Inside property portfolios of the world’s richest men
The globe’s richest men didn’t amass mountains of wealth because of their inventions. They all built their empires by hiding their billions in the same place.
Elon Musk has just landed in the history books as the first person to reach a net worth of $US400 billion ($A641.4 billion).
The billionaire Tesla founder, 53, has held the title of richest person in the world for some time now, having first earned the “honour” back in January 2021, when he surpassed Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to claim the top spot on the list of the world’s wealthiest individuals.
Though he dropped back to the number 2 spot for a few months, Musk reclaimed his title in September 2021 — and has remained there ever since, with his net worth increasing by a vast amount in the years since.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Musk, who also founded SpaceX and now owns the social media platform X, now boasts a fortune of $US444 billion ($A711 billion), inching ever closer to the next notch on his fortune belt: $US500 billion ($A801.6 billion).
While the businessman has all but cemented his status at the top of the global billionaires list, there are several other names of note in the top five, including Bezos.
Realtor reports Musk reigns supreme as far as net worth is concerned, when it comes to real estate holdings, he’s at the back of the pack.
The SpaceX founder’s property portfolio is a picture of restraint and thriftiness — unlike the other men in the top five, from LVMH boss Bernard Arnault to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
Over the years, these men have amassed an incredible array of real estate holdings, spending at least a small portion of their enormous fortunes on some of the swankiest properties across the US — and beyond.
Elon Musk
Net worth: $US444 billion ($A711 billion)
The 53-year-old South African born entrepreneur and more recently, advisor to incoming President Donald Trump, juggles a myriad of innovative businesses, and his wealth keeps breaking records.
He became the first person to achieve a net worth of more than $US400 billion ($A641.4 billion).
Now, he has now exceeded that amount, with his current net worth sitting at $US444 billion ($A711 billion).
However, his real estate is much more modest in scope.
Though he has owned various homes in the past, in 2020, the billionaire made the surprising decision to sell “almost all of his physical possessions.”
In a series of posts shared on X, which was then known as Twitter, Musk shared that he planned to “own no house,” with reports at the time revealing that he was giving up every property he still owned.
And despite multiple reports suggesting that the billionaire father of 11 is buying up megamansions and compounds from Florida to Texas, the only property he is confirmed to have owned and lived in over the past few years is an incredibly modest home in Texas.
Austin, Texas
As Realtor previously reported, the only property Musk is confirmed to have owned and lived recently is a three-bedroom, ranch-style house that sits just a block from his SpaceX Starbase facility in the Brownsville, Texas, neighbourhood of Boca Chica.
The businessman announced on X that he had moved into the rental property in 2021.
“My primary home is literally a ~$50K house in Boca Chica/Starbase that I rent from SpaceX. It’s kinda awesome though,” he said.
The Brownsville property that Musk was referring to sits on a grassy street that runs down to the perimeter of Starbase and has several similar properties dotting it.
The home serves as the businessman’s official legal residence, a status he confirmed when he visited a local polling station to cast his vote in the 2024 presidential election. He had spent months campaigning for Republican Donald Trump.
“Just voted in Cameron County, Texas, home of Starbase!” Musk wrote on X on Nov 5, alongside an image of himself and several acquaintances standing outside the polling location.
Silicon Valley, California
Previously, before decamping to the Lone Star state, the tech mogul was based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he owned a swanky, multimillion-dollar mansion to match.
Located in Hillsborough, California, the 1916-era build offers seven bedrooms and 9.5 bathrooms across 16,000 square feet and sits on a 47.4-acre lot — one of the largest parcels of land on the San Francisco Peninsula, the listing noted.
Musk picked up the pricey property in 2017 for $US23,364,000. He later sold it for $US30 million in 2021.
Los Angeles
One of the homes that Musk sold off when he rid himself of all his possessions was a historic abode in Los Angeles that was once owned by famed actor, Gene Wilder.
According to reports, the father of 11 bought the property via a trust in 2013, paying $US6.75 million for the home, which is “nestled in the exclusive Bel Air neighbourhood.”
Though he went on to sell it off, it’s clear that the home held a special place in Musk’s heart, with the entrepreneur noting that his one “stipulation” in his move to let go of his material holdings was that the Wilder house could not be torn down.
In the end, Musk sold the property to Wilder’s nephew, filmmaker Jordan Walker-Pearlman, even loaning the buyer a whopping $US6.7 million ($A9.9 million) in order to help him pay for the $US7 million ($A10.3 million) house.
That fairy-tale story turned to a nightmare in August, however, when it was revealed that Musk had moved to foreclose on the home after Walker-Pearlman fell behind on his loan repayments, prompting Musk to file a notice of default.
The home is currently listed for $US9.5 million ($A15.2 million).
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Jeff Bezos
Net worth: $US244 billion ($A391 billion)
As for the second richest man: The Amazon founder’s real estate is far and away a jaw-dropping assemblage. Bezos, 60, has amassed homes across the country.
