From Bel Air to Barbados, from Hong Kong to the Hamptons, here are the priciest listings on the planet.
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that 2020 wasn’t a great year to be selling a million-dollar mansion. Luxury real estate markets the world over were already suffering from a slump even before the Covid-19 pandemic took its toll on the global economy. So this year our list of most expensive homes is more crowded with nine-digit offerings—and repeat entries from 2019—than ever. Of course, that won’t stop the prime real estate market from churning, even if more slowly. And if you’re going to quarantine somewhere, you could do worse than one of the impressive properties below. Here, the 25 the most expensive homes currently on market around the world.
25. Stonewall Farm, Westchester County, New York — $100 Million
Christie’s International Real Estate
This 740-acre property is one for the equestrian set. The owner, Calvin Klein cofounder Barry Schwartz, put three huge barns on the property—altogether, there’s room for 88 steeds—plus a race track and fenced paddocks. Your accommodations are just as spacious—the main residence is a massive, 24,000-square-foot building designed in the Colonial style and that has one of the most impressive libraries we’ve seen, with two stories worth of books and a spiral staircase. Also on the property are a 60-foot pool, gardens and a butterfly house. But if you’re a horse person, you’ll most likely be saddling up and riding one of the property’s many nature trails.
24. Orchid House, Malibu, California — $100 Million
Mike Helfrich for Chris Cortazzo of Compass
The owners know this 12,500-square-foot beauty as Orchid House, but to the rest of the world, it’s “That House That Pierce Brosnan Is Selling.” The former 007 called the property home for 18 years, so it’s a somber farewell—though not too tearful, surely, as he’s decamping to Hawaii with his wife, filmmaker Keely Shaye Smith, according to The Wall Street Journal—one that’s evidentially worth a nine-figure price tag. There’s no denying that, architecturally, the home is gorgeous. Brosnan was reportedly inspired by Thai architecture after his time filming Die Another Day in Thailand and contracted architects Ralph and Ross Anderson to create the teak-centric property. So while the inspiration may be tied to James Bond, it looks more lavish resort than secret spy headquarters.
23. Villa Theole Sur Mer, France — $105 Million
Côte d’Azur Sotheby’s International Realty
This Cannes estate is not like the others. If anything, it’s more a 164-foot infinity pool with a few beds and baths tacked on. Four houses at about 3,000 square feet surround it, plus there are two 800-square-foot apartments. It sits on almost three acres of land with 240-degree views of the coast and includes a separate spa area and pool house. Each of the homes has its own themes, which is reflected in their designs, including varnished wood, water and light and others. Of course, since there’s no one sprawling mansion on the property, it may not be for everyone—but if you’re looking for the perfect pool, it doesn’t get much better than this (or, frankly, more expensive).
22. South Ocean Boulevard, Palm Beach, Florida — $110 Million
Google Maps
When it comes to Palm Beach real estate, it doesn’t get much ritzier than Billionaire’s Row. Real estate magnates like Ken Griffin have staked their claim to the picturesque strip of land, and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club is just down the way. But even for the area, 1341 South Ocean Boulevard’s $110 million price tag is a bit of an ask. Only one home in the neighborhood has ever gone for that much—an estate dubbed La Follia, which sold for $110 million last year. South Ocean has been on and off the market for a few years now despite its impressive specs: 28,400 square feet on two acres worth of land with 170 feet of waterfront. But who knows, the Italian-style manse could find a buyer yet.
21. El Rancho Tajiguas, Santa Barbara, California — $110 Million
Courtesy of Compass Realty
Luxury ranches are primarily a thing of the American West, not the West Coast. El Rancho Tajiguas is the rare exception. It’s an estate comprised of 3,500 acres on Santa Barbara’s Gaviota Coast with avocado groves, persimmon orchards, thousands of acres of cattle rangeland—enough to support about 200 animals—and other facilities like barns, crop storage areas and water storage reservoirs. There’s not one but two homes on the property—Villa Della Costa and Villa Del Mare—and both are well over 10,000 square feet in scale. And really, who doesn’t love a good two for one?
20. Gemini, Manalapan, Florida — $115 Million
Sotheby’s International
Gemini makes the list of most expensive homes in the world again this year, albeit a bit farther down this time. And while it hasn’t been able to find a buyer for a few years now, that doesn’t make it any less impressive, especially as far as Palm Beach real estate is concerned. It sits on 15 acres of land with the ocean on one side and Lake Worth on the other, so you have double the waterfront space of most Florida mansions. (Keep in mind that this acreage is divided, though, by South Ocean Boulevard.) The home itself is over 62,000 square feet, and there are two four-bedroom beachside cottages elsewhere on the property, plus the seven-bedroom “Mango House” and the staff house. There’s a swimming pool on the premises, plus a golf area, tennis court and half basketball court. And just like any good Florida property that’s on the water, there’s a dock for parking your boat.
