India's richest man, and Forbes's fourth richest man, Mukesh Ambani, has built the world's most expensive house in Mumbai. It is estimated to be worth $1 billion.
The lavish building– named Antilia, after the mythical island– has 27 stories, is 173 meters high and has 37,000 square meters of floor space — more than the Palace of Versailles. It contains a health club with a gym and dance studio, at least one swimming pool, a ballroom, guestrooms, a variety of lounges and a 50-seater cinema. There are three helicopter pads on the roof and a car park for 160 vehicles on the ground floors. It's obviously quite a job keeping all this running smoothly, so the house, if you can call it that, also boasts a staff of 600. And all this for just Ambani, his wife and their three children to enjoy.
Other than the typical objections of "Omigod, how disgusting-- et cetera," I think it is an entirely interesting perspective of spending [gross] wealth in a more 'productive' way.
We frequently see large architectural projects (condos, mixed-use) built around the US where 6,000 sq ft apartments sell for as much as $34,000,000.
Coincidentally, for less than a rumored $18,000,000 in New York, you could have bought 100,961 square feet in 110 units in a 1929 17-story high-rise. Mildly amusing, because these units have been converted into 2,000 sqft units selling for $1.5 mil a piece.
The point is... for the cost of a single apartment, even in New York, you could be building or buying several tens of thousands of square feet of space.
But then again, If the guy has the kind of loot to throw around on it, then by all means. The building is going to last for a long time and probably won't be a " private home" forever...
ITs actually nice to see this thing built, the last I saw it was a rendering in a magazine, and looks like the design didn't change much. $38mill, sounds cheap for a tall building like that, I hope its not in the slumps or nearby it cheap property...
With parking for 160 cars and a staff of 600 (really?), I'm guessing this huge house will be used as a conference/business center for the owner's work, similar to how Bill Gate's enormous house is used.
Yes it's an excessive building, but I think calling it a "single family home" is not entirely accurate.
But I didn't read the article, so I could be wrong.
Donna - you are surely correct. He's a successful businessman that wants people to come to him (sounds kinda nice, really, your clients just heli in - you've got all the goodies to entertain, do business, etc., without leaving home)
The new arch digest has Stephen Wynn (of Wynn Resorts) new house in it. He plopped it down right next to his main headquarter office tower. Typical, although not as ugly, McMansion with waterfall and golf course.
Not really much different than this, and in comparison, I prefer the integrated house and building.
Another symbol of the new robber barons. Is no one else disturbed by how giant the gap between rich and poor is becoming? It's pretty well documented all over the world... How a man can build this kind of monument to himself with so many millions suffering in India alone is foul to me. I suppose I am the only one here without the "let the winner take all the spoils! Hooray for ludicrous wealth made on the backs of the toiling laborer whose earnings have dwindled even while the few at the top make unimaginable amounts of money!" Why should one human being be allowed to have that much - more than he and all his descendents could probably ever hope to spend, when so many other equally worthy human beings have so little, and suffer so much? I guess it's just hard for me to see this, no matter how "useful" it will supposedly be to his business.
manta, i AM concerned about the money gap. But I get more upset that actors like that kid on 2.5 men (I've never seen the show) or god forbid Snooki will make $8 million in the next two years than that a business person that employs probably tens of thousands of people will (I'm just guessing - too lazy to google the homeowner).
I'm not a blind devotee of trickle-down economics, certainly, but there is *some* truth to the idea that employing some people leads to better circumstances for those people and those people's families, right? Now I'm not so naive as to think that this family's 600 house staff and the business' thousands of employees are also living in luxury - based on what little I know of India I imagine the house workers are barely getting by. But in a bigger picture, there must be economic benefit to many people coming from this otherwise disgustingly gross "house".
I have to look for something positive here, or else the ostentation will make me wretchedly sick instead of just uneasy!
Donna - it is a great show, in case you are wondering, one of the better ones I can recall
Manta - there will be a continuing disparity between rich and poor as the world grows more, there are more super wealthy, etc.
Think of it like this: Joe Bob makes $40k a year, has a family, etc. He's lucky to dream of owning a new tv. It is pay check to pay check, no choice about investing or growing. That's it. Nothing for his kids or the next inline.
Joseph Robert, III makes $400k a year, has a family, etc. He can be saving (and investing) $200k per year. Over a career, let's say 30 years, that's $6mill not factoring in compounding.
His kids will get that, most likely, so another generation down the road, they have TONS of money.
This is how the rich get richer and the poor stay at 0. If you don't make excess, you can't invest or pass along, so each generation stays the same - pay check to pay check.
