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Inside Bill Gates's Real Estate Portfolio, From A Seattle Mansion To Houses At Some Of The Most Exclusive Clubs
Ten years ago, in an interview with The Telegraph, Bill Gates discussed his goal of giving away his fortune — which was worth $65 billion then and sits at $129 billion today.
He didn't mention, though, the proverbial roof over his head. Or, in Gates' case, roofs.
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.
Here's a look at Gates' many homes, along with details about transfers around the Gates divorce. Neither Gates nor French Gates responded to requests for comment from Business Insider.
Xanadu 2.0, Medina, Washington
[Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates own 10.5 acres of lakefront property in a tony Seattle suburb. Ted Soqui/Corbis via Getty Images]
Known as Xanadu 2.0 — a name inspired by "Citizen Kane" — Gates' home base is Medina, Washington, a wealthy suburb of Seattle that's home to many tech titans. Gates owns at least 12 parcels of land there, totaling about 10.5 acres.
Purchased for about $34 million between 1988 and 2009, the current combined assessed value of the Lake Washington-adjacent properties is $183.5 million.
Built into a hillside and accessible via a driveway that feels "like arriving at Jurassic Park," according to a former Microsoft intern, the estate, which took a reported seven years and $60 million to build, is home to a 2,100-square-foot library (with one of Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks on the shelves), a 60-foot-long swimming pool with an underwater sound system, and a room with a built-in trampoline.
Del Mar Country Club home, San Diego
[Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates' first San Diego property is on the grounds of the Del Mar Country Club. EarthExplorer