Inside Bill Gates' Real Estate, From His Seattle to Florida Houses

Table Of Content

• How Bill Gates' 1997 house set the stage for modern smart homes
• The pool also has its own underwater music system.
• Santaluz Club home, San Diego
• Various Properties in Wellington, Florida, Worth $27.2 Million in Total
• Inside Bill Gates' real estate portfolio, from a Seattle mansion to houses at some of the US's most exclusive clubs

The 900-square-foot building sits next to Gates' sport court, putting green, and boat docks. The house was built with 500-year-old Douglas fir trees, and 300 construction workers labored on the home — 100 of whom were electricians. With a net worth of $95.3 billion, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates is the second-richest man in America, behind fellow Washington resident Jeff Bezos.

How Bill Gates' 1997 house set the stage for modern smart homes

Now, this may sound like a massive amount of money to us regular folks, but the truth of the matter is that this is practically pennies for Mr. Gates considering he’s worth a whopping $96.5 billion. Long ago, in 1999, the Microsoft magnet spent $12.5 million on a massive home in a posh resort community in the Palm Desert area of California. The 13,573-square-foot home has 6 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms and sits along a pristinely manicured golf course. It had previously been owned by Madeleine Pickens, the ex-wife of Texas billionaire T.

The pool also has its own underwater music system.

It was previously owned by Jenny Craig, the weight loss personality, and was developed by thoroughbred racer Gene Klein and his trainer Wayne Lucas, according to a listing. Over three decades, he and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, spent more than $150 million on their current real estate portfolio. Following their 2021 divorce, a number of the properties were transferred from one trust to another — so it's hard to discern who owns exactly what, as all of their trusts are linked to the same Seattle bank. As one of the richest people in the world for decades, the Microsoft cofounder has built up an impressive real estate portfolio. With 275,000 acres across the United States, he's the country's 42nd biggest landowner, according to the Land Report.

Santaluz Club home, San Diego

While Microsoft’s independence strained relations with IBM, Gates deftly manipulated the larger company so that it became permanently dependent on him for crucial software. Makers of IBM-compatible PCs, or clones, also turned to Microsoft for their basic software. By the start of the 1990s he had become the PC industry’s ultimate kingmaker. Inside Bill Gates house emerges not as a dwelling but as a testament to a legacy in luxury living. It stands as a canvas where innovation, extravagance, and excellence harmonize to craft a modern masterpiece. Explore the enigma of inside Bill Gates house a fusion of technology and luxury in a harmonious symphony.

Gates purchased the lot in 1988 and it took hundreds of workers seven years to build the house, according to The Street. Architects James Cutler and Peter Bohlin designed the house in a Pacific Northwest lodge style with half a million board feet of lumber used. The construction work also included moving a preexisting house off the lot with a barge, and then fixing a runoff problem by building an artificial stream, as U.S. Bill Gates is arguably one of the most notable tech entrepreneurs in history. Along with Paul Allen, Gates launched the Microsoft Corporation in 1975, thus effectively revolutionizing the computer industry and jumpstarting the era of personal computers.

With a net worth of $131 billion, Gates can easily afford such a technologically sophisticated home. Constructed over seven years at a cost of $66.5 million, the Gates’ residence spans over 66,000 square feet and showcases a plethora of luxurious amenities and cutting-edge technology. Xanadu 2.0 stands as one of the most expensive and technologically advanced homes globally.

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In 1999 he and his wife created the largest charitable foundation in the U.S. In 2008 Gates relinquished day-to-day oversight of Microsoft in order to devote more time to charity work. The couple owns other luxury properties, including a southern California ranch purchased for $18 million in 2014, and a mansion in Medina, Washington, estimated to be worth $127 million.

Outside, the property has 120 feet of oceanfront.

At 66,000 square feet, the home is absolutely massive, and it's loaded to the brim with high-tech details. "My house is being designed and constructed so that it's a bit ahead of its time," Gates wrote in his 1995 book "The Road Ahead." It is made of wood, stone, glass, concrete, and "silicon and software." There are several garages at different locations around the premises. The coolest one is an underground garage that can take up to 10 cars and is made out of concrete and stainless steel. This is one part of the house that is not open to the public and not many people have seen it.

As if that wasn't enough, there's also a large pool...

They have a separation contract that likely dictates how property will be split. Nicknamed "Xanadu 2.0" - a reference to the massive, fictional estate in the movie Citizen Kane - the Gates family mansion is a 66,000-square-foot compound in the suburbs of Seattle, Washington. Though this property is their most notable, the pair have also bought multiple homes together over the years, including, most recently, a $43 million home in Del Mar, California, in April 2020, according to the Los Angeles Times. According to US News, the 1,900-square-foot guest house was the first building to be completed on the property.

Michael Bloomberg and Laurene Powell Jobs have homes nearby — and daughters who ride. The home switched hands in 2021 — the same year Bill and Melinda divorced. A trust connected to a Seattle bank used by both of the Gates is the property's new owner, and it was never listed for sale. Bill Gates has long been reported to be a member of the exclusive Yellowstone Club — a ski and golf club tucked away in Big Sky Montana. Like the other San Diego homes, it was transferred between trusts in 2021 — and 5% is owned by the French Family Trust, Steven French, and Kristin French — likely relatives of Melinda. Gates was spotted at the club in 2021, following his divorce from French Gates, and was more recently seen at the Indian Wells Open.

In the heart of Bill Gates’ house lies a culinary haven, a kitchen that transcends its utilitarian purpose. Here, state-of-the-art appliances coalesce with a design that marries functionality and aesthetic appeal. Every corner exudes an invitation to gastronomic exploration, where the act of cooking transforms into an art form, and the boundaries between culinary prowess and design finesse blur into a symphony of delightful flavors. Within the confines of Bill Gates’ house, living spaces transcend mere functionality.

The master bedroom is not a room; it is a sanctuary crafted for comfort and luxury. Every detail, from the plush furnishings to the ambient lighting, creates a harmonious retreat where relaxation and opulence intertwine. Embark on an artful odyssey as you traverse through the corridors of Bill Gates’ house, adorned with an extensive and diverse art collection.

Furthermore, Xanadu 2.0 demonstrates a commitment to sustainable living through its energy-efficient design and eco-friendly systems. The property utilizes a geothermal heating and cooling system, a heat recovery ventilation system, and a rainwater collection system for irrigation purposes. The lot cost Gates $2 million, while the house cost him $63 million, according to The Street. A Kings County Department of Assessments valuation in 2017 valued the property at around $127.5 million. The Microsoft co-founder even included a walkthrough of the lakefront property on the CD-ROM included with his 1995 book The Road Ahead.

If the answer is a resounding "yes," it sounds like a smart home hub should enter your life. My house will just be getting some of the services a little sooner.” We’re finally playing catch up, but since Gates is pretty mum about the current state of his abode, who knows how many decades he’s ahead of us all by now. However, Melinda had creative differences with her then-husband and halted construction.