Here Are Some Crazy Things That Billionaires Like to Splurge On!

Have money? Will spend! Well, that may be the money-spending mantra of most billionaires and they may go on to splurge sprees.  Buying everything from skyscraper houses to exotic art pieces, the world’s richest people have the gumption, the money, and the idiosyncrasy to buy some insanely expensive things. It’s not always as if they want to flaunt their money, in some cases, they really want to invest in a piece because their passion vouches for it.  It is a fascinating read to find out what catches the fancy of the rich, richer, and the richest.

 Steve Cohen’s $12 Million Shark Tank

Why have a fish tank when you can have a shark tank? Well, Steve Cohen echoes the very thought. The billionaire hedge fund manager invested in a live piece of unique art when he bought a 14-foot tiger shark. The combination of alcohol and formaldehyde helps in preserving the shark. It was originally bought by the art mogul Charles Saatchi and later was by Steve Cohen.

Mukesh Ambani’s $1 Billion House

With an estimated net worth of $43 billion, Mukesh Ambani can afford crazy things that most others cannot. However, he chose to invest it in a home worth $1 billion.  Well, not a bad investment since Ambani’s residence is a 27-story, 400,000-square-foot skyscraper! It has nine elevators in the lobby to help you go from one place to another in the house without batting an eyelid. The house has three helicopter pads and as many as six underground parking levels.   It has everything – right from a ballroom to a 50-seat theater. It is also true that the humongous house needs as many as 600 staff members to maintain Ambani’s mega-mansion. The mythical island of Antilia lends its name to the Ambani residence.

Roman Abramovich’s $1.2 Billion Superyacht

The elite cannot make do without their yachts. In fact, most billionaires like to get their feet into one of the most prized ones out there as there are squabbles to acquire the most expensive yacht. Russian billionaire oligarch Roman Abramovich beat his peers when he bought the Eclipse, an iceboat worth a whopping $1.2 billion.

However, the most expensive yacht turns out to be the Eclipse, boasting 6,000-square-feet of living space. It has 11 staterooms and suites. You can also land via air travel on its three-helicopter landing pad. If the yacht hits a giant iceberg people can hop into the boat’s three-person submarine and can travel down to almost 160-feet.

Larry Ellison’s $300 Million Hawaiian Island

When you are super rich and you know it, you don’t buy a mansion but opt for an island instead. That’s what happened with the Oracle founder Larry Ellison. He bought the Hawaiian island of Lanai for a cool $300 million. His island boasts 90,000 acres of land. It also includes two Four Seasons resorts and a town that has 3,200 people living in it. Staying at these resorts does not come cheap and will set you back by $21,000 a night.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s $500 Million Airbus A380 – the ‘Flying Palace’

If you are a part of the Saudi Royal Family’s inner circle like Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, you are likely to buy the $220 million Boeing 747-400 and more! In 2007, he splurged on the Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft. The double-decker superjumbo aircraft set him back by $319 million. He also ordered upgrades so that it can hold his horses and two Rolls Royce cars which made the price jump to $500 million. However, as he bought it on a whim, he sold it off to an undisclosed buyer while still in process of the upgrade.

Ken Griffin’s $500 Million Paintings

Ken Griffin, the hedge fund billionaire, loves his art and can spend millions to own a piece that catches his fancy. He certainly has an enviable collection but his latest purchase of abstract impressionist paintings, at an auction drawn by Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock, is the pick of the lot. He spent half a billion dollars on the purchase, and it was one of the biggest art deal purchases ever.

Well, the rich certainly know how to spend their money. However, most of the purchases will have us gawking at the insane amount spent on something bought on a mere whim!