Bill Gates added a $43 million beachfront home to his sprawling real estate portfolio last year.
Here’s a closer look at his empire, which also includes a $130 million Washington mansion and horse ranches in Florida.
Bill Gates has amassed a property empire over the years.
From his $130 million Washington mansion nicknamed “Xanadu 2.0,” to Florida horse ranches, to his latest California oceanfront purchase, the Microsoft billionaire’s personal real estate holdings could be worth over $200 million — and that’s not including the purchases made through through his ultra-private investment firm, Cascade.
Now, with the news that Gates and his wife of 27 years, Melinda, are splitting up, the Gates real estate portfolio may be under a microscope: The couple reportedly never signed a prenuptial agreement, but they do have a separation contract in place, which would stipulate how property should be divided.
Here’s a closer look at Gates’ property holdings around the country.
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Gates spends most of his time at his 66,000-square-foot mansion in Medina, Washington. It took Gates seven years and $63 million to build this behemoth of a house, which is filled with lots of high-tech features. He purchased the lot for $2 million in 1988, but the property is now worth an estimated $130 million.
Bill Gates house
Inside, a high-tech sensor system helps guests monitor a room’s climate and lighting. There’s also a trampoline room, a 60-foot swimming pool, six kitchens, and a dining hall that can accommodate up to 200 people. The house even has its own name: Xanadu 2.0, after the home in “Citizen Kane.”
Bill Gates House
Ted Soqui/Corbis via Getty Images
Read more about his house in Medina »
An outside deck at Gates’ house in 2006. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, Pool
In October 2014, Gates purchased the 228-acre Rancho Paseana for $18 million. The property includes a racetrack, guesthouse, office, veterinarian’s suite, orchard, and five barns. Weight-loss expert Jenny Craig previously owned the property before selling it to Gates.
Horse stables
A horse stable, though not the one on Gates’ property. Lo Chun Kit /Getty Images
Gates owns nearly half of the Four Seasons hotel chain through Cascade, including hotels in Atlanta and Houston. Gates shares 95% ownership with Prince al-Waleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, according to a Wall Street Journal report from 2017.
Four Seasons Hotel
The Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia. Mark Makela/Reuters
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Gates also owns another horse farm in Wellington, Florida, which he purchased for $8.7 million in 2013. The Gateses’ daughter, Jennifer, is an avid equestrian, and they had previously rented the house when in Florida for her competitions.
Jennifer Gates during the Winter Equestrian Festivals at The Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida, in 2020. Aaron Gilbert/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Gates has made a number of real estate investments through his personal investment firm, Cascade. That includes a partial ownership of the posh Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Charles Hotel Cambridge
The courtyard and seating outside The Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Source: Wall Street Journal
In 2009, Gates reportedly purchased a Wyoming ranch that once belonged to Buffalo Bill Cody. Though the price he paid for the 492-acre property was never reported, it was originally listed for $8.9 million.
Green River Wyoming
The Green River in Wyoming. Lee Cohen/Getty Images
Source: Gawker, Business Insider
In 2013, Gates and several unnamed buyers paid $161 million for the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, according to The Journal.
Ritz Carlton Los Angeles
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
Source: The Wall Street Journal
In 2014, Cascade was linked to the purchase of more than 4,500 acres of farmland in Suwanee County, Florida, near the community of McAlpin. A subsidiary of Cascade paid nearly $28 million for the tract of land.
Florida farm land
Farmland in South Florida. Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal, Bloomberg
As of 2021, Gates has become the largest private-farmland owner in the US. He currently owns 242,000 acres of farmland, and the largest holdings are in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Nebraska, according to an analysis by The Land Report.
Nebraska farm
A farm in Nebraska. Humeyra Pamuk/Reuters
Source: Business Insider, Land Report
Last spring, Gates purchased a $43 million oceanfront beach house in San Diego. The 5,800 square foot home includes six bedrooms, a pool, a 10-person Jacuzzi, and a fire pit.
billGates5
The Guiltinan Group
Source: Business Insider
