Top 20 Most Expensive Celebrity Homes of All Time

Rose May 02, 2021 | 23:48

The rich and famous have the luxury of spending their days and nights in homes that look more like castles — and sometimes are — in the most exclusive and coveted neighborhoods in the country and world. Here's a look at 20 of the most expensive celebrity homes in history.

Bill Gates's Mansion

Many of the world's biggest celebrities have used their enormous wealth to treat themselves to breathtaking mansions. Oprah Winfrey has an estate in California worth $101 million, complete with a beautiful rose garden while Bill Gates is owning the most expensive mansion among most famous people in the world.

Here is the list of the top 20 most pricey mansions/homes of celebrities of all the time

20. Elvis Presley: $937,000

19. Kris Jenner: $15 Million

18. Michael Jordan: $17.3 Million

17. Zsa Zsa Gabor: $20.8 Million

16. LeBron James: $23 Million

15. Lady Gaga: $24.5 Million

14. Mel Gibson: $ 29.8 Million

13. Gwen Stefani: $21.7 Million

12. Simon Cowell: $25 Million

11. Celine Dion: $38.5 Million

10. P. Diddy: $43.6 Million

9. Dr. Dre: $43.6 Million

8. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith: $49.7 Million

7. Tiger Woods: $51.2 Million

6. Howard Stern: $54.9 Million

5. Tom Cruise: $59 Million

4. George Lucas: $100 Million

3. Oprah Winfrey: $101 Million

2. Hugh Hefner: $113 Million

1. Bill Gates: $145 Million

20. Elvis Presley: $937,000

Top 20 Most Expensive Celebrity Homes of All Time

Although $937,000 doesn't seem like much for the famous and wealthy these days (it'll buy you only a little more than half the median-value house in San Francisco), it's impossible to write about celebrity houses without mentioning Graceland. In 1957, a 22-year-old rising star named Elvis Presley bought what is now probably the most famous home in America for $102,500 — the equivalent to that $937,000 today. The mansion, now a National Historic Landmark, sits on 14 acres and boasts five staircases. With the exception of the White House, it is the most-visited home in America.

Eager to find a rural refuge away from wild fans and the pressure of fame, 22-year-old Elvis Presley purchased his Graceland estate on March 19, 1959 for $102,500 — or more than $900,000 in today’s money. The property came with its famous moniker already in place. When Dr. Thomas Moore and his wife Ruth built the Colonial Revival style mansion in 1939, they named it after Ruth’s aunt, Grace Toof, whose father had owned the land previously used for farming.

Presley was famed for his love of peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwiches, but sometimes his Southern palate demanded other delicacies. Graceland contained an extensive list of goods that the King required on hand “at all times, every day.”

Among the many alterations Presley had made to Graceland over the years, perhaps the most meaningful was the so-called Meditation Garden — a secluded patch of plants and fountains cordoned off by white columns and a pergola that he had installed in 1964. In life, it was where he loved to sit and reflect, and in death, it serves as his final resting place — although that wasn’t originally the plan. On Aug. 18, two days after his death, Presley was buried next to his late mother, Gladys, at Memphis’ Forest Hill Cemetery. However, an attempt was apparently made to steal his 900-lbs., steel-lined, copper-plated coffin and hold the remains for ransom. Three men were arrested, though the scheme was so flimsy that they could only be charged with trespassing in the cemetery. Fearing copycat criminals, Presley’s body, as well as Gladys', was moved back to Graceland. Today they are joined by father Vernon and a monument for the singer’s stillborn twin brother, Jessie, according to People.

19. Kris Jenner: $15 Million

The matriarch of the Jenner-Kardashian clan, Kris Jenner sold her Calabasas home for $15 million, a $5 million boost over what she bought it for three years ago. The six bedroom, eight bathroom home is just across the street from her daughter Kim Kardashian-West's palatial estate.

18. Michael Jordan: $17.3 Million

One of Michael Jordan's many mansions is in highly exclusive Jupiter Island, Florida. Bought for $14.7 million in 2010 (which would be equivalent to $17.3 million today), it was the most expensive non-waterfront home in the region's Palm Beaches when it was purchased. There are six bedrooms on the second floor alone, and 11 in total. The real draw, however, is, of course, its location in the highly selective Bears Club, a premier golf community designed by Jack Nicklaus.

