Most Expensive House in the World – Famous Luxury Buildings

Let’s have a look at some of the most expensive houses in the world. In this article, we are going to examine 25 of the world’s most expensive homes, how much they cost, where they can be found, and who owns them. Keep reading to learn more about who owns the most expensive house in the world and all about the other most expensive homes!

The Most Expensive Houses in the World

We are going to examine 25 of the most expensive properties in the world. In this particular article, the focus will be on houses. Now, how one defines a house can be a difficult thing, and in this case, we are defining “houses” as private residences and not necessarily conventional “houses”. So, there will be penthouses and mansions on this list. Before we begin, it is worth noting that the supposed value of a house is generally the estimated value.

Buckingham Palace ($6.9 Billion) in London; Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The value of a property can fluctuate over time, and so whenever a house is newly sold, the value will, technically, be whatever it was sold for, but even that may not be entirely reflective of the true value. However, this threatens to descend into a philosophical debate about the very nature of value as a concept. So, let’s just say that these are some of the world’s most expensive houses and move on. And one final thing before we get started: this list will be in descending order. This means that the most expensive house in the world will be at the very bottom. Let’s get started.

Spelling Manor ($160 Million) in Holmby Hills

Spelling Manor is a massive mansion-sized structure with 14 bedrooms and 27 bathrooms as well as a variety of other excessive amenities in its halls. There is a tennis court, swimming pool, wine cellar, three rooms made exclusively for gift-wrapping (for some reason), and a bowling alley of all things. This is one of the world’s most expensive houses, and it was owned by Aaron Spelling, the TV producer responsible for shows like Charlie’s Angels, The Love Boat, and Charmed.

After his death, it was sold off to Petra Ecclestone and James Stunt.

Spelling Manor ($160 Million) in Holmby Hills; Atwater Village Newbie, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Sanctuary at Loon Point ($160 Million) in Santa Barbara

The Sanctuary at Loon Point is an utterly massive structure that can be found beside the beach in Santa Barbara. The building is one of the most expensive mansions in the world, and it has its own private route to the beach. It, of course, also has its own pool and other amenities. The property does not have as many rooms as some of the others that will appear on this list with “only” 10 bedrooms and 21 bathrooms in its massive property boundaries.

The mansion is owned by Bruce Kovner, a retired hedge fund manager, and he has been developing the property for well over a decade as more and more additions are made to the overall size of the structure.

The Penthouse at 432 Park Avenue ($169 Million) in New York City

The Penthouse at 432 Park Avenue is, unlike many other extremely expensive buildings on this list, not a mansion or a gigantic estate, but rather an apartment. The apartment is, obviously, a penthouse, and it is located at the very top of a skyscraper on the 96^th floor. This allows the penthouse to have a gorgeous panoramic view of Manhattan from high above practically every other residential structure in the city. The penthouse is currently owned by Fawaz Alhokair, a Saudi businessman.

However, despite owning this absolutely decadently expensive Manhattan apartment, he has never lived in it. So, it appears to be more of an investment than anything else.

The Penthouse at 432 Park Avenue ($169 Million) in New York City; Fashawks8, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Jack Warner Estate ($175 Million) in Beverly Hills

The Jack Warner Estate, as the name may suggest, was once owned and developed by Jack Warner. That name may be familiar to some as he was literally the co-founder of Warner Bros. So, the money he made to construct this Georgian Neoclassical structure came from the world of film. This is one of the most expensive homes in the world, and it contains the usual features that you could expect out of the usual humble home, such as a full nine-hole golf course of its own, a tennis court, a pool, and various guest houses.

It was later purchased by David Geffen, another icon of the industry, in 1990, and he eventually sold it, fairly recently, to Jeff Bezos, the owner of Amazon.

Mylestone at Meadow Lane ($175 Million) in Southampton

Mylestone at Meadow Lane is another of the massive beachfront properties that top the list of the most expensive properties in the world. The estate itself needs to be taken as a whole rather than simply looking at the central building, as it contains its own boardwalk, basketball and tennis courts, a pool (obviously), a massive garage, and even a deepwater dock. This isn’t even to mention the mansion itself, which comes with 11 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms (of varying sizes).

This massive estate is owned by Marcia Riklis, who bought the place back in 2005 and has since committed to some of the most extensive renovations ever done on a private residence.

