Biltmore Estate; Asheville, North Carolina
The sprawling Biltmore Estate in Asheville was built by George Vanderbilt, beginning in 1889. Though the home still belongs to the family, the wealthy clan does still offer tours of their private residence, complete with multiple floors of opulence, a bachelors wing for male mayhem, expansive gardens, and a winery.
Witanhurst; London, England
After the Buckingham Palace, the Witanhurst is the biggest private residence in all of London. Previously put on the English Heritage’s list of buildings “at risk,” the mansion has been owned by many prominent foreign figures, including Somar al-Assad, a cousin of the then-president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad.
Now owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Guryev, the 65 rooms (including 25 bedrooms), along with the dining room, Chinese room, billiards room, and the gallery hallway are all in good use.
Villa Leopolda; Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
The Villa Leopolda is a large villa on the French Riviera built from 1929 to 1931 by American architect, Ogden Codman, Jr. as a gift for his mistress.
The estate is now owned by Lily Safra, who inherited it after her husband’s death. The beautiful home sits just along the coast, complete with lush gardens, greenhouse, outdoor kitchen, pool, and helipad.
Taohuayuan; Suzhou, China
In 2016, this newly-built home hit the market in China for an incredible $1 billion yuan—or $154 million in U.S. dollars—making it the most expensive home in China to date. The 32-bedroom, 32-bath, home translates to “Peach Blossom Land,” as it sits on a private island on the south shore of Dushu Lake.
Fair Field; Sagaponack, New York
Fair Field, located in the Hamptons, was built by billionaire investor Ira Rennert, beginning in 1999. Though, due to the large size of the estate, Rennert didn’t move into the home until 2004, due to the outcry of the neighbors, who claimed that the 29-bedroom, 39-bathroom home, complete with a power plant, three swimming pools, a synagogue, two courtyards, an orangery, a 164-seat home theatre, basketball court and bowling alley would be entirely too much for the neighborhood to handle.
Antilia; Mumbai, India
Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, owns his own skyscraper in Mumbai, requiring a staff of nearly 600 people to keep the home running 24 hours a day. This residence, containing 27 stories of grand bedrooms and entertainment, has faced harsh criticism in a nation largely suffering from poverty and hunger.
Versailles; Windermere, Florida
Inspired by the Palace of Versailles, Westgate Resorts founder David Siegel began constructing this 85,000 square-foot house in 2004. Despite legal trouble that stalled construction for a number of years, after its completion in 2019, it is set to be the largest single-family home in the United States.
In part, the residence will feature 11 kitchens, 14 bedrooms, 32 bathrooms, a 30-car garage, a bowling alley, an indoor roller rink, three indoor pools, two outdoor pools, a video arcade, a grand ballroom, a two-story movie theater, a fitness center with a 10,000 square-foot spa, yoga studios, a wine cellar, an exotic-fish aquarium, two tennis courts, a baseball diamond, a formal outdoor garden, and an elevator in the master bedroom closet.
The One; Bel-Air, California
This $500 million-dollar Bel-Air home, when it’s set to go on sale sometime this year, will be the most expensive home in America.
Prospective homeowners can look forward to enjoying the four infinity pools, jellyfish rooms, nightclub, bowling alley, movie theater, and glass-encased library, among many other decadent features.
Beverly House; Beverly Hills, California
Built by former newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, the Beverly House sits on 3.7 acres and boasts an incredible 19 bedrooms, 29 bathrooms, the longest private drive in Beverly Hills, and an opulent garden and elaborate fountain.
When the property was available to rent in 2013, owners were asking for a mere $600,000 per month—making it the highest-priced residential rental in Los Angeles.
Fleur de Lys Mansion; Los Angeles, California
Texans David I. and Suzanne Saperstein built this estate in 2002, modeled after a French palace that includes “12 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, two motor courts, a pool/spa complex, a tennis court, formal gardens, a ballroom for 500, a two-story library, a tennis court, a music room, a commercial kitchen, a cutlery room, a staff dining room, staff offices, security center, and a 3,000-square-foot wine cellar and tasting room.”
Despite its luxury, the palace became notoriously difficult to sell, though when it eventually did in 2014, it went for a record $102 million dollars.
