The 11 Most Expensive Houses In The World

Here at Boss Hunting, we’ve seen more than our fair share of the nicest properties in Australia and worldwide. However, even the most luxurious penthouses and lavish estates Down Under don’t come close to the most expensive house in the world and the properties nearest it in value.

To buy one of the most expensive houses in the world requires an unimaginable level of personal wealth, beyond even what you might earn if you were the founder of Google, Apple or LVMH. We’re talking dynasty-level wealth built over generations and compounded over decades, with the owner’s net worth figures longer than your phone number and often never publicly known.

It’s also worth noting that much of the information on the internet about the most expensive houses in the world is incomplete. It’s either out of date, inaccurate or missing expensive houses that have sold without fanfare.

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As an example, Ellison Estate with its tea house and Koi Pond is no longer one of the most expensive houses and neither is the Bill Gates-owned Xanadu 2.0, nor Seven The Pinnacle. Ellison Estate is worth $222 million and Xanadu 2.0 has an estimated value of $201 million, both less than Beyonce and Jay-Z’s latest purchase, which also doesn’t make the cut for most expensive houses.

At the time of publishing, this is the most accurate information you’ll find on the subject of expensive houses, however, if you believe anything is incorrect, please get in touch and we’ll update this article with the most up-to-date information.

The 11 Most Expensive Houses in the World

So what are the most expensive houses in the world? Here, we’ll take you through the top 11 most expensive homes ever built, of such grand scale entire towns could live in them, and with amenities you didn’t even know were possible to own privately.

1. Buckingham Palace, United Kingdom – $2.4 Billion

As reported by Bloomberg, a study by McCarthy Stone gave the stronghold of the British Royal Family an estimated value of £1.3 billion (AU$2.4 billion) in 2022, making it the most valuable property on the planet. Buckingham Palace, which has been the official residence of the royals since 1837, isn’t the only property the royal family has control of and the study estimates the value of the royal property portfolio to be close to £3.7 billion (AU$7 billion) if it were sold – the equivalent of the GDP of Barbados.

Surrounded by 39 acres of pristinely maintained private gardens, Buckingham Palace spans 830,000 square feet and contains over 775 rooms, including 19 staterooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms. There aren’t many of the most expensive houses in the world that are this large, as it also contains an art gallery that houses more than 7,000 works including by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Canaletto, a private concert all, a 150-seat ballroom, gardens with a commercial greenhouse and a large stable called the Royal Mews containing dozens of horses and carriages (including the Golden State Coach worth $3.8 million). Buckingham Palace is more than a worthy candidate for the most expensive house in the world.

2. Antilia, India – $2 Billion

Located in Mumbai’s “billionaires row” of Altamount Road, Antilia is the private residence of Mukesh Ambani (the chairman of Reliance Industries Limited) and his family and has an estimated value of at least $2 billion (with the build alone costing at least US$1 billion in 2010). As the second most expensive house in the world, it took four years to construct by Chicago-based architecture firm, Perkins & Will and spans 27 levels with extra high ceilings (equivalent 170m tall buildings would typically contain around 60 levels).

Boasting space for 600 staff, the 400,000 square foot residence enjoys an 80-seat theatre, a six-level garage capable of housing 168 cars, a snow room that shoots snowflakes out of the walls to beat the Mumbai heat, an ice cream room, a health spa fitness centre (with a spa, running track, gym and yoga studio) and much more. With amenities like these, there’s little wonder it’s one of the most expensive houses in the world.

3. Villa Leopolda, France – $1.1 Billion

Situated on the French Riviera, Villa Leopolda is a stunning estate that spans over 18 acres and is believed to be worth US$750 million (AU$1.1 billion) in 2023, making it the third most expensive house in the world. Originally built for King Leopold II of Belgium in 1902, Villa Leopolda was designed by the American architect and interior designer Ogden Codman, Jr. (whose other clients included the Vanderbilt and Rockefeller families) and is one of the best examples of the Belle Époque architectural style that remains today.

Situated on the Mediterranean coast and enjoying spectacular views of the sparkling waters below, Villa Leopolda features hillside grounds with beautifully manicured gardens protected from prying eyes by high walls, a private beach, and 50,000 square feet of interior living space. Over the decades it has been owned by a number of prominent individuals after King Leopold II of Belgium, perhaps most notably by Gianni Agnelli and his wife, as well as Edmond and Lily Safra, and most recently by former Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov.

4. Witanhurst, United Kingdom – $573 Million

As the second largest private residence in London (after Buckingham Palace), there’s little wonder that Witanhurst is one of the most expensive houses in the world, with The Times reporting an estimated value of £300 million (AU$573 million). Situated on an estate that dates back to the late 1700s, the current house was constructed in the 1910s and enjoys a 5-acre block, with the Georgian Revival mansion boasting 65 rooms, 25 bedrooms and a 90,000 square foot floor space.

Containing an indoor swimming pool, cinema and much more than one dwelling should ever feature, the residence has also recently undergone significant renovations that saw an enormous two-level basement added below the footprint of the building. Regarding real estate, it’s safe to say London enjoys more than its fair share of the most expensive houses in the world.

5. Les Palais Bulles, France – $534 Million

Les Palais Bulles is not only one of the most expensive houses in the world at £280 million (AU$534 million) according to reports, but it’s also one of the most fascinating architecturally thanks to its unusual design earning it the name Bubble Palace. Located near Cannes on the Mediterranean Sea, the home was built in the late 70s for industrialist Pierre Bernard, before it was famously bought by fashion designer Pierre Cardin and has been used by the fashion world over the decades since (including as the runway location for the Dior Cruise Collection in 2015).

In total, the 13,000 square-foot home features 29 round rooms including ten bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a 500-seat outdoor amphitheatre, numerous swimming pools and a large panoramic lounge. Each of the ten bedrooms has been decorated by a different artist, including the likes of Jerome Tisserand, Daniel You, François Chauvin, and more. While the Bubble Palace is not the most expensive house in the world, it’s easily one of the most interesting and most impressive houses on this list.

6. The Odeon Tower Penthouse, Monaco – $514 Million

Situated in the prestigious Principality of Monaco, the Odeon Tower Penthouse is an ultra-luxurious residence at the top of one of the tallest residential buildings in Europe at 170m in height. With an estimated value from Forbes at US$335 million (AU$514 million), the penthouse enjoys truly unparalleled views of the Mediterranean Sea and enjoys the top five levels of the building, complete with a semi-indoor pool with an infinity view and a private water slide.

Originally developed by Groupe Marzocco and designed by the Monegasque architect Alexandre Giraldi, The Odeon Tower Penthouse enjoys 31,500 square feet of floor space (in a city where apartments cost $6,400 per square foot in 2019). With its own private elevator, ample car parking and all of the luxurious details you’d expect from Monaco’s most expensive house, all it’s missing is a revolving dance floor or a ballroom and yoga studio.

7. The Holme, United Kingdom – $477 Million

This is one of the newest entrants to the list (with the caveat that it hasn’t yet sold), but The Holme in London is currently the most expensive house in the world that’s on the market, with an asking price of £250 million (AU$477 million) according to the Financial Times. Located on four acres of pristine parklands in Regent’s Park and boasting its own lake, The Holme was originally built by English architect James Burton in 1818 and also features tennis courts, a huge garage, a library, and a sauna.

In total, this spectacular home enjoys 29,000 square feet of interior space and boasts 40 bedrooms and is understood to have been most recently owned by the Saudi Royal Family for two and a half decades since they purchased it in 1998. Unfortunately, the family failed to pay off a massive £150 million (AU$267 million) loan on the home, seeing it arrive on the market in March.

8. 2-8 Rutland Gate, United Kingdom – $420 Million

If you were still weren’t convinced that London is home to many of the most expensive houses in the world, here’s another, with 2-8 Rutland Gate changing hands in late-2022 for a whopping £200 million (AU$420 million), according to Business Insider. Unlike many of the properties on this list, that figure isn’t an estimated value, given how recently the property sold, and is also one of the newest after being built in the late 80s.

Originally constructed as a five-apartment block, the eighth most expensive house ever was converted into a single residence in 1995 and is currently owned by Hui Ka Yan, the founder of Chinese property developer The Evergrande Group. Unfortunately, under the previous owner, the late Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz, the home fell into disrepair after his passing in 2011 and requires a complete refurbishment before it can be lived in again.

9. 15 Kensington, United Kingdom – $382 Million

Located where many of London’s richest houses are at Kensington Palace Gardens, 15 Kensington has an estimated value of £200 million (AU$382 million) according to the Evening Standard. The palatial property has recently undergone an extensive renovation where such details as bulletproof glass and a multi-level underground car park were installed, cementing it as one of the most expensive houses in the world.

The 27,000 square-foot Italianate villa also features a pool that allows its residents to swim from the basement to the outdoors, as well as a spa, gym, massage room, cinema and a cellar. It was once the home of the Iraqi ambassador, before becoming a part of the Russian embassy and reportedly housed intelligence officers. A truly unique property with a remarkable history behind it.

10. Four Fairfield Pond, United States – $380 Million

Situated in the prestigious holiday home Hamptons region of New York, Four Fairfield Pond is the first American entrant in the list of the most expensive houses in the world, with Time estimating its value to be US$248 million (AU$380 million). The truly enormous estate was originally built for American financier Ira Rennert, the CEO and chairman of holding investment company Renco Group, and covers over 63 acres, while the residence of Four Fairfield Pond covers 64,000 square feet and boasts 29 bedrooms and 39 bathrooms.

The other features of Four Fairfield Pond (which comprises more than two semi-detached houses) include three swimming pools, a basketball court, a bowling alley, tennis courts and squash courts and even draws on its very own power plant so there’s never interrupted electricity. You read that right, three swimming pools (surely one of them is an Olympic size swimming pool?), a bowling alley and a power plant, with some of the most well-kept private gardens in all of America.

11. Villa Les Cèdres, France – $340 Million

Villa Les Cèdres is located in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and was most recently sold in 2019 to Ukrainian billionaire Rinat Akhmetov for US$221 million (AU$340 million) by the Campari beverage group. Originally constructed in 1830 for a wealthy family who had made their fortune selling carpets, the 35-acre Villa Les Cèdres was also once owned by Belgian King Leopold II, who made a number of significant changes to the estate including a 2km path for horse riding and the addition of a 50m swimming pool.

This historic Belle Époque architectural style property offers elegant interiors, a private chapel, a wine cellar with a capacity of several thousand bottles, and magnificent views of the Mediterranean. The enormous gardens are also worthy of such an expensive house, landscaped by Jules Vacherot and Harold Peto (responsible for the gardens of the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysées) and home to olive trees more than a century old and many rare and exotic plants.

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