A Billion Dollar Home?

I feel as if I need to channel Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers movies a bit when I utter the price of the home that has been built in India. A few years ago, it has hit the news and some of you may have already heard about it when it was designated as "The World’s First Billion-Dollar Home. As of this week, that claim to fame is now a reality as the home is completed and ready to welcome its owner, one of the richest men in the world, Mukesh Ambani. 



Ambani is the chairman of Reliance Industries, which is India’s largest private sector company. His personal wealth is estimated at about $29 billion and Forbes named him the 2010 fourth richest man in the world.

A look back in time shows that the home seems to have all the features noted in the original plans. Soaring 27 stories and 570 feet high, it towers over much of its surroundings, with glass walls taking full advantage of its stunning position in the center of downtown Mumbai, with views stretching to the Arabian Sea. Six garage levels sit below the residence, providing garage space for approximately 160 cars. No doubt Ambani, his wife and three children, plus the 600 staff members reportedly hired for this building/residence will have no problems with parking…or perhaps Mr. Ambani can fill those spots on his own? Some published reports say there is a full-service auto maintenance center that comprises one floor of the tower.



While there is some question as to exactly how much the home is worth (which seems to be anywhere between $1 billion and $2 billion, according to many analysts), there seems to be little question as to the level of amenities this mansion in the sky affords. Named Antilia, after a legendary island in the Atlantic Ocean, this palatial building took seven years to complete and begins with the home’s lavish “lobby,” offering nine elevators. The home’s reported 37,000 square feet include such features as a two-story health club, a 50-seat theater, a ballroom and a four-story hanging garden. Other highlights include multiple safe rooms, a dance studio, a swimming pool and the three heli-pads on the roof.



What more can one say?



Source from: Kathleen of Unique Homes