With more than 1,500 billionaires in existence in the world, it is safe to assume that there are some very large, lavish homes out there. While some high-net worth home owners aim for the most unique house or the most expensive house in the area, others decided that the only way to approach their residence was to go big. This resulted in what are called “mega-mansions”, houses that are typically larger than 20,000 square feet and that contain amenities rivaling those of a luxury hotel.
Unsurprisingly, many of these homes are located in the USA. This is in part because America has the highest number of billionaires and also because it aligns nicely with the notion of the American Dream. In Europe, residences of this scale were typically only built for members of royal families and are either still used by them or are now public historic landmarks. In America, large-scale mansions started being built during the Gilded Age for those who were successful entrepreneurs, like the Vanderbilts and the Rockefellers. With their great self-made and tax-free incomes, all they needed were homes of palatial proportions to secure their positions as American royalty.
It would seem that this tradition is still strong today. In Europe, the construction of manors has somewhat slowed down and the size of these homes have remained mostly steady. However, in America and elsewhere, homes are reaching new heights, widths, and lengths.
Here are 5 of the biggest single-family private homes in the world.