Sloane House ($200 Million) in London

The Sloane House is one of the oldest buildings on this list, and it is a gigantic 18th-century mansion in London. The old mansion has 8 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms and so it does not top the most decadent numbers of these rooms on this list, but what it does do is contain some of the most decadent additions. There is a large aquarium located, of all places, in the kitchen, the floors are made of marble, there are various crystal chandeliers throughout the mansion, a swimming pool, its own spa, squash court, and a movie theater.

This is another of the properties on this list that belongs to Petra Ecclestone, the inheritor of Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One fortune.

Tarpon Island ($210 Million) in Palm Beach

Tarpon Island is a private island that contains a number of structures upon it. This is one of the reasons that this list could not include simple houses, as something like this is more than just a house. This island property contains an 11-bedroom and 22-bathroom mansion, but it also has its own library, guest house, wine room, spa, steam room, hair salon, and much more.

The building was owned by Edward Lampert, who developed mic of the property, but he then sold it in 2021 so that it could be renovated to then put it back on sale (which is how it currently stands as it waits for someone to come along and pay the $210 million needed to own it).

18-19 Kensington Palace Gardens ($222 Million) in London

18-19 Kensington Palace Gardens is one of the most expensive mansions in the world. This massive mansion contains 12 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms alongside the other kinds of amenities that one has likely come to expect from the buildings on this list as it also has its own Turkish bath, cinema, poor, panic room, and gym. There are also numerous artworks throughout the building, including some by figures like Andy Warhol, and many of these are decorated in marble and gold.

The building is owned by Lakshmi Mittal, the chairman of the largest steel producer in the world, ArcelorMittal.

18-19 Kensington Palace Gardens ($222 Million) in London; Malkalior at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Casa Encantada ($225 Million) in Los Angeles

Casa Encantada is an utterly massive structure that is situated in Bel-Air, and this immensely expensive and overly massive structure includes 18 bedrooms and 25 bathrooms alongside the usual things one may expect, like its own library, bar, and card room. It is also particularly notable for the perfectly sculpted gardens that surround the building. The mansion itself was built in the early 20^th century, prior to the Second World War, in a Georgian style.

It is currently owned by Gary Winnick, a financier, who has since renovated the building and put it up for sale.

220 Central Park South Penthouse ($238 Million) in New York City

220 Central Park South Penthouse is another of the few apartments on this list. The structure is, obviously, a penthouse, and it is one of the most expensive homes in the world. The penthouse is not atop a skyscraper as some penthouses are and is instead atop the top four floors of a skyscraper. This utterly massive penthouse contains five separate balconies to allow a panoramic view of the city.

The structure is currently owned by the CEO of Citadel, Kenneth C. Griffin, a man who owns some of the most expensive houses in the world.

One Hyde Park Penthouse ($247 Million) in London

One Hyde Park Penthouse is another of the penthouses on this list. This luxury apartment is not as large as some of the others on this list, but with its gorgeous views of London in general and Hyde Park in particular, this beautiful structure provides some of the most gorgeous sights in the world. The 6-bedroom and 7-bathroom apartment building contains various additional rooms, like a wine room, gym, cocktail bar, and, of course, a special champagne room, but the views are what make it so special. The penthouse is owned by Nick Candy, a British entrepreneur who co-founded Candy & Candy.

One of the peculiar things done with regard to the possible sale of this house is that he offered to sell it for cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin or Ethereum.

Fair Field Mansion ($248 Million) in Sagaponack

Fair Field Mansion is an utterly massive mansion with 29 bedrooms and 39 bathrooms (which is odd considering there tend to be more bedrooms than bathrooms in most buildings), but these usual rooms are only there to lend some credence to the other many amenities within the property, such as a bowling alley, basketball court, tennis court, and even a 164-seat theater of all things.

It was built back in 2003 by the Renco Group owner, Ira Rennert, and he has maintained the massive structure ever since.

Royal Palace-Style Mansion ($250 Million) in Caesarea

Royal Palace-Style Mansion is a building with a name that may be somewhat on the nose. It is constructed to appear like a royal palace with its Baroque and Rococo-inspired architectural design, and overbearingly opulent artworks made of materials like gold, silk, onyx, and marble, yet it contains comparatively few rooms. This may be one of the world’s most expensive houses, but it only has 5 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms, which is still a lot, but not quite in comparison to some of the other buildings on this list (although this does not mean that there aren’t a variety of other rooms in this palace-style structure).