19. Owlwood Estate, Holmby Hills, California — $115 Million
Mike Kelley for Sally Forster Jones, Tomer Fridman & Tyrone McKillen of Compass / Viewpoint Collection
The Owlwood Estate has quite the celebrity pedigree. Sonny and Cher once owned the place, Marilyn Monroe was allegedly a frequent visitor and in 2017, Jay-Z and Rihanna attended a Grammy Awards brunch at the place. It’s easy to see why it’s so beloved—the 12,000-square-foot home is a real oasis in Holmby Hills, with regal interiors, a tennis court and an Olympic-sized pool. It’s had a bit of a hard time finding a buyer—it was originally listed for $180 million back in 2017—but if history’s any indication, then it’s very possible that another celeb will fall for the place and put up an offer.
18. Mar de Amor, Malibu, California — $115 Million
Alfred Yson for Sotheby’s International Realty
Mar de Amor’s name may be a bit corny—it translates to “Sea of Love” from Spanish—but pretty much everything else about it is carefully considered. Situated on 2.6 oceanside acres, it has a dramatic two-story entry, plus a gym, a 20-seat theater and more. There’s an infinity pool on the grounds, in addition to, obviously, access to the ocean and a tennis court and eight-car subterranean garage. One of the more jaw-dropping, contemporary homes in Malibu, it’s a standout both for its spacious 10,600-square-foot layout and its distinct architecture.
17. Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California — $120 Million
Mike Helfrich for Chris Cortazzo of Compass
Few Malibu beach homes can rival this one at Pacific Coast Highway, which combines square footage, acreage and ocean access to chic, paradisal effect. It’s an incredibly private estate—gated with its own guard house—and comes with a three-story guest house on the 2.9-acre site. Main residence amenities include an in-ground saltwater spa, wine room and a primary bedroom with dual bathrooms and walk-in closets. Of course, while the home itself is certainly magnificent, the property is valuable for its location, not its in-house sauna. It’s worth taking a walk along the 256 feet of beach frontage and taking in the sights.
16. Palazzate, St. Peter, Barbados — $125 Million
Courtesy of Palazzate
It’s worth having an island home (or hell, a whole island) in your real estate portfolio for when you need some time away at the beach. Palazzate is the consummate home in that regard, at least. After all, the place is humongous at 75,000 square feet, and amenities like a 2,500-square-foot fitness center, plus steam room and direct access to St. Peter beach, make it feel like a private resort that only you have the key to. Built in 2015, it’s yet to find a buyer that’s game for such an OTT beach getaway. Maybe a renewed interest in big, private estates in more remote areas will help it sell.
15. The Beverly House, Beverly Hills, California — $125 Million
The Agency
Chances are good you’ve seen the Beverly House before. Not only has it been on and off the market quite a bit over the years, it’s also something of a movie star. Scenes from the 1992 film The Bodyguard were shot here, as well as the scene when movie producer Jack Woltz wakes up next to a severed horse head in The Godfather—though the owner, Leonard Ross, contests the latter. Most recently, it was one of the many gorgeous backdrops featured in Beyoncé’s musical film Black Is King. It’s easy to see why the home has made it to the silver screen so many times—for one, it’s massive, at over 50,000 square feet, and for another, its Spanish colonial façade and incredible pool and gardens make for a pretty striking shot. The mansion even has a connection to legendary flick Citizen Kane. It was originally the home of William Randolph Hearst and his wife, Marion Davies, a duo that’s commonly thought to have served as inspiration for the titular character and his love interest.
14. Palazzo di Amore, Beverly Hills, California — $129 Million
Courtesy of Jade Mills
One of the most expensive homes in the US at $195 million, Palazzo di Amore just can’t seem to get any love from the real estate market. A certifiable mega-mansion at 50,000 square feet, it’s one of the most bonkers estates in the area, with a long list of amenities that includes a 10,000-bottle wine cellar, a 12,500-square-foot, in-home entertainment complex with a bowling alley, theater and ballroom that has its own rotating dance floor. Outside there’s a completely separate guesthouse, a swimming pool, another pool (this one’s 128 feet long and is strictly a reflecting pool), a tennis court and gardens. Even for Beverly Hills, that’s a pretty insane offering, one that requires a very particular buyer—which is probably why it’s been on and off the market since 2014.
