Most Expensive Items in the World
History Supreme Yacht Allegedly purchased by mysterious Malaysian billionaire, Robert Kuok, the History Supreme Yacht is the most expensive yacht– and item– ever sold. Built from precious metals over the course of 3 years, every part of the vessel is plated in gold and platinum. Even more outrageous, the main bedroom has a wall made out of meteorite rock, embedded with an authentic T-rex bone. Price: $4.8 billion
Antilia building Designed by famed Chicago architects Perkins and Will, this 27-story Mumbai mansion boasts 400,000 square feet and stands 570 feet tall. It’s owned by Indian business tycoon Mukesh Ambani and is believed to be the world’s priciest and most luxurious private home. The structure was built to withstand an earthquake of 8.0 magnitude and has 6 floors devoted to Ambani’s collection of high-end cars. Price: $4.3 billion
Villa Leopolda Originally a part of a much larger estate built during the reign of King Leopold II of Belgium, it was erected as a gift to his mistress, Blanche Zélia Joséphine Delacroix. It was later passed down to King Albert I and ultimately remodeled from 1929-1931. The villa stretches over 18 acres across the French Riviera, and has been featured in several iconic Hollywood films, like Albert Hitchocok’s 1955 ‘‘To Catch a Thief.’’ Price: $750 million
"Salvator Mundi" by Leonardo DaVinci The 2011 unveiling of this DaVinci original is considered among the most remarkable artistic spectacles of the 21st century. Italian for “Savior of the World,” the painting depicts Jesus doing the sign of the cross with his right hand while holding a translucent orb in the left. It was lost from 1763 until about 1900 when it was obtained by Sir Charles Robinson. The painting disappeared again until 1958, when it was sold at auction for about $50, and resurfaced one final time in 2005, officially named an authentic DaVinci. Price: $450.3 million
"The Card Players" by Paul Cezanne Part of a 5-painting series, renowned French post-impressionist painter, Paul Cézanne, was inspired by local farmhands. He studied them at length and created the five paintings, all of them featuring 2-5 characters playing cards at a table. The characters and scope of the painting narrows as the series progresses, ending with two men playing cards in a tight focus. The final version in the series was sold to the Royal Family of Qatar in 2011. Price: $250 million
Jeff Bezos’ Beverly Hills House Jeff Bezos is the the third richest man on Earth, with an estimated net worth of over $190 billion, and the mansion to match. Originally bought from fellow billionaire, David Geffen, in 2020, Bezos has made many modifications since, adding tennis courts, pools, a gym, and a spa to the 30,000-square foot property. The main house is 3 stories and heavily guarded by security, who— of course— have their own security building. Price: $175 million
“Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I” by Gustav Klimt Gustav Klimt was a prolific Austrian painter. However, he never used the same subject twice— except in the case of Adele Bloch-Bauer. The portrait was commissioned by Adele’s husband, Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, in 1907. Accented with beautiful gold leaf, the painting was stolen by the Nazis in 1941 and only returned to descendants of Bloch-Bauer family in 2006. It was sold that same year, superseding Picasso's “Boy With a Pipe,” which sold for $104 million in 2005. Price: $135 million
The Graff Hallucination Watch This wristwatch is truly a work of art, amounting to 110 carats of brilliant cut colored diamonds, ranging from Fancy Intense Pink to Fancy Vivid Yellow to Fancy Grey Blue. Different diamond cuts are also used to create the mosaic that leads to the “hallucination” effect, including heart-shaped, marquise, and radiant diamonds. The watch was designed with the goal of merging extravagant luxury with exceptional technical craftsmanship. Price: $55 million
Carinsurance.com Domain Name Although not a tangible item, this domain name is the most expensive domain sold to be publicly reported. The website was designed to help users compare car insurance prices, which was a huge financial draw for QuinStreet, the digital marketing company that purchased it. QuinStreet had previously purchased other domain names, like insure.com and insurance.com. Price: $49.7 Million