His real estate holdings became the subject of much speculation in 2022, when he announced that he and partner Lauren Sanchez were making their primary residence in Florida, a move that the Amazon founder said was motivated largely by a desire to be closer to his parents.
In February, it was revealed that Bezos enjoyed another perk as a result of his relocation: saving hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes.
According to CNBC, the businessman stands to save “at least $US610 million” in taxes that he would have had to pay if he was still living full-time in Washington state.
Seattle, Washington
Bezos is one of several billionaires who own properties in the ultraexclusive Washington enclave of Medina, which is also home to the likes of Bill Gates and former Microsoft executive, Charles Simonyi.
Four years after he founded Amazon, Bezos — who is worth $US244 billion ($A391 billion) — spent $US10 million ($A16 million), along with now-ex-wife MacKenzie Scott, buying up two homes that sit on a 5-acre plot in the Hunts Point neighbourhood.
In 2010, the duo reportedly spent $US28 million to extensively renovate the estate, which boasts 310 feet of private shoreline and its own boathouse.
In order to maximise space (and privacy), Bezos also purchased an adjacent property in that same year — an expansive 24,000-square-foot mansion that was reportedly listed for $US53 million, although it is unclear whether the Amazon CEO paid that hefty sum or managed to snag a discount.
That home would ultimately serve as the business mogul’s primary residence for the next decade until 2023, when he announced his move to Florida. However, he appears to be holding on to his Seattle stake at least for now.
Indian Creek Island, Florida
Bezos launched his e-commerce company in Washington state in the mid-1990s and built an enormous compound there.
However, he’s since declared that Florida is his new state of choice. And he has the properties to prove it.
The billionaire now owns three pricey places on Indian Creek Island, the third he picked up for a reported $US90 million ($A144 million) in 2024.
According to reports, he plans to raze the other two properties, which he picked up for a combined $US147 million ($A235 million), and live in the most recent purchase while awaiting construction to complete.
Indian Creek Island, which is known as “Billionaire Bunker” because of its residents’ extraordinary wealth, is also home to the likes of Ivanka Trump and Tom Brady, although Bezos is understood to be its richest inhabitant.
The neighbourhood, which comprises just 34 homes and 40-odd residents, is guarded by its very own police force, ensuring the utmost safety for its wealthy homeowners.
Washington, DC
The owner of the storeyed Washington Post owns a similarly storeyed estate in the nation’s capital, dropping a reported $US23 million for the compound in 2017.
The acquisition includes two large, historical buildings and a chauffeur’s residence and garage, totalling nearly 27,000 square feet of interior space.
The entire lot measures more than 34,000 square feet, with landscaped gardens and lawns.
It had been marketed as “perfect for a school or embassy or an exceptional private home.”
New York City, NY
The Blue Origin founder also has a huge pied-à-terre in New York City. He owns a $US16 million, three-bedroom apartment, purchased in 2020.
That’s in addition to $US80 million worth of units in the building, including a three-storey penthouse and two apartments on the level right below it. In 2019, building permits were filed to combine the units.
Beverly Hills, California
The lavish spending continued to the West Coast, where in 2020, Bezos dropped a record $165 million for David Geffen‘s Los Angeles mansion, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Known as the Warner Estate, the 9-acre spread was built for the now-late former president of Warner Bros, Jack Warner.
The parcel features “expansive terraces, sprawling gardens, several guesthouses, a tennis court and its own 9-hole golf course,” according to the WSJ.
Maui, Hawaii
The Amazon founder reportedly added one more property to his cart. The billionaire and his partner, Lauren Sánchez, picked up a 14-acre estate on the Hawaii island of Maui.
The cost of the off-market transaction was reported to be in the neighbourhood of $US78 million.
The offering is said to include a main house, a guesthouse, and a pool. The holding encompasses seven parcels of land and a fish pond with a private, white-sand beach.
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Mark Zuckerberg
Net worth: $US207 billion ($A332 billion)
Meta CEO Zuckerberg, 40, has splashed out a considerable amount of money on his real estate empire.
The Facebook co-founder owns pricey properties in Palo Alto, Lake Tahoe, and Hawaii.
Palo Alto, California
The site of the beginnings of social media platform Facebook, Palo Alto also is where the tech entrepreneur put down roots.
In 2011, he picked up his first home there — a $US7 million residence in the Crescent Park neighbourhood.
Built in 1903, the restored space offers wood floors, a saltwater pool, banquet-size dining room, glassed-in sunroom, five bedrooms, and five bathrooms.
It wouldn’t be his last: After Zuckerberg’s marriage to Priscilla Chan in 2012, the two invested in four more surrounding homes, for a total of $US30 million, according to Architectural Digest.
Lake Tahoe, California
The Chan-Zuckerbergs have spent years vacationing on the shores of Lake Tahoe and, in 2018 and 2019, the tech mogul snapped up two properties in the area for a combined $US59 million.
One of the homes, known as the Carousel Estate, has already been razed, and plans are reportedly in place for a sprawling compound of nearly 10 acres. The plans include a “20,000-square-foot, 35-foot-tall main residence with a timber and glass facade,” along with “a new bunkhouse, a gym, a gatehouse, multiple guesthouses, and offices,” according to Forbes.