13. Green Gables, Woodside, California — $130 Million
Christie’s International
Green Gables’ price tag, which, until this year, was kept under wraps, is a real doozy. It exceeds even our estimates of about $117 million from last year, instead leveraging its history and acreage to try and find a taker at $130 million. And there’s certainly plenty of both: The home sits on 74 acres of land in Woodside, and the original home has remained since it was originally built back in 1911. Back then it was owned by banker Mortimer Fleishhacker, and it’s been passed down in the family ever since. It’s easy to see why they’d want to keep it around. The grounds are home to trails through the redwoods, oaks and eucalyptus—there’s even a Michelin-star pub that comes with the place.
12. Le Palais Venitien, France — $140 Million
Côte d’Azur Sotheby’s International Realty
Venice may be sinking, but this mansion, which takes cues from the city’s historic architecture, promises to be a much surer investment. Situated on nearly six acres, the 32,000-square-foot Cannes palace overlooks the Mediterranean, with stately columns and arches reminiscent of those found along the Grand Canal. Outside is a walkway surrounded by shallow water and fountains on all sides, as well as a swimming pool with plenty of space to lounge nearby. And just like any good Italian estate, this one comes equipped with a pretty impressive wine cellar.
11. 90 Jule Pond Drive, Southampton, New York — $145 Million
Sotheby’s International
It wouldn’t be a most expensive homes list without something from the Hamptons, and Jule Pond is easily the priciest in the tony neighborhood at $145 million. It’s a title that the mansion has held for some time, too, as it’s been on the market for three years now. A 42-acre estate, it has some of the best ocean frontage in the area, plus there’s a pool, spa, tennis court and meditation garden. Originally commissioned by the Ford family of motor company fame, it was once the primary estate of a 235-acre package dubbed the Fordune. As for the 20,000-square-foot home itself, it’s been renovated since those days, most notably in 2008, effectively restoring all of the mansion’s original details.
10. Vatuvara Private Islands, Fiji — $155 Million
Vatuvara Private Islands
Don’t build your own resort. Buy somebody else’s. That’s the main draw of the Vatuvara Isles, as you’ll essentially be buying not just an 5,187-acre plot of land but a set of luxury hotel villas as well. These are all located on the shore of Kaibu Island—in total, you’ll get four islands with purchase, so there are three others that are for the most part much less developed. You can continue operating these three villas as their new manager, or just make them your own personal seaside escapes. Travel will be taken care of, too, as the resort’s private Twin Otter aircraft is all yours to use for flying to and from the islands.
9. Villa Firenze, Beverly Park, California — $160 Million
Villa Firenze Photo: Courtesy of Hilton & Hyland
A Little Italy in the heart of Beverly Hills? Count us in. Villa Firenze is an incredible estate, conjuring up the feeling of an old Italian palazzo in an area otherwise plagued with contemporary-spec homes. The former stomping ground of billionaire Steven Udvar-Hazy, the 20,000-square-foot home sits on an enviable nine-acre land parcel, along with a spectacular driveway and an outdoor pool with statues and lounge areas surrounding. There’s also two guesthouses and a 30-car motor court, so you can host family and friends while still giving everyone plenty of space. For all its charm, though, Villa Firenze has been on the market for three years, only recently getting a small price chop down from $165 million.
8. Mesa Vista Ranch, Pampa, Texas — $220 Million
Courtesy of Hall and Hall
Financier T. Boone Pickens may have passed in September 2019, but his legacy lives on via Mesa Vista Ranch, an estate that the magnate spent 50 years developing. But while it did get a price cut—down from $250 million last year—it still hasn’t budged on the marketplace since it was first listed back in 2017. Still, there’s no denying that Mesa Vista Ranch is a sprawling, incredible estate. It’s situated on 65,000 acres of land in the Eastern Texas Panhandle, and the main residence is a whopping 33,000 square feet. Pickens gave it plenty of TLC too, introducing manmade streams and new conservation practices to preserve the wildlife, as well as amenities that run the gamut from a two-story pub to an 11,000-square-foot dog kennel. All that’s left, of course, is to figure out what the next owner will do with the place.
7. Aspen Valley Ranch, Aspen, Colorado — $220 Million
David O. Marlow
The pattern of as-of-yet unsold luxury ranches continues with Aspen Valley Ranch, an 800-acre parcel that hit the market in May for an astronomical $220 million. It’s owned by Charif Souki, the cofounder and former CEO of Cheniere Energy, who, at one time, was the highest-paid executive in the US. It’s clear a chunk of that change went into the ranch, which includes over 34,000 square feet of residential properties—there are eight custom homes in total—and 10,000 square feet of operational facilities, including a horse barn, a garage with room for four-wheelers and snowmobiles and more. And it’s just 10 miles outside of Aspen—great news for the skiing set.