The building is also a bit of a mystery as the owner is an unknown figure who bought and developed one of the most expensive houses in the world yet has not revealed themselves to the world.

9650 Cedarbrook Drive ($250 Million) in Los Angeles

9650 Cedarbrook Drive is one of the world’s most expensive properties, and it is topped with a mansion that contains 19 bedrooms and 33 bathrooms. In addition, it has a massive theater, bowling alley, basketball, tennis, and squash courts, alongside a spa and swimming pools. In addition, the estate holds an absolutely massive garage that is capable of housing 91 cars within its walls. The building is currently owned by the investor and real estate developer Mohamed Hadid. The construction of the massive property was opposed by many within the environmental movement as the estate was so large that it negatively impacted the environment around which it was constructed.

The construction went ahead regardless of this.

Mesa Vista Ranch ($250 Million) in Eastern Texas Panhandle

Mesa Vista Ranch is a gorgeous and utterly massive private ranch that spans a gigantic swath of land. The estate contains a number of buildings on it, such as a main lodge, a lake house, a gatehouse, its own golf course, a chapel, and, because why not when you have so much space, its own private airport? The ranch is also so massive that it contains its own ecosystem that is maintained and conserved. The ranch was originally owned by T. Boone Pickens, who was an oil tycoon. However, he died in 2019 and left the estate to the charitable foundation that he owned.

They later went on to sell the property, in 2021, to an unknown buyer. The fee that was paid for the gigantic estate is also not known.

The One in Bel Air ($295 Million) in Los Angeles

The One in Bel Air is so large that it is considered to be a “megamansion” as it contains 21 bedrooms and 42 bathrooms alongside a library, bar, a series of swimming pools, its own massive Skydeck, nightclub, and even a pool that stretches around the entirety of the property like its own moat. The entire structure is situated atop a hill so that it has panoramic views of the city.

It is an utterly gorgeous site, and it was built by the movie producer, Nile Niami, but after he eventually filed for bankruptcy, he was forced to sell the mansion at an auction to an unknown buyer.

The One in Bel Air ($295 Million) in Los Angeles; Zztfrd, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Odeon Tower Penthouse ($330 Million) in Monaco

The Odeon Tower Penthouse is one of the most expensive apartments in the world, and it is located in one of the most expensive locations in the world: Monaco. This penthouse contains only six bedrooms and nine bathrooms, but it also takes up the top five floors of the skyscraper in which it is located, and it includes various other amenities, like a library, wine cellar, and private elevator. The view from atop the structure also provides some of the most gorgeous views in the region.

The penthouse was originally built by the real estate developer, Groupe Marzocco, but it was sold to an unknown owner in 2015.

Le Palais Bulles ($390 Million) in Theoule-sur-Mer

Le Palais Bulles is an absolutely gorgeous mansion structure that is situated at the edge of a cliff that overlooks the ocean. The house is also one of the more unusual on this list as it is made up of a series of bubble-shaped constructions that are interconnected with one another. This “house”, if it can be called that in the traditional sense, contains 29 rooms in total with a gorgeous garden, fountain, and amphitheater that can seat 500 people.

The structure was built for Pierre Bernard, the French industrialism but it was later sold to Pierre Cardin, the fashion designer, and it has been left to his children.

Le Palais Bulles ($390 Million) in Theoule-sur-Mer; Frans-Banja Mulder, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Villa Les Cedres ($430 Million) in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

Villa Les Cedres is one of the earliest buildings on this list and it was constructed in the first half of the 19^th century. This old mansion contains its own ballroom, library, and chapel alongside the 14 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms that cover the structure. One of the most notable aspects of this particular property is that it contains a massive botanical garden that includes olive trees that are over 300 years old. The mansion is, obviously, no longer owned by its original occupant, and it has instead passed through several hands, including Leopold II, the once King of Belgium.

It has since been sold, in the present day, to the Campari Group, an Italian distillery, but they have since put it up for sale.

Witanhurst ($450 Million) in London

Witanhurst is a beautiful Georgian mansion that was essentially constructed during the First World War but was then subsequently renovated. It was originally owned by Sir Arthur Crosfield, who was a soap magnate, but it has since been owned by a variety of figures. The building is actually considered to be the second-largest private residence in the city, but the absolute largest is Buckingham Palace and so there is no real contest there.