The compound will include nature trails, walkways, and additional development.
Kauai, Hawaii
If the family really wants to get away, they can head to their spread on the Hawaii island of Kauai.
In 2014, the Chan Zuckerbergs reportedly shelled out $US100 million for two huge tracts of land on Kauai’s North Shore, creating a 700-acre spread for family getaways.
The land has 2,500 feet of ocean frontage as well as a working organic farm. The couple made plans to build a 6,100-square-foot, two-bedroom residence on the property, along with a 16-bay garage complex and a “ranch administration building” that includes keycard-protected offices and security headquarters.
But the land grab continued. In 2021, Zuck and Chan purchased a reported 595.4 acres for $US53 million from the non-profit Waioli Corporation.
This property is adjacent to the land bought in 2014. That same year, they scooped up another 110 acres for $US17 million.
The land reportedly includes a former sugar plantation and the Ka Loko reservoir.
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Larry Ellison
Net worth: $US190 billion ($A304 billion)
Oracle co-founder Ellison, 80, is no slouch in the real estate department. He’s said to own multiple homes in idyllic beach towns, from Malibu to Lanai.
Malibu, California
Ellison has become known as a “Malibu real estate mogul,” buying his first Carbon Beach property back in 2002.
In 2018, he made headlines with the purchase of Hollywood producer’s Joel Silver’s Malibu, California, beach house for $US38 million.
In addition, he has reportedly amassed 11 other properties in the coastal city. He also is said to have paid $US20 million for the Casa Malibu Inn in 2007.
Lanai, Hawaii
This serene island in Hawaii reportedly has no traffic lights. But it does have some swanky resorts and one high-profile resident: In 2012, Ellison bought the two hotels as well as the land holdings that amount to 98 per cent of the island for a reported $US300 million. His purchase included “87,000 of the island’s 90,000 acres of land.”
The tech mogul has since updated the hotels and added improvements to the island, such as some farming operations, with an eye toward turning the island into a sustainable mecca.
The island has beautiful beaches, a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, and dining and resort amenities in the high-end hotels.
North Palm Beach, Florida
In the Sunshine State, Ellison has also made his mark. In April 2021, Ellison paid $US80 million for a premium waterfront estate with the intention of tearing it down.
Over a year later, Ellison never got around to razing this home. Instead, he tested the market with an ask of $US145 million for his property in Seminole Beach Estate.
However, the listing never appeared to have led to a deal, and that property is now listed off market.
Ellison’s property is the third-largest oceanfront parcel in Palm Beach County. It’s located in a gated community with 24/7 security.
At 7.35 acres, the parcel is one of only a handful of properties in the state that can accommodate a private helipad. The property comes with 520 feet of ocean frontage.
In 2022, the entrepreneur made another splashy purchase: The wheeler dealer dropped a record-setting $S173 million on another Florida property south of Palm Beach, in Manalapan.
Newport, Rhode Island
The buyer’s appetite for the beach also brought him to a historic enclave of Newport, RI, where he’s said to own four properties in the area, including the Astors’ former mansion, which he apparently purchased for $US10.5 million in January 2010.
He is said to have spent an astonishing $US100 million to renovate it for a planned Beechwood Art Museum.
San Francisco, California
The San Francisco Bay Area resident has apparently also had a long-time home in San Francisco‘s Pacific Heights neighbourhood.
He picked up the William Wurster-designed mansion in 1988, paying a reported $US3.9 million that’s valued at over $US9 million today. Built in 1958, the over 10,000-square-foot layout includes five bedroom and six baths.
Years later, in 2011, he apparently picked up the home next door for a reported $US40 million.
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Bernard Arnault
Net worth: $US176 billion ($A282 billion)
The chair of LVMH, Arnault, 75, is the only top-five billionaire living outside the US.
The luxe purveyor, who has been called a “wolf in a cashmere coat,” has amassed an equally lavish property portfolio.
The Head of one of the world’s largest luxury conglomerates would naturally have some deluxe real estate to match.
Paris
The French businessman reportedly owns properties the world over. But his home base is Paris.
Set on 12 acres, the palatial space took him 1o years to complete and is said to be valued at $US200 million.
The incredible setting offers up 7,000 square feet with 12 bedrooms and 12 baths. The property includes a private lake, tennis court, and underground parking.
Beverly Hills, California
Arnault also has put some stakes down in the US, with an eye-popping purchase in California. In 2022, he is said to have purchased a lavish, $US121 million mansion in the Trousdale Estates section of Beverly Hills. The 10,000-square-foot spread is said to be one of five swanky mansions he owns in the area, adding up to “several hundred million dollars.”
He’s also said to own a house in a French ski resort in the Alps, along with a $US13 million villa in St. Tropez, and a 135-acre private retreat in the Bahamas, reportedly purchased for $US137 million.
Parts of this story first appeared in Realtor were republished with permission.
Originally published as Inside property portfolios of the world’s richest men
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