6. Casa Encantada, Bel Air, California — $225 Million
Courtesy of Hilton & Hyland
Casa Encantada is a rare historic property in Bel Air’s glossy market of new builds, but even that can’t get it to sell. The Georgian mansion was originally built in 1937 by architect James Dolena, a sought-after talent in Los Angeles at the time. It’s designed in an “H” shape so as to maximize views and sits on eight acres of land less than ten minutes from Rodeo Drive. Once owned by Conrad Hilton—yes, the magnate behind the Hilton hotel brand—it’s now being offloaded by financier Gary Winnick, but not before he had renowned designer Peter Marino revamp the place. Walk the 40,000-square-foot home’s many gardens, play a round at the tennis court or just zone out at the koi pond for a bit—unlike most offerings in the area, here, there’s plenty of room to do pretty much whatever you want.
5. Gateways Canyons Ranch, Gateway, Colorado — $279 Million
Photo: Courtesy of Jade Mills Estates
At Gateway Canyons Ranch you can buy your own car museum, mansion and airplane hangar—but it won’t come cheap. The 8,700-acre slice of land in Colorado’s picturesque red rock country was originally developed by Discovery Channel founder John Hendricks. And it’s clear that the magnate spared no expense on the place. The main residence is 22,000 square feet and includes an observatory—since the area is 45 miles away from the nearest city, it’s great for stargazing—plus a theater, spa, library and art studio. The future buyer can keep all of the home’s furnishings, should they so choose; they’ll even get all 50 of the vintage cars from Hendrick’s personal collection. And there’s room to build the place out a bit more, if all that’s not enough for you, as Hendricks secured all the necessary approvals to build 371 single-family homes and condos on the site.
4. Brewster Ranches, Marathon, Texas — $329 Million
Laurence Parent
It’s an overused adage, but in this case it’s true that, yes, everything is bigger in Texas. Brewster Ranches is a parcel of land and square footage that totals a whopping 420,000 acres, which is over half the size of Rhode Island. Situated in the Big Bend region of Texas, Brewster is an amalgamation of 22 properties—put them all together, and it’s fair to say that you’ll have your work cut out for you developing the place. That’s not to say there aren’t existing structures—there are multiple homes and lodges on the grounds, as well as an airstrip and airplane hangar that can be fixed up to be fully operational again. But the land here is the thing: Hunting opportunities include deer, elk and quail, and there are mountains, canyons and rivers running throughout the property, so it’s a welcome return to nature.
3. Pierre Cardin’s Bubble Palace, France — $390 Million
Courtesy of Christie’s International
The Bubble Palace’s distinct architecture makes it a real standout offering—but it also makes it a hard sell. Not everyone will love the cartoonish look of the place, though it certainly made sense for owner and fashion designer Pierre Cardin and his more eccentric tastes. Cardin commissioned Hungarian architect Antti Lovag to design the “palace” by the Cannes coast in 1975; Lovag took inspiration from the prehistoric caves that early human dwelled in for the Bubble Palace, creating a 12,900-square-foot network of circular rooms. It’s brazen, ridiculous and there’s nothing else like it in the world. It all tracks for Lovag, though, who once said that the straight line was “an aggression against nature.”
2. 24 Middle Gap Road, Hong Kong — $447 Million
Photo: Courtesy of Executive Homes HK
To be honest, there’s not much to see here. 24 Middle Gap Road has been on this list before, and not much has changed since the last time around. The home itself is 6,200 square feet, but it’s not the scale or architectural merit that you’re paying for here. Instead, the price tag has everything to do with 24 Middle Gap Road’s location in Hong Kong’s exclusive Peak neighborhood. Indeed, a home in the same area sold for a jaw-dropping $657 million in 2015, a record at the time. Of course, that was five years ago—how this third of an acre site will fare remains to be seen.
1. The One, Bel Air, California — $500 Million
Paul McClean
Surprise, surprise—the One takes the top spot yet again. Is it complete yet? Nope. But it’s getting close, which begs the question—will the One find a buyer? Frankly, who knows. The specs are certainly there, though. At 100,000 square feet, it’s downright massive, with 20 bedrooms and 30 bathrooms—the primary suite alone is bigger than most New York City condos at 5,500 square feet. The amenities are just as lavish, with not one but five swimming pools, an in-house night club, a six-lane bowling alley and more. (They even tried to put a jellyfish room with aquariums surrounding you on all sides into the place—turns out some things just aren’t meant to be.) It’s a big bet for film producer turned mega-mansion developer Nile Niami, who commissioned renowned Los Angeles architect Paul McClean to design the place seven years ago.
Source: Robbreport.com
