property to Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone for $72 million. In 2004, Ecclestone sold it to Mittal for $104.31 million. The Mittal family now owns the property and is known as the "Taj Mittal". Key highlights of the property include a marble paradise spanning 3,000 square meters, a reception area with a capacity for up to 1,000 people, seated dinners for 250 guests, an indoor swimming pool, spa facilities with steam showers and saunas, a hairdressing salon, and a basement parking with space for over 20 cars.

8. Four Fairfield Pond, United States

Four Fairfield Pond, located in Sagaponack, New York, and facing the Atlantic Ocean, is an extravagant estate valued at $250 million as per Forbes in 2024. Spanning 63 acres or over 110,000 square feet, including the 64,000-square-foot main house. Four Fairfield is owned by Ira Rennert, the chairman of the Renco Group. The mansion boasts 29 bedrooms and 39 bathrooms, a 91-foot-long dining room as well as a 164-seat theater and an on-site power plant. The property has a bowling alley, tennis courts, a basketball court, and multiple swimming pools.

7. The Holme, London

The Holme is a 205-year-old mansion in Regent's Park, London. The Holme is famously known as "the White House" of London's Regent's Park. According to the Business Insider India website, it was put on sale in 2023 with an asking price of $300 million. The mansion was built in 1881 by James Burton, a property developer by profession, and designed by his son, Decimus Burton. He and his family lived there, and Bedford College used it. Soon after in the 1980s it again became a private residence. This was when Saudi prince Prince Abdullah bin Khalid bin Sultan al-Saud and his family owned the property. Last year the loan on the property (around $180 million) expired and it came up for sale. 

6. Odeon Tower Penthouse, Monaco

Located on the French Riviera above the Mediterranean Sea, the Tour Odéon is a 50-story, 170-meter-tall tower that also includes two 1,200-square-meter Sky Duplex apartments. The Sky Penthouse in the Tour Odéon in Monaco is 3,300 square meters (or 35,000 square feet) and spans the top five floors. It is estimated to be worth $330 million in 2024 as per Forbes. The building is part of Groupe Marzocco’s project and its construction was started in 2009 and finished in 2015. 

Inside the penthouse, you get five bedrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea. The penthouse has an infinity pool with a private water slide. Along with that, it has a fitness room, a spa, a sauna, and a hammam. The penthouse has access to the building's amenities, including a cinema, private theater, lounge, retail shops, and 24/7 concierge. 

5. Les Palais Bulles, Theoule-Sur-Mer, France

With an estimated value of $420 million in 2024 as per Forbes. Also known as the Bubble Palace, it is built on an area of 1,200 square meters (13,000 square feet) in size. The house is spread across six floors and has 29 rooms, 11 bathrooms, and 10 bedrooms.

The Palais Bulles is a private property located in Théoule-sur-Mer, France, on the French Riviera. It was designed by Hungarian architect Antti Lovag and built between 1975 and 1989 for French industrialist Pierre Bernard. In 1992, fashion designer Pierre Cardin purchased the property. 

The interiors are decorated with murals by artists such as Patrice Breteau, Jérôme Tisserand, and Daniel You. The house has 29 rooms, 11 bathrooms, and 10 bedrooms. The house has multiple swimming pools, including an infinity pool. The property also has a private outdoor auditorium that can seat 500 people. That said, the property has been listed as a historical monument by the French Ministry of Culture.

4. Villa Les Cèdres, France

The Villa Les Cèdres is another expensive property on this list worth $450 million in 2024 as per Forbes. It was built in 1830 by the Pollonnais family, who were carpet merchants from Nice. This historic villa is situated on the prestigious French Riviera in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat known as the "Golden Triangle" of the French Riviera. The villa spans 18,000 square meters (approximately 193,750 square feet) and is conveniently located within a 30-minute drive to major destinations like Monaco and Nice.

