5 Most Valuable Pieces of Property in the U.S. and Who Owns Them

When the Best Isn’t Good Enough

There are plenty of amazingly opulent homes in the United States, but these five properties are simply a cut above the rest. Take a look at the most valuable pieces of property in the country, and get to know the people who call them home.

Fleur de Lys: Holmby Hills, Los Angeles

It’s been called the most beautiful estate in the nation, and it’s hard to argue that point. The home itself is a sprawling 45,000 square-foot palace, designed to emulate the style and grandeur of Vaux-le-Vicomte, which was also the inspiration for Versailles. Simply put, this larger-than-life gated estate is a breathtaking sight. The exterior walls are composed of imported French limestone. The furniture collection includes Napoleon Bonaparte’s favorite chair (the real one, not a replica), and the interior is bedecked in 24-karat gold trim.

Suzanne Saperstein, former wife of billionaire entrepreneur David Saperstein, put the home on the market in 2007, after receiving it in the couple’s divorce settlement. The asking price? $125 million. She eventually settled for $102 million in cash, when the home was purchased by a mysterious French billionaire, or by junk bond king Michael Milken, depending on whom you believe.

Le Palais Royal: Hillsboro Beach, Florida

Le Palais Royal and Fleur de Lys share a common spiritual ancestor. The former was inspired by Vaux-le-Vicomte, the latter by Louis XIV’s Versaille, which was itself inspired by the same French palace. It’s hard to say which is grander, but at 60,000 square feet, Le Palais Royal is certainly the larger of the two properties.

Le Palais Royal boasts an IMAX home theater, a 1,300-gallon aquarium, and an underground garage with room for your 30 favorite supercars. There’s also an infinity pool with a waterslide and 12-foot waterfall, above which sits a Jacuzzi.

The home’s interior is every bit as opulent as the outside, and features all the decorative flourishes you’d expect from a French palace or from Joan Rivers’ apartment. Gold is everywhere, along with glittering chandeliers, hand-painted masterpieces, exotic hardwoods, and ornate bespoke woodwork.

his home is listed for $139 million, topping both Fleur de Lys and the Hearst Estate, which we’ll get to in a moment.

The Hearst Mansion: Beverly Hills

Publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst always had a taste for the finer things in life. You’re probably familiar with Hearst Castle, but have you heard of the Beverly House? This amazing home sits on a completely private 3.7-acre compound in the middle of Beverly Hills. Its star-studded pedigree doesn’t end with its notable owner; it has also made appearances in The Godfather and The Bodyguard, and JFK and Jackie O. honeymooned here as well.

This property is built for entertaining in high style, with its Art-Deco nightclub, poolside colonnade, and private theater. The living area is vintage elegance par excellence, with a double-height, wood-paneled living room, coffered hardwood ceilings, parquet floors, and marble fireplaces. It’s like an Italian villa with the grounds of a French palace, and the warm rusticism of a royal hunting lodge, all only minutes from the entertainment capital of the world. It can be yours for only $135 million.

Further Lane: The Hamptons

This 18-acre estate in the Hamptons shattered records when it sold for $147 million dollars. The late investment firm director Christopher H. Brown, who passed in 2009, previously owned the property at Further Lane. The latest buyer is Barry Rosenstein of Jana Partners. As Brown’s executors sold the home without the services of a broker, not much is known about the interior or amenities, but we’re sure it’s absolutely jaw dropping. It would have to be, for that price.

Palazzo Di Amore: Beverly Hills

It should come as no surprise that a Beverly Hills property would appear on this list more than once, and this one is even more expensive than Hearst’s former home. Pallazzo Di Amore is currently listed for $195 million, making it the most expensive property on this list. So what will that much money buy you in Beverly Hills? Quite a lot, as it so happens.

This 25-acre compound boasts pastoral vineyards, sweeping panoramic views of the mountains and the city lights, basketball and tennis courts, a discotheque with its owl aster light show, a bowling alley, and a private theater that seats 100. There’s just nothing else like it anywhere in the country, really.