Topics: Bill Gates, Technology, Business
Bill Gates may be one of the richest people on the planet but he doesn't plan on staying that wealthy forever.
The Microsoft co-founder has an estimated net worth of $153 billion (about £120 billion), which makes him the fifth-richest individual in the world.
In 2022, Bill Gates made a surprising statement when he explained he'd like to donate a large portion of his wealth to his philanthropic organisation, meaning his children would only inherit a small amount of his wealth and that he would move down and 'eventually off' the list of the most loaded people on the planet.
This is not to say that Gates hasn't indulged in some lavish expense throughout the years. The centibillionaire purchased several dreamy properties around the US as well as sports cars, of which he's an avid collector.
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With a fraction of his fortune, the businessman bought an estate on a 12-parcel land worth $183.5 million. His estate, named Xanadu 2.0, is located in Medina, Washington, and reportedly took Gates seven years and $63 million to build.
Xanadu 2.0 consists of six kitchens, 24 bathrooms, and a home theatre for 20 guests, as well as a library and various garages that can house up to 23 cars (but more on automobiles later).
A 60-foot pool is housed in its own separate building and boasts an underwater sound system, while Gates is said to have imported sand straight from St Lucia in the Caribbean to populate the shore surrounding the house.
Unsurprisingly, the mansion of the tech billionaire includes some display screens on the walls that can show different paintings or photographs, but Xanadu 2.0 also features real artworks, like a $36 million Winslow Homer painting, and precious collectibles, namely a 16th-century Leonardo da Vinci manuscript that Gates secured at a 1994 auction for the eye-watering price of $30 million.
Alongside Xanadu 2.0, Gates also owns several other properties, being one of the largest private landowners in the country. Gates' portfolio includes a $35 million 20-acre estate in Wellington, Florida, an $18 million 228-acre Rancho Paseana in California, a $43 million oceanfront home in Del Mar, California, and a 6-bedroom home built on the grounds of Indian Wells' Vintage Club, to name a few.
He also owns the 71.25 percent of the Four Seasons hotel chain, as well as having invested in the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco with some unnamed buyers for the sum of $161 million and in Bud Light's parent company for $95 million.
However, Gates didn't just splurge on personal luxuries, including holidays, several Porsches and a private Bombardier BD-700 Global Express. The entrepreneur has invested in several philanthropic endeavours and healthcare with his ex-wife Melinda, with the couple donating $5 million to Alzheimer's research, $2 billion to defeat malaria, and $50 million to fight Ebola, amongst other causes.
As for what will happen to his fortune in the future, Gates stated that he would leave his three children 'just' $10 million each, but 'virtually' all of his money would go to the philanthropic organisation he shares with his ex-wife, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