Not to defend the ostentatious extravagance of some wealthy, but you also have to look at what else they do with their money. Would I be over the top if I had a $100mil yacht, with $10mil of yearly expenses, but employed 10,000 people and donated $10mil a year to my charity of choice? Not to mention the architect's I'd employ to build my next home?
Take that money away and you take all those jobs away too.
I am with Donna. Part of it sickens me, but then again, I also think those that plan ahead, go to schools and work hard to achieve success deserve it. There has to be encouragement for the entrepreneur or humanity stagnates.
No dreams of grandiose wealth and you won't have entrepreneurs. No entrepreneurs and there are no new companies and no new jobs.
The fourth richest man in the world could have also funded a relief package for his Pakistanie neighbors, for all those misplaced kids and probably made a major impact upon world relations in the next generation of adults...but what the hay...160 car parking garage is a got to have, screw world peace.
Theres a weird sort of cultural expectation going on here. Is it because he's indian? Is Bill Gates really better because he hid is billion dollar architectural fleshlight under a hill?
It does give me an idea on how to close the deficit though. Lets strip out income and property taxes and put a 1% wealth tax for anyone doing business in the US.
is this what a billion dollars can build in india? HA HA HA!!!!!! DUDE,YOU GOT JIPPED! YOU WERE ROBBED!!! that is crap.the bellagio in las vegas cost a billion to build and its MUCH BETTER LOOKING.they say that this indian piece of junk is bigger then versailles,well versailles is much better looking.and i heard that the site where this toilet is located used to be where an orphanage used to be after he bought or maybe took over the orphanage.what a scum! one reason why india has such a horrible rich poor divide.
Dec 7, 10 4:47 pm ·
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Billion Dollar "family home" finished in India
From the News
India's richest man, and Forbes's fourth richest man, Mukesh Ambani, has built the world's most expensive house in Mumbai. It is estimated to be worth $1 billion.
The lavish building– named Antilia, after the mythical island– has 27 stories, is 173 meters high and has 37,000 square meters of floor space — more than the Palace of Versailles. It contains a health club with a gym and dance studio, at least one swimming pool, a ballroom, guestrooms, a variety of lounges and a 50-seater cinema. There are three helicopter pads on the roof and a car park for 160 vehicles on the ground floors. It's obviously quite a job keeping all this running smoothly, so the house, if you can call it that, also boasts a staff of 600. And all this for just Ambani, his wife and their three children to enjoy.
Other than the typical objections of "Omigod, how disgusting-- et cetera," I think it is an entirely interesting perspective of spending [gross] wealth in a more 'productive' way.
We frequently see large architectural projects (condos, mixed-use) built around the US where 6,000 sq ft apartments sell for as much as $34,000,000.
Coincidentally, for less than a rumored $18,000,000 in New York, you could have bought 100,961 square feet in 110 units in a 1929 17-story high-rise. Mildly amusing, because these units have been converted into 2,000 sqft units selling for $1.5 mil a piece.
The point is... for the cost of a single apartment, even in New York, you could be building or buying several tens of thousands of square feet of space.
Obviously I think it's stupid....
But then again, If the guy has the kind of loot to throw around on it, then by all means. The building is going to last for a long time and probably won't be a " private home" forever...
My guess is the guy is a total deuchebag.
The interesting thing about this, is that while it may be 'worth' $1billion (or £630m), the construction costs are far lower:
It cost an estimated £44m to build but, because of Mumbai's astronomic land and property prices, will be worth about 15 times that amount – £630m
So investing £44m to get something worth £630m - sounds pretty smart to me...
Guardian Article
ITs actually nice to see this thing built, the last I saw it was a rendering in a magazine, and looks like the design didn't change much. $38mill, sounds cheap for a tall building like that, I hope its not in the slumps or nearby it cheap property...
compensating much? Just look at the size of it next to the other buildings.
This just hurts my heart.
However, it's completion is timely, because now I have lots of material for some upcoming presentations.
funny how 'worth' and 'what a person is willing to pay' is 2 different things...
That is a bit excessive, but if he has the means, then more power to him!
With parking for 160 cars and a staff of 600 (really?), I'm guessing this huge house will be used as a conference/business center for the owner's work, similar to how Bill Gate's enormous house is used.
Yes it's an excessive building, but I think calling it a "single family home" is not entirely accurate.
But I didn't read the article, so I could be wrong.
Donna - you are surely correct. He's a successful businessman that wants people to come to him (sounds kinda nice, really, your clients just heli in - you've got all the goodies to entertain, do business, etc., without leaving home)
The new arch digest has Stephen Wynn (of Wynn Resorts) new house in it. He plopped it down right next to his main headquarter office tower. Typical, although not as ugly, McMansion with waterfall and golf course.
Not really much different than this, and in comparison, I prefer the integrated house and building.
Just crazy the wealth out there!
