Bill Gates is perhaps one of the biggest names in the world, not only because of the fact that he created Microsoft and he’s one of the largest philanthropists in the world, but he’s also the world’s wealthiest man, so we wanted to find out something new about him, like 20 surprising facts about Bill Gates’ house: address, technology, taxes.
Gates’ net worth in 2016 was of $75 billion, according to the latest list of billionaires from Forbes. This amount puts him at the top of the list, followed by Amancio Ortega, the boss of Zara (net worth $67 billion), and Warren Buffet, founder of Berkshire Hathaway (net worth $60.8 billion).
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Admirably, however, is that even though his wealth is much more than any of can count, he has vowed to give most of it away. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the world’s wealthiest charitable foundation in the world, especially since the Microsoft founder and his wife have already donated tens of billions to charity. The goal is, eventually, to donate 95 percent of their wealth.
Now, knowing just how much Gates is worth, you would not think he lives in a two-bedroom cramped apartment, right? Of course not. He lives in a lavish home in Medina, Washington. It took Gates seven years to build this home and over $60 million. As a side note, if you think his home is expensive, then you should read up on the 6 Most Expensive Billionaire Homes in the World. We gathered up information from a number of sites, including Business Insider and My First Class life.
As you would expect, Xanadu 2.0 is full of crazy gadgets, great architecture; it pays attention to the environment around it as slips towards the waters of Lake Washington. It is a massive structure, measuring some 66,000 square feet, on the shores of a beautiful lake. What more could one want, right? Well, let’s learn more about these 20 surprising facts about Bill Gates’ house.
20. Value
While Gates may have invested over $60 million to get this home in the shape it is now, the King County public assessor’s office estimates the property’s current value at $124,994,000. If you think this is a huge amount, then we should tell you that back in 2008, its value sat north of $150 million.
19. It has a name
We bet your house does not have a name, but Gates’ home does. It is called Xanadu 2.0, named after the estate owned by Mr. Kane in Citizen Kane. It stretches over 66,000 square feet on a massive plot of land in the beautiful land of Medina. Seeing the surrounding areas will make you understand just how the Gates home blends into the scenery.
18. High taxes
With a property that’s so expensive, taxes cannot be low. Since Gates pays about $1 million in property taxes every year for Xanadu 2.0, that is an understatement. Of course, when you are a billionaire, that is barely a dent.
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17. Earth Sheltering
Talking about how the home blends into the scenery brings us to the next topic – earth sheltering. This is an architectural practice which uses earth against the building walls to reduce heat loss. On top of these benefits, this technique also makes the building look like it has a lower impact on the environment, which, of course, it does. It seems that it was an important thing for Gates to make sure that his home blends well into the environment, with loads of trees to surround it.
16. There’s a water stream running through the house
Do you have an aquarium in your home? That’s great because Bill Gates has an artificial stream, complete with fish running through parts of his house. Outside the building, there’s a wetland estuary which, along with the stream, were created to solve issues with runoff that the large walls of the building may have created. There are salmon and trout swimming happily through the water if you were wondering.
15. Special pool
The Gates have access to a great pool measuring some 60 feet. It is housed in its own separate, 3,900 square feet building and if you go for a dive and swim underneath a glass wall, you will come up to a terrace area outside. Since this pool is obviously meant for many people given its size, there’s a locker room, multiple showers, and baths for those who want to take a dip.
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14. Underwater music
No, it is not a different genre of music, such as “underground rock” for instance, but rather exactly what can happen in this pool. More specifically, you can listen to music while swimming, even if you are underneath the surface because it is decked with an extremely cool underwater music system.
13. Home entertainment
We are not even going to talk about technological details right here. No, we are going to talk about the 2,300 square-foot hall that’s inside the house, a reception hall in its own right. The Gates can throw a dinner party for 150 people, sitting them all around tables, or have 200 people stand for a different occasion. There’s a huge fireplace on one wall and a 22-foot wide video screen on another wall.
