Expensive is something subjective, depending on your means. However, when you’re among the richest people in the world and afford all the luxuries out there, settling for ordinary objects is not an option.
From cars to clothing or pets, the expensive items you are going to see here are anything but ordinary. People paid loads of money to get their hands on these pricey possessions, either to add them to their private collections or turn them into profitable investments. Either way, their value is out of this world!
The Patek Philippe Chronograph Watch
Price: $3,234,905
When it comes to high-end watches, the Swiss watchmaking company Patek Philippe is in a league of its own. The family-owned company leads the pack in terms of timepiece auction prices, achieving impressive records. The best example is the auction price paid in 2018 by a collector for the chronograph watch with the watchmaker’s signature, moon phases, and a perpetual calendar.
The auction was organized by Christie’s and the remarkable watch was sold for over $3.2 million. I guess time really is money!
The Bugatti La Voiture Noire
Price: $18.7 million
Bugatti needs no introduction other than its name. Le Voiture Noire, which translates as “the black car” debuted in 2019 at the Geneva International Motor Show and became the most expensive car ever sold. This one of a kind vehicle was created as a homage to a 1930s roadster, the Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic and won’t be ready for its new owner for at least 2½ years.
Its 1,500 horsepower and 1,180 pound-foot of torque that propels it from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and the quad-turbo W-16 engine with a top speed of 261 mph, are reasons enough for Le Voiture Noire to be considered a real “hyper-car”.
The 27-Story Antilia House
Price: $1 billion-$2 billion
Antilia, located on Altamount Road, Cumballa Hill in South Mumbai, is one of the most expensive residential properties in the world. The 400,000-square-foot and 27 stories-high mega-mansion, owned by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries, costs a whopping 2 billion and was built to withstand earthquakes of up to 8.0 on the Richter scale.
The magnanimous home includes all the luxuries you can think of, from a temple to an ice parlor, a movie theater for 50 people and a snow room. Imagine that!
Jeff Koons’ ‘Rabbit’ Sculpture
Price: $91.1 million
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and in the case of Jeff Koons’ ‘Rabbit’ Sculpture, the beholder was more than willing to pay the auction price. This stainless steel sculpture created by Jeff Koons in 1986, inspired by a child’s inflatable toy, was sold at Christie’s auction house in May 2019, for $91.1 million including fees. It also became the most expensive piece of art of a living artist.
The tiny sculpture was bought by Robert E. Mnuchin, an art dealer and father of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
Stradivarius Violins
Price: $15 million+
Stradivarius violins, made by the Italian master Antonio Stradivari, are the best violins the world has ever seen or heard, for that matter. Stradivari made around 1,200 instruments, about 600 of which are still in circulation today and used by some of the world’s greatest violinists.
Stradivarius violins have always been expensive, their prices ranging between $15 million to $20 million, but there were always buyers interested in acquiring one. Except for one time when a dealer tried to sell a Stradivarius viola for $45 million and it proved too expensive for the buyers’ wallets.
Fusaichi Pegasus Thoroughbred Horse
Price: $70 million
Having a pet does not come cheap. There are many long-term financial implications you need to consider, from food to veterinarian costs. But if you think those are expensive, imagine what the owners of the thoroughbred stallion Fusaichi Pegasus have to pay to keep it happy, healthy, and in good shape.
Sure, the Thoroughbred racehorse also brought its owners millions of dollars, especially after winning the Kentucky Derby in 2000. Fusaichi Pegasus was later sold to a stud farm in Ireland for $70 million, in hopes of siring future winners.
Elida Geisha Cup of Coffee
Price: $75/cup
For coffee enthusiasts, there’s nothing better than their daily cup of joe. However, the love for coffee was taken to another level in the San Francisco Bay Area in May 2019, when people paid $75 per cup of Elida Geisha coffee, brewed and served by Klatch Coffee.
It’s still a mystery why people were willing to pay the equivalent of about 15 Starbucks cups for one cup of Elida Geisha coffee. Maybe the fact that it won first place in the Best of Panama coffee competition, some sort of coffee “Oscars”, was reason enough for most clients.
The 1972 Nike Waffle Racing Flat ‘Moon Shoe’
Price: $437,500
The Nike Waffle Racing Flat “Moon Shoes,” created by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman give the “I’m walking down the street with my Nikes on” phrase a whole new meaning. That’s because it’s not walking down the street that someone who paid $437,500 for the pair of old Nikes will do with it. The auctioned pair will actually be displayed in a private museum in Toronto.
The 1972 pair of Nike Waffle Racing Flat “Moon Shoes” was auctioned in May 2019 and sold in a matter of minutes. It was among the first pairs of running shoes for which Bowerman used an actual waffle iron to help athletes improve their performances.
Only 12 pairs were manufactured by Nike for runners in the 1972 Olympic trials, but it was enough for Nike to achieve even greater success.
Savannah Cat
Price: up to $20,000
Cat lovers, we give you the Savannah cat! This hybrid cat is a rare breed between an African serval and a house cat, noted for its tall, slender body and spotted fur. Those looking for an exotic-looking cat will need to pay anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000 to enjoy its company.
The price of a Savannah kitty cat depends on its filial number, a number preceded by F, which indicates how many generations that a cat is removed from its African serval. The closer to its serval ancestor, the higher its value.
Victoria Swarovski Wedding Dress
Price: $1 million
Every woman’s dream is to be a bride and to be a perfect bride you need to have a perfect wedding dress. The heiress to the Swarovski jewelry empire wanted to wow everyone at her wedding and didn’t spare any crystals for her $1 million wedding dress. The impressive bridal gown was heavily embellished with over 500,000 Swarovski crystals that would make any bride shine and look gorgeous on her wedding day.
