Ask a person what they would do if they won the lottery or suddenly become rich. Most would answer that they would pay off their student or home loan, go on a much-dreamed-about exotic vacation to Bali, get married, or save up for the future. But the rich have huge amounts of cash at their disposal and are spending on things that seem crazy, uber-expensive, and a bit frivolous.
Read on to learn 12 crazy expensive things rich buy.
Parties
Rich and the famous are known to throw legendary parties that can be talked about for years to come. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West once threw a Christmas party that cost them $1.3 million. But it pales compared to some of the wedding parties that Indian billionaires throw for their kids. Mukesh Ambani’s daughter’s wedding celebrations across Udaipur and Lake Como were reported to have cost him 7 billion rupees (approx. $100 million in 2019). Wedding invitations came in Dolce & Gabbana box, and Beyoncé was flown in for $15 million for a 45-minute appearance.
Private Islands
After buying super luxurious mansions and holiday villas, wealthy folks want to own private islands, a piece of the earth where they can relax, invite their friends, or choose to hide from the media attention. Richard Branson purchased Necker Island, located in the British Virgin Islands, for $180,000 in 1979. Johnny Depp paid $3.6 million for Little Halls Pond Cay in the Bahamas, while Leonardo DiCaprio bought an island off Belize for USD 1.75 million.
Super-luxury Yachts
If you have private islands, you need yachts to reach there. These yachts are the epitome of opulence and flamboyance, with spacious bedrooms, hot tubs, a swimming pool, and, at times, even a helipad. From Russian oligarchs to Silicon Valley billionaires Larry Page, Jeff Bezos, and Bill Gates, all own luxurious superyachts. History Supreme, the most expensive yacht to be built ($4.8 billion) is supposed to have a statue made from genuine T-rex bones and a liquor bottle embedded with an 18.5-carat diamond.
Towns And Vineyards
While we have already talked about wealthy people buying private islands, the super-rich are also buying entire towns and vineyards. Swedish billionaire, Stefan Persson bought the village of Linkenholt, near Andover in Hampshire.
Cocktails
While yachts, islands, villas, and vineyards are tangible and good investments, imagine splurging millions on drinks. Ok, given they contain expensive liquor but they are still cocktails and gone in a few sips. Diamond Is Forever, a vodka-based cocktail comes with a 1-karat diamond and is priced at $22,600 while an Ono Champagne Cocktail at $10,000 uses the rare 1981 Charles Heidsieck champagne, $90,000 cognac, rand 18-karat gold among other things.
Celebrities
The rich and the famous hire celebrities for their private events. Singers, musicians, authors, celebrities, and athletes can be hired for an exclusive private concert, to attend a social event, or to dance at an Indian business tycoon’s wedding. Also, sometimes, it can get crazier. A fan of Sharon Stone paid $50,000 (the proceeds of which went to a charity) to be kissed by her favorite celebrity for 45 seconds.
Companies On A Whim
While most people go window shopping, billionaires have a different kind of shopping urge. Elon Musk bought Twitter, and Jeff Bezos bought the Washington Post for a whopping $250 million.
Memorabilia At Auction
Rich people pay insane amounts for their passion. From John Lennon’s tooth to a dress Kate Winslet wore in Titanic, Audrey Hepburn’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s script, Elvis Presley’s lock of hair, and Marilyn Monroe’s iconic Happy Birthday gown, these celebrity items were sold for millions. Apart from celebrity collectibles, people also purchase extinct animal remains. A letter written by Albert Einstein called the ‘God Letter’ was auctioned off at Christie’s for $2,892,500 in New York, while an orange balloon dog was sold for $58.4 million. If you found that shocking, try to wrap your head around the fact that a billionaire bought a preserved shark for a hefty sum.
Art Collection
Owning valuable artwork can be a symbol of wealth, power, and culture. Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Cohen, and David Geffen among others have collected an impressive array of masterpieces belonging to various genres and periods. David Geffen’s collection alone is estimated to be worth $2.3 billion and is considered to be the most valuable art collection owned by a single person. Bill Gates, in 1994, purchased Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester for $30.8 million making it one of the most expensive books ever sold.
Gold
The love for gold is as ancient as mankind. However, the rich and the famous have taken their love for gold to another level by using it in a gold rucksack, garments, a monopoly set, a motorcycle, and a mobile phone. And because this is not enough to spend on, rich people splurge on gold toilets and other bathroom accessories like bidets and bathtubs.
Tickets To Outer-Space
Space tourism has become the newest thing to explore with the rich. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic offers a seat on its rocket flight for $450,000 and has sold 800 tickets for its commercial flights. Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos has sold nearly $100 million worth of tickets for future space travel. Elon Musk’s SpaceX has offered seats on its flight to outer space for $55 million. The rich are lining up to leave the earth behind and don’t mind paying an obscene price for it.
Car Collection
Some rich have their yachts, and some have these super luxury cars. Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Mukesh Ambani, Mark Zuckerberg, and Ralph Lauren own some of the rarest and most iconic cars in the whole globe worth billions. However, they pale in comparison to the car collection of the Sultan of Brunei. His massive and enviable car collection consists of up to 7000 exotic, rare, and limited edition cars from the house of Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Rolls Royce among others is estimated to be worth $5 billion.