Have you read the most recent edition of “Forbes 400: America’s Richest People?”
Bill Gates, with an estimated net worth of $81 billion, is voted No. 1 for the twenty-third year in a row. Warren Buffett fell to third place for the first time in 15 years, with a net worth of $65.5 billion.
Because of the skyrocketing stock prices of hot technology companies, the CEOs of these companies appear to have amassed far more money than others. Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon.com, increased his net worth to $67 billion, making him the second-richest person in the United States.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO, rose to fourth place, his highest position ever, with a net worth of $55.5 billion. Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, ranked fifth for the first time since 2007. His net worth is $49.3 billion.
With a net worth of $45 billion, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, CEO of the eponymous corporation Bloomberg L.P., is ranked sixth.
These six billionaires have a combined fortune of $363 billion, the vast majority of which is still invested in the companies they founded. Nonetheless, they have a portion of their fortune investing in real estate. Cascade, Mr. Gates’ private investment company, owns a $170 million home in Washington, numerous horse ranches across the country, and stakes in a few luxury hotel networks.
Here’s a look at the homes of the six richest businessmen:
1. Worth of Bill Gates: $81 billion Medina, Washington is where
Mr. Gates, 60, spends the majority of his time in his 66,000-square-foot home in Medina, Washington, dubbed Xanadu 2.0 after the estate of Citizen Kane’s main character. Lake Washington can be seen from the estate. Mr. Gates spent seven years and $63.2 million building this cutting-edge home. According to public records, he paid $2 million for the property in 1988, but it is now estimated to be worth $170 million.
2. Worth of Jeff Bezos: $67 billion Medina, Washington is where
Mr. Bezos, 52, amassed a massive number of real estate properties while building his e-commerce company, landing him at No. 26 on The Land Report’s list of America’s largest landowners the previous year. According to Forbes, he owns a 165,000-acre ranch in West Texas, a waterfront home in Washington state, three interconnected apartments in Manhattan’s Century Tower, and a 12,000-square-foot Beverly Hills estate next door to Tom Cruise.
His property in Medina, Washington, is close to Amazon’s headquarters and has 5.35 acres and over 29,000 square feet of living space. Aside from the main house, there is a caretaker’s cottage and a 4,500-square-foot boathouse on Lake Washington.
3. The worth of Warren Buffett is $65.5 billion Home: Omaha, Nebraska
Mr. Buffett, 86, is well-known for his modest lifestyle, despite his various real estate ventures.
His Omaha, Nebraska, home, which he purchased in 1958 for $31,500, is on a corner lot. Mr. Buffett has lived there ever since. The man with a net worth of nearly $65.5 billion lives in a quiet and comfortable 6,500-square-foot home that has been expanded several times since its original construction in 1921.
4. Mark Zuckerberg
$55.5 billion is the estimated value. Palo Alto, California is where I call home.
The majority of the money invested by the youngest entrepreneur goes to schools, healthcare, and other philanthropic causes. His Palo Alto home and a 9.9-million-dollar San Francisco home near Dolores Park comprise his real estate portfolio.
Mr. Zuckerberg, 32, paid $7 million for a 5,000-square-foot Craftsman-style home in Palo Alto in 2011. In the years since he has spent approximately $43.8 million on the purchase of four homes surrounding his residence in order to maintain his seclusion. However, his plan to demolish and rebuild these four houses has stalled.
5. Larry Ellison
$49.3 billion in value Woodside, California is the location of
Larry Ellison, the executive chairman of Oracle and 72 years old, has significant real estate holdings. He has purchased large tracts of land in Malibu and Lake Tahoe. He owns a $70-million mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, a garden home in Kyoto, Japan, and 98% of the land on Lanai, Hawaii’s sixth-largest island, which he purchased for $500 million in 2012.
His mansion in Woodside, California, is said to be worth $110 million and is a replica of 16th-century Japanese architecture with a 2.3-acre man-made lake.
6. The worth of Michael Bloomberg is $45 billion Manhattan, New York is home.