1962 Ferrari GTO The Ferrari 250 GTO is a type of luxury sports car made by Ferrari. Only 36 of these cars were produced between 1962-1964, making it a rare collector’s item. The "250" in the car’s name describes a specific measurement of each of its cylinders, while the "GTO" stands for “Gran Turismo Omologato,” which translates into "Grand Touring Homologated." The car cost $18,000 when it was first unveiled, and has certainly increased in value since! Price: $48.4 Million
Giant Clock Although this project is not yet complete, a giant clock with room-sized chambers is in the works, commissioned by Jeff Bezos. Made with nearly indestructible materials, like marine-grade stainless steel and high-tech ceramics, the clock will be able to tell time for the next 10,000 years. The giant clock will be nestled in the Sierra Mountains of Texas, requiring visitors to make a kind of pilgrimage there with the intention of self-reflection. Price: $42 Million
Chopard 201-Carat Gemstone Watch Second only to the Graff Hallucination Watch, this timepiece is one of the most expensive watches ever made. Handmade in 2000, the watch features nearly 900 colorful diamonds, including a 15 carat pink diamond and a 12 carat blue diamond, totaling 201carats. If there wasn’t enough glitz and glamour, the three heart-shaped diamonds open up to reveal the watch face, encrusted with even more diamonds. Price: $25 million
Perfect pink diamond This 14.23 carat diamond was one of only 18 pink diamonds of its kind in the world when it was sold at auctioned in 2010. The white gold band features a rectangular, emerald cult Fancy Intense Pink diamond, held in place by rose gold prongs. Sold at Christie’s in Hong Kong, the hefty price tag reflected how in demand colorful diamonds are in Asia. Price: $23.2 million
Mariah Carey’s engagement ring James Packer gave Mariah Carey this ring when they got engaged in 2016. Although the couple didn’t end up tying the knot, the ring sure made a splash! The ring features a 35 carat emerald cut diamond in the center of a platinum setting, surrounded by two baguette diamonds. After the relationship between Carey and Packer ended in 2017, she sold her lavish ring to an anonymous jewler in Los Angeles for $2.1 million. Price: $10 million
“The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, aka The Shark” by Damien Hirst This art installation was created by conceptual artist Damien Hirst in 1991. Also known as “Dead Shark,” the artwork consists of a dead tiger shark, preserved and floating in a tank of formaldehyde. It was first put on display in 1992 in London and later loaned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 2007-2010. The original shark began decomposing and they had to replace it with a new tiger shark in 2006, fueling discussions about the ethics and intention of the work. Price: $8 million
Most Expensive Clothing Item in the World
Marilyn Monroe’s William Travilla dress This dress had a leading role in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema— if not the most iconic. The movie was The Seven Year Itch and the scene? Marilyn Monroe standing over the subway gate in this classic white dress, designed by William Travilla. Technically ivory, not white, the dress has a halter-style bodice and a low neckline. The dress that Monroe wore to sing President John F. Kennedy “Happy Birthday” in 1962 is also of great value, sold for $4.8 million. Price: $5.6 million
Most Expensive Food Item in the World
Almas caviar Almas caviar is largely considered the most expensive food in the world, selling for about $40,000 a kilogram. There’s criteria that must be met for caviar to be stamped with Almas seal of approval. The roe must come from an albino beluga sturgeon female from the South Caspian Sea. Additionally, the beluga sturgeon must be between 60-100 years old. The flavor profile of Almas caviar can be described as creamy and nutty, with zero fishy flavor. Price: $40,000/ kg
Most Expensive Gucci Item in the World
Gucci Stuart Hughes Belt Gucci was founded in 1921 in Florence, Italy and has since gone on to become one of the world’s leading luxury brands. They sell everything from clothing to jewlery to accessories, the most expensive one being the Gucci Stuart Hughes Belt. The big-budget belt was designed by Stuart Hughes and has a double G belt buckle encrusted in 30-carat diamonds, which certainly explains the price. Price: $250,000
Comments
0 comment