The Most Expensive Homes For Sale In the World Right Now

Earlier this year a new residential sales record was set when hedge fund tycoon Barry Rosenstein shelled out $147 million for an East Hampton spread.

But that price — the highest ever paid for a home in the United States –is chump change compared to what some owners around the globe are currently seeking for their trophy properties.

Take Villa La Fiorentina. Modeled after a Florentine palace, this massive architectural gem in the posh town of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat lies on a peninsula jutting into the French Riviera. Built in 1917 by the countess Therese de Beauchamp, the villa has long been a fantastic site for entertaining. Over the years guests have reportedly included Princess Grace, Frank Sinatra, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elizabeth Taylor and Greta Garbo. With its dramatic corridor of trees leading to the water’s edge at Saint Hospice Point, the property boasts unmarred views of the Mediterranean. Though not officially on the market yet, top brokers expect the estate to go on sale soon. The rumored price tag: about $525 million.

 

 

With the help of some of the top global luxury property firms–Savills, Knight Frank, Emile Garcin Properties, Aylesford International London, Christie’s International (and its affiliates), Sotheby’s International, and Pinkwater Select–Forbes tracked down the most expensive homes for sale right now across the planet. We included a few off-market listings (sometimes called “pocket” or “whisper” listings) when we could confirm them with a reliable source. (Because so many ultra-luxury homes are sold off-market, there are many we did not include because they could not be confirmed.) The result is a list of 19 properties, all priced at $100 million or more, representing the World’s Most Expensive Homes For Sale.

Villa La Fiorentina on the French Riviera is the most expensive of  any trophy property we researched. Its grand size, location in prime Cap Ferrat, and spectacular views contribute to the stratospheric rumored price point, says Royce Pinkwater, founder and CEO of Pinkwater Select, a service that advises property investors on their global portfolios. She describes its location overlooking the Riviera as “like augmented reality.”

 

The second-most expensive is the Sky Penthouse topping the new Tour Odeon, Monaco’s tallest building at 558 feet, which is expected to list for as much as $400 million. The 35,520-square-foot penthouse includes five indoor stories and an outdoor, rooftop pool complete with a terrifyingly swooping slide. Although the list price has not yet been unveiled, based on per-square-foot sales prices for lower units, more than 300 million euros (U.S. $400 million) would be reasonable, says Knight Frank’s James Price, who has the listing. Property sharks might point out that per-square-foot pricing could be unreasonable at these heights. “The other way of looking at it is it’s an utterly unique property,” says Price. “There is no other unit that has this livable space, with these views. You are king of the world up there.”

 

Those happy enough to simply be king (or queen) of California might consider the Owlwood Estate or The Manor, both in Los Angeles’ posh Holmby Hills, both priced at $150 million and well-known to be unofficially for sale. Owlwood, a 13,000-square-foot Italian Renaissance style manor at 141 S. Carolwood Drive, was once owned by Joseph Schenk, the founder of 20th Century Fox. Other owners included Tony Curtis, and Sonny and Cher. Marilyn Monroe also reportedly spent many a night there as Schenk’s guest. The Manor, at 56,500 square feet, is larger–it’s actually bigger than the White House–and comes with distinctive decor. Three years ago heiress Petra Ecclestone Stunt, the then 23-year-old daughter of Formula One billionaire Bernie Ecclestone, snapped up the estate for $85 million from Candy Spelling, widow of 90210 and Charlie’s Angels producer Aaron Spelling. Ecclestone brought in more than 500 workers, as well as interior designer Gavin Rodin, to give the property a thorough re-do. The foyer is now paved in white marble with a thick black stripe, according to W magazine, and rooms are clad in velvet in moody hues. Among Ecclestone’s more unique touches: a Marc Quinn sculpture of twin, bikini-clad Pamela Andersons.

 

Buyers who find California too far removed might consider urban trophy homes in New York and London, ranked the top global cities by Savills World Research, based on their prominence, fame, economy and size. Two Carlton House Terrace, a six-story townhome in Westminster, near London’s Buckingham Palace, is currently listed for £75 million ($124.33 million) for a 125-year-lease. Overlooking St. James Park and the Mall, the Neoclassical home was designed by architect John Nash and built between 1827 and 1833. In 1970, the 26,360-square-foot townhome was converted into an office. However, the property is approved for conversion to a six-bedroom, single-family home with a swimming pool. (Just down the road lies 18 Carlton House Terrace, a 67,000-square-foot, 25-bedroom spread owned by the four billionaire brothers who control India’s Hinduja Group. That property is valued at around $500 million.)

 

Or, Londonphiles might consider one of two apartments at posh One Hyde Park in London’s tony Knightsbridge neighborhood. Earlier this year an apartment, at One Hyde Park sold for $237 million, setting a new world record for the priciest apartment sale ever. By comparison the two apartment homes on our list, both on the eighth floor, are bargains at £68 million ($112.8 million) and £64.999 million ($107.8 million).

 

Waterfront palaces are a classic in the ultra-luxury market. Among the world’s most expensive homes for sale right now are a 11,840-square-foot waterfront villa on the north shore of Sardinia with a price tag of $131.5 million, a 13-bedroom mansion on a hilltop above Cannes for $124.6 million, and a $100 million villa in Cap d’Ail, on the outskirts of Monaco.

 

The latter home, Le Chateau Malet, was completed in 1896. Commissioned by Sir Edward Malet, British Ambassador in Berlin, the home was created by Hans-Georg Tersling, the Danish architect who designed the Metropole Hotel in Monaco. Queen Victoria, Princess Beatrice, and Kings Edward VII and Leopold of Belgium have stayed in Le Chateau Malet, according to the listing. “It’s on 14 acres, which cannot be developed,” says agent David Stanley, of Emile Garcin Properties. “That is unheard of.”

 

The Sardinian estate, Villa Il Forte, was built in 1965 by Prince Karim Aga Khan, a British business magnate and the current Imam of Nizari Ismailism, a branch of Shia Islam. It boasts 13 bedrooms and 13 baths on five acres of land, with a small private beach and 262 feet of private waterfront. The Cannes property, Palais Venitien, features views of the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea and is made for entertaining. The ground floor of the 23,110-square-foot Palais includes a grand entrance hall, three formal reception rooms, and five bedrooms with their own bathrooms and dressing rooms. In total the home includes 13 bedrooms, plus a caretaker’s villa with an additional five bedrooms. Bonus feature: both an indoor and outdoor swimming pool.

 

Or, for those who prefer to own a castle, the 60-room Chateau Allaman is available on nearly 82 acres in the Village of Allaman, 25 minutes outside of Geneva. Price tag: $131.5 million. Built in the 13th century by the Count of Vaud, the 64,580-square-foot castle has been restored by the current owner, developer Markus Jerger, who purchased it for a reported $13.9 million in 2005 and poured at least $37 million into the restorations, initially hoping to turn it into luxury apartments. Today the castle features 21st century technology, including a spa & wellness center with a swimming pool, as well as private wine cellars. The grounds include vineyards and a forest with some 5,000 trees, some as old as 500 years. The home is approved for use as a private family compound, as well as for a country club, wellness resort, or museum.

 

 

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