12. So many rooms
If you are wondering how many rooms there are in this house, well, let’s say everyone does. While the number of bedrooms is not known, there are 24 bathrooms and about 6 kitchens in different parts of the house to accommodate all the hungry guests that must be visiting all the time. All the floors in the house are reportedly heated, so you do not have to worry about ever having cold feet.
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11. Huge garage
When you are watching House Hunters, the folks are usually looking for a two-car garage. Well, Xanadu 2.0 has a garage that can accommodate 23 cars. Well, technically, there are several garages across the property where all these cars can be parked, including an underground cave that can hold about ten of them.
10. Entertaining the guests
The Gates mansion has a home theater that can fit about 20 people. If the billionaires living here want to have a little movie night, they can surely call up some friends to join in. Plush chairs and couches can sit them all, and there’s even a popcorn machine to keep everyone fed with the delicious kernels.
9. Have some fun
When we think about having fun on a trampoline, we think about one of those backyard contraptions that can be bought at the store. When the Gates think about jumping up and down to have some fun, they think about a massive 2,500 square-foot gym with trampolines covering the entire room. There’s even a 20-foot high ceiling, so you do not have to worry about jumping too high.
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8. Reading nook
If your reading nook is that nice armchair you have near your bookcase with a tall lamp beside it, Bill Gate’s house has a complete library. It measures about 2,100 square-foot, it has a domed roof and a couple of secret bookcases. This is also the room that is perhaps the most special in the entire house because it holds the Leonardo da Vinci Codex Leicester. Written in the 16th century, Gates paid $30.8 million back in 1994 to add it to his collection.
7. Aquarium
When you live a life that’s so full of stress, much like Gates does, given his position at Microsoft, relaxing is of utmost importance. It seems that one thing that relaxes Gates is water and there are many clues for this – the running stream, the pool, the lakeside house and the digital aquarium.
In one of the many rooms in his home, the tech mogul has a digital aquarium where he can watch rare marine animals – dolphins, whales, sharks and more. If that’s not relaxing, I don’t know what is.
6. Lots of steps
Just walking through the Xanadu 2.0 is a true workout since there are quite a lot of stairs. The luxurious mansion even has a grand staircase that features a modern design. It’s made out of steel, wood, and glass, which is pretty much how the entire house looks. There’s also a wonderful place on top of the house where you can view the entire Lake Washington, as well as Seattle in the distance, which you can access by climbing over 80 steps. It is either that or the elevator that can take you straight up.
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5. Master bathroom
There are many places in the Gates mansion where one can relax, including this huge bathroom. Like many other rooms throughout the house, there are glass walls and blue lighting which creates a serene atmosphere. You can even spend some time in the bath, watching movies if you wish.
4. Gadgets
Xanadu 2.0 is the home of one of the world’s tech leaders so you can expect it to be quite high-tech itself. And you would be right! The house features a high-tech sensor system which allows users to control the temperature in a room, as well as the lighting settings by simply walking into a room. Each guest is given a pin number they can use to make additional changes.
3. Smart floors
There are some security settings in place that are beyond smart. The floors are pressure sensitive, so they can detect exactly who is walking into a room given their weight. This registers as both great for security purposes and intrusive, but we suppose that after a while you get used to it. It is in the family’s best interest, after all.
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2. The guest house
There are plenty of rooms to sleep in inside the house, but if you want even more privacy while visiting the Gates’, there is a guest house available. The place measures some 1,900 square feet, and it was actually the first building built on the property. There’s a modern kitchen included, a beautiful bathroom and spacious bedroom.
1. Wonderful rooftop
Not only can you enjoy a view of the surrounding land and Seattle in the distance, but you can also relax on the rooftop. There’s an extravagant patio including a fire pit near which you can enjoy a cup of something hot or a glass of something strong. The private deck is also right next to the pool, so there’s even swimming in the plans if you so desire.
That being said, these have been 20 surprising facts about Bill Gates’ house: address, technology, taxes.