Originally named Les Oiseaux, the villa was purchased by King Leopold II of Belgium in 1904, who significantly expanded it and renamed it Les Cèdres. The villa was owned by the Marnier-Lapostolle family from 1924 until its sale in 2016 when it was acquired by Gruppo Campari as part of a larger purchase. The current owner of the property is Rinat Akhmetov, a Ukrainian billionaire who purchased Villa Les Cèdres in 2019 for approximately $221 million. 

The original design was by architect Hans-Georg Tersling, with significant renovations led by Aaron Messiah after King Leopold II's acquisition. The villa features grand architectural elements typical of the Belle Époque era. It boasts 14 bedrooms, a ballroom, a vast library with over 3000 books, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, an impressive bronze statue of the goddess Athena, a spacious horse stable, and the world's largest private botanical garden.

3. Villa Leopolda, France

The third most expensive house in the world as of November 2024 is the Villa Leopolda. The villa is worth $750 million as per Forbes in 2024 and is set on 18 acres (784,080 square feet). In its current form, it was built between 1929 to 1931 by American architect and interior decorator Ogden Codman, Jr.. It is situated on the French Riviera in Villefranche-sur-Mer and oversees the Mediterranean Sea. It was built by King Leopold II of Belgium from whom the name of this villa is derived. As per the villaleopolda.com website, he gifted it to his mistress Blanche Zélia Joséphine Delacroix. 

When Leopold died, she was evicted from the villa, and his nephew King Albert I became the new owner. During World War I, it served as a military hospital for the Belgium soldiers. Eventually, in 1919 French aristocrat Thérèse Vitali, Comtesse de Beauchamp, acquired the property. Then it went to Codman who purchased nearby properties and redesigned the stunning neo-Palladian villa that stands majestically on the site today. When he died Villa Leopolda was sold to Canadian financier Izaak Walton Killam. 

In the late 1950s, Mrs. Dorothy Killam sold the villa to Fiat Automobile president Gianni Agnelli and his wife Marella Agnelli. The Agnellis then re-sold the villa to Dorothy J. Killam in 1963. After her death, the villa was sold to Brazilian banker Edmond Safra and his wife Lily in 1987. In 2008 they tried selling the villa to Russian billionaire businessman Mikhail Prokhorov for $392 million excluding $20 million for the villa's furniture but due to the 2008 financial crisis, the deal never went through.

This famous villa has been featured in three films, 'The Red Shoes” in 1948, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 movie ‘To Catch a Thief', and the 2014 memoir “Red Notice.” Coming to the amenities and features, inside the opulent villa, you have 19 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, a tennis court, a helipad, and extensive gardens with a pool and outdoor dining areas.

2. Antilia, India

Owned by Mukesh Ambani, the head of Reliance Group and a multibillionaire, Antilia is a 27-story skyscraper. It is located in the Altamount Road area of South Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The building was constructed between 2006 and 2010. Antilia is worth $2 billion in 2024 as per Forbes. It is built on 37,161 square meters (or 400,000 square feet) of land and has a height of 570 feet. Antilia is inspired by the lotus and the sun and features these shapes throughout the home in materials like marble and mother-of-pearl. No two floors are similar, and it is designed to withstand earthquakes up to 8.0 on the Richter scale. 

It features 49 bedrooms, three helipads, a 50-seat cinema, ballrooms, a health spa, multiple swimming pools, and a snow room. The building also has a six-story underground garage, which has a capacity of 168 cars. It has nine high-speed elevators and is managed by a team of over 600 people. That said, its top four levels are dedicated to hanging gardens to make the building energy efficient. 

1. Buckingham Palace, United Kingdom

Originally constructed in 1705, Buckingham Palace, situated in the United Kingdom, is estimated to be worth $4.9 billion in 2024 as per Forbes. It is the official residence of the British monarchy. Buckingham Palace has a total floor area of 77,000 square meters (or 828,821 square feet). The palace is 108 meters across the front, 120 meters deep, and 24 meters high. 

Inside the palace, there are 775 rooms, including 19 staterooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 92 offices, 78 bathrooms, and 188 staff bedrooms. The palace also has a 40-acre Buckingham garden with a lake, tennis court, helicopter landing area, and lawn. Another unique aspect includes the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace Forecourt every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.