Another symbol of the new robber barons. Is no one else disturbed by how giant the gap between rich and poor is becoming? It's pretty well documented all over the world... How a man can build this kind of monument to himself with so many millions suffering in India alone is foul to me. I suppose I am the only one here without the "let the winner take all the spoils! Hooray for ludicrous wealth made on the backs of the toiling laborer whose earnings have dwindled even while the few at the top make unimaginable amounts of money!" Why should one human being be allowed to have that much - more than he and all his descendents could probably ever hope to spend, when so many other equally worthy human beings have so little, and suffer so much? I guess it's just hard for me to see this, no matter how "useful" it will supposedly be to his business.
I just luuuuv a free market!
manta, i AM concerned about the money gap. But I get more upset that actors like that kid on 2.5 men (I've never seen the show) or god forbid Snooki will make $8 million in the next two years than that a business person that employs probably tens of thousands of people will (I'm just guessing - too lazy to google the homeowner).
I'm not a blind devotee of trickle-down economics, certainly, but there is *some* truth to the idea that employing some people leads to better circumstances for those people and those people's families, right? Now I'm not so naive as to think that this family's 600 house staff and the business' thousands of employees are also living in luxury - based on what little I know of India I imagine the house workers are barely getting by. But in a bigger picture, there must be economic benefit to many people coming from this otherwise disgustingly gross "house".
I have to look for something positive here, or else the ostentation will make me wretchedly sick instead of just uneasy!
Donna - it is a great show, in case you are wondering, one of the better ones I can recall
Manta - there will be a continuing disparity between rich and poor as the world grows more, there are more super wealthy, etc.
Think of it like this: Joe Bob makes $40k a year, has a family, etc. He's lucky to dream of owning a new tv. It is pay check to pay check, no choice about investing or growing. That's it. Nothing for his kids or the next inline.
Joseph Robert, III makes $400k a year, has a family, etc. He can be saving (and investing) $200k per year. Over a career, let's say 30 years, that's $6mill not factoring in compounding.
His kids will get that, most likely, so another generation down the road, they have TONS of money.
This is how the rich get richer and the poor stay at 0. If you don't make excess, you can't invest or pass along, so each generation stays the same - pay check to pay check.
Not to defend the ostentatious extravagance of some wealthy, but you also have to look at what else they do with their money. Would I be over the top if I had a $100mil yacht, with $10mil of yearly expenses, but employed 10,000 people and donated $10mil a year to my charity of choice? Not to mention the architect's I'd employ to build my next home?
Take that money away and you take all those jobs away too.
I am with Donna. Part of it sickens me, but then again, I also think those that plan ahead, go to schools and work hard to achieve success deserve it. There has to be encouragement for the entrepreneur or humanity stagnates.
No dreams of grandiose wealth and you won't have entrepreneurs. No entrepreneurs and there are no new companies and no new jobs.
Where the world needs help is the middle class.
Man, You'd think the fourth richest person in the world could have afforded a better architect.
What a waste of skyline.
Some additional information here:
http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/071018perkinswill.asp
The fourth richest man in the world could have also funded a relief package for his Pakistanie neighbors, for all those misplaced kids and probably made a major impact upon world relations in the next generation of adults...but what the hay...160 car parking garage is a got to have, screw world peace.
I like the idea of a skyscraper villa but the location seems unfortunate to me with all those small buildings around.
I would like to see it from the street level, it seems like the parking / mechanical podium is about 10-15 floors (!).
Probably in Manhattan, Dubai, Shanghai or any other tower-city would fit well.
I just read that article and I honestly think he should use his money for other things. Definitely agree with snook_dude on this one.
I think snook and fbarboza should donate all their money to charity as well. It would only be fair, right?
jenga meet tetris..... hi
Theres a weird sort of cultural expectation going on here. Is it because he's indian? Is Bill Gates really better because he hid is billion dollar architectural fleshlight under a hill?
It does give me an idea on how to close the deficit though. Lets strip out income and property taxes and put a 1% wealth tax for anyone doing business in the US.
i]billion dollar architectural fleshlight[/i]
oe, that's kinda harsh. yet I like it!
(PS if you don't know what that means, don't google it at work. Or not at all.)
Oops, nice formatting there, Donna.
is this what a billion dollars can build in india? HA HA HA!!!!!! DUDE,YOU GOT JIPPED! YOU WERE ROBBED!!! that is crap.the bellagio in las vegas cost a billion to build and its MUCH BETTER LOOKING.they say that this indian piece of junk is bigger then versailles,well versailles is much better looking.and i heard that the site where this toilet is located used to be where an orphanage used to be after he bought or maybe took over the orphanage.what a scum! one reason why india has such a horrible rich poor divide.
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