Witanhurst ($450 Million) in London; AnemoneProjectors (talk) (Flickr), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

24 Middle Gap Road ($487 Million) in Hong Kong

24 Middle Gap Road is not all that large a house when compared to many of the other buildings in this list. Instead, it is located in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Hong Kong. It is definitely one of the most expensive houses in the world and, unlike many of the other gargantuan mansions on this list, this building is actually a house. The house in question also only has four bedrooms and bathrooms and a pool.

The house is simply so incredibly expensive because of the location in which it is built.

Villa Aurora ($534 Million) in Rome

Villa Aurora is, by far, the oldest building on this list. The villa was built back in the 16^th century, and it has since become the private residence of the princess of Italy, and the building contains a vast array of artworks from throughout human history. There is even a Caravaggio ceiling painting and a sculpture by Michelangelo on this property. The property was seized by the Italian government after an inheritance dispute and placed on auction for the incredibly high price for which it was listed.

No one was willing to pay the price for it, and so it remains waiting to this day.

Villa Aurora ($534 Million) in Rome; Mirkomlux, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Villa Leopolda ($750 Million) in Villefranche-sur-Mer

Villa Leopolda is one of the most expensive properties in the world, and it was originally constructed under the orders of King Leopold II, who has already been mentioned on this list, and he actually constructed it for one of his mistresses. The Neo-Palladian structure has seen many owners over its lifespan, and it contains a great many pieces of art and historical artifacts within its walls.

Antilia Tower ($2 Billion) in Mumbai, India

Antilia Tower is the second-most expensive house in the world, and it is owned by one of the richest people in the world. The mansion is located in Mumbai, and it contains a gigantic garage and theater, a spa, a ballroom, a temple, and even a snow room that creates an artificial snowy landscape. The structure of the building itself is also somewhat Postmodern in its general design as it was directly inspired by lotus flowers, and the building itself is named after a mythical island.

This truly is one of the most gorgeous homes that has ever been designed.

Antilia Tower ($2 Billion) in Mumbai, India; A.Savin, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons

Buckingham Palace ($6.9 Billion) in London

Buckingham Palace is, by far, the most expensive house in the world, but there could be disagreements about this even being a house in the first place. It is a literal palace, but it is also a private residence, and as such it has been considered to be a “home” rather than a state-owned palace as is usual for structures of this variety. So, who owns the most expensive house in the world then? Well, it is owned by the British Royal Family, and it contains a gargantuan selection of 775 rooms within its walls along with practically every amenity known to humankind. This is the most expensive home in the world that is owned by some of the most powerful and influential figures on the planet. So, of course, this would turn out to be one of the most expensive and luxurious places that someone can call their home.

Buckingham Palace ($6.9 Billion) in London; Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

We have come to the end of our look at the most expensive houses in the world. We have looked at some of the most expensive properties in the world, who owns them, how much they are worth, and some other information about each of them. Hopefully, you have learned a good deal about some of the most expensive homes in the world. All that’s left to say is that we wish you a great day/week/month ahead!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Most Expensive House in the World?

The most expensive house in the world is Buckingham Palace. This is the royal residence of the British Monarchs of the House of Windsor. The palace structure was only fully completed by 1853, but it was in royal hands for far longer than that. It is still used as the primary residence of the British Royal Family.

Who Owns the Most Expensive House in the World?

Buckingham Palace is owned by the British monarchs as a collective. However, as King Charles III is the current King of the United Kingdom and the other associated Commonwealth nations, he could be considered the owner of this famous royal residence. The palace is managed by the Royal Collection Trust on their behalf.

Which Country Has the Highest Number of Expensive Houses?

There is no definite answer to a question like this, as the data does not allow exact figures to be drawn. However, some of the locations that have the highest number of expensive properties include countries like the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Monaco. However, these are only some of the most expensive locations in the world.

Justin van Huyssteen( Writer, Academic, Educator )

Justin van Huyssteen is a writer, academic, and educator from Cape Town, South Africa. He holds a master’s degree in Theory of Literature. His primary focus in this field is the analysis of artistic objects through a number of theoretical lenses. His predominant theoretical areas of interest include narratology and critical theory in general, with a particular focus on animal studies. Other than academia, he is a novelist, game reviewer, and freelance writer. Justin’s preferred architectural movements include the more modern and postmodern types of architecture, such as Bauhaus, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Brutalist, and Futurist varieties like sustainable architecture. Justin is working for artfilemagazine as an author and content writer since 2022. He is responsible for all blog posts about architecture.

Learn more about Justin van Huyssteen and about us.