17. Zsa Zsa Gabor: $20.8 Million

Many celebs move from mansion to mansion without ever making their giant house a home. Not Zsa Zsa Gabor, the eccentric and consummately quotable late movie star who spent four decades in the same Bel-Air estate. In 2012, Gabor and ninth husband Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt accepted an offer on the home. A peculiar arrangement, however, allowed Gabor to remain in the mansion for her entire life. Five years later in 2017, she passed away and the deal finally went through. Just one year later in 2018, the property sold for $20.8 million — nearly twice as much as the 2017 sale price.

16. LeBron James: $23 Million

When the late King James signed with the Lakers in 2018, he needed a house in L.A. He opted for a $23 million mansion in the chic and wealthy Brentwood neighborhood with eight bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. The ultra-modern mansion boasts features such as marble countertops and natural French oak floors made with wood sourced from Spain. There's also a rooftop terrace, a master bedroom with a private patio, a cigar lounge, and a wine cellar. Although there's a full gym, the home, surprisingly, does not include a basketball court.

15. Lady Gaga: $24.5 Million

In 2014, Lady Gaga dropped $22.5 million on a mansion in Malibu, California. That's nearly $25 million in 2020 dollars. Unlike so many celebrity mansions in closed communities, Gaga's oceanfront estate is in a fairly normal suburban neighborhood. Visitors — such as Bradley Cooper, who first met the singer there — are greeted by an extra-long driveway, stables, barns, and a horse-riding ring, as well as super-scary guard dogs. The architecture is inspired by traditional homes in the south of France.

14. Mel Gibson: $ 29.8 Million

Mel Gibson's jungle hideaway in Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula is called Playa Barrigona. Situated on more than 400 acres of pristine rainforest, the estate claims more than two miles of stellar beach coastline overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The main home, called Casa Guanacaste, boasts seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms. In 2017, he listed it for $29.8 million, down from an original asking price of $35 million.

13. Gwen Stefani: $21.7 Million

Gwen Stefani bought a sprawling Hollywood Hills mansion known as The Summit in 2006 with then-husband Gavin Rossdale for $13.3 million. Most of its six giant bedrooms open into the mansion's outdoor lounge and recreation area, which includes a tennis court and a pool. Previously owned by Jennifer Lopez, it also features a guesthouse that offers panoramic views of the San Fernando Valley. In 2017, she listed it for $35 million but ultimately sold it for $21.7 million two years later. More recently, she and fiancé Blake Shelton bought a house together in Encino for a comparatively budget-friendly $13.2 million.

12. Simon Cowell: $25 Million

"American Idol" judge Simon Cowell parted with his Beverly Hills mansion in 2020 for $25 million. It has 6 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms, and the perks are pretty great -- side-by-side massage tables, live-in butler's and maid's quarters, and a $1 million security system that reportedly had retina scan authorization. Not a bad return on the $8 million price he paid in 2004.

11. Celine Dion: $38.5 Million

In 2017, Celine Dion sold her property on Florida's exclusive Jupiter Island for $38.5 million. The main house includes 11,000 square feet of living space, 13 bedrooms, and 14 bathrooms, but the main feature is aquatic: For Dion, a pool just would not do for entertaining guests, so the property included a full private water park.

10. P. Diddy: $43.6 Million

In 2014, P. Diddy dropped $40 million on a gargantuan mansion in Holmby Hills, California — that's more than $43.6 million in 2020 dollars. The eight-bedroom palace includes a wine cellar, a gym, a 35-seat theater, and a lagoon pool with an underwater tunnel that leads to a luxury grotto. In all, his estate spans 17,000 square feet.

9. Dr. Dre: $43.6 Million

Also in 2014, another rap and media mogul plunked down $40 million on an equally lavish mansion. In this case, it was Dr. Dre who bought a 20,000-square-foot estate in Los Angeles' tony Brentwood neighborhood. The French-country mansion, once owned by Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen, features a moat and a 10,000-square-foot music studio. Adjusted for inflation, it's worth $43.6 million, just like Diddy's pad.

8. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith: $49.7 Million

Jupiter Island, Florida, is one of the wealthiest ZIP codes in America, and Tiger Woods is just one of the many rich and famous people who call the exclusive enclave home. He and his then-wife Elin Nordegren paid $40 million for the home in 2006 — about $51.2 million today — just to tear down the house and dump a bunch of money to redo the 9,000-square-foot home and sprawling property. Naturally, some of that cash went into building a golf practice facility that includes sand traps, fairways, and greens, which Tiger uses to practice his short game.

7. Tiger Woods: $51.2 Million

6. Howard Stern: $54.9 Million

Radio king Howard Stern bought his home in Palm Beach, Florida, from a textile executive for a cool $52 million in 2017 (equal to $54.9 million today). The five-bedroom estate sits on 3.3 acres next to an exclusive country club. He's not the only media personality with an enviable home in Palm Beach — Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter are Stern's nearby neighbors.

5. Tom Cruise: $59 Million

In 2019, Tom Cruise most recently listed his 298-acre Telluride, Colorado, property for $59 million. Built from heavy bleached timbers and featuring floor-to-ceiling glass windows, Cruise designed the log mansion estate himself in 1994. The sprawling property boasts some of the most stunning views in the west and includes a hockey rink, a basketball court, a tennis court, and even some private trails.

4. George Lucas: $100 Million

Famed filmmaker George Lucas began assembling what would become Skywalker Ranch in 1978, the very next year after "Star Wars" came out. He assembled the 4,700-acre property — only 15 acres are developed — parcel by parcel for an estimated $100 million. It's actually not Lucas' primary residence and is used frequently as a Skywalker Sound workplace as well as a collaborative hangout for filmmakers. The estate's parking lots are underground to preserve its natural beauty. Amenities include Lake Ewok, a real working ranch, a world-renowned art collection, and a 300-seat movie theater that is believed to have the most sophisticated sound system in the world.

George Lucas, in full George Walton Lucas, Jr., (born May 14, 1944, Modesto, California, U.S.), American motion-picture director, producer, and screenwriter who created several of the most popular films in history.

Star Wars, which borrowed heavily from the ideas of mythographer Joseph Campbell and from the story of Kurosawa’s Kakushi-toride no san-akunin (1958; The Hidden Fortress), was immediately popular and went on to become the top-grossing motion picture in history. It was the first of Lucas’s films to be made with a generous budget, which he extended by shooting on soundstages in England, then far less expensive than Hollywood. The film’s success spawned a host of other science-fiction films using the same special-effects technologies developed at ILM that Star Wars had used so effectively, according to Britannica.

3. Oprah Winfrey: $101 Million

One of Oprah's homes — there are many, and they're all spectacular — is in Montecito, California. It's not a home, really, but a 42-acre estate she bought for $50 million in 2001. A 2012 tax assessment, however, valued it at up to $90 million. Adjusting for inflation bumps that number into nine-figure territory. Known as the Promised Land, the property is anchored by a 5,000-square-foot mansion and includes horse stables and an equestrian ring, avocado and fruit orchards, and lavishly manicured grounds.

2. Hugh Hefner: $113 Million

Hugh Hefner bought the Playboy mansion in 1974 for $1 million. More than 40 years and countless debaucherous nights later, in 2016, a billionaire named Daren Metropoulos bought it for a reported $105 million, Playboy Bunnies presumably not included. That's nearly $113 million in 2020 dollars. The famous everybody-who's-somebody-has-been-there estate is a 22,000-square-foot gothic/Tudor mansion with 29 rooms, a tennis court, a year-round fireworks permit, and a zoo license.

1. Bill Gates: $145 Million

Top 20 Most Expensive Celebrity Homes of All Time

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, spent $63 million over seven years to build his Medina, Washington, mega-complex. It's called Xanadu 2.0 — that's a "Citizen Kane" reference — and if the couple sold it today, it would go for about $145 million, according to the Orissa Post. It spans 66,000 square feet, and although it has six kitchens and 24 bathrooms, it only contains seven bedrooms. Not surprisingly, it's bursting with tech and it also houses an insane collection of art and artifacts — the Leonardo Da Vinci manuscript alone is worth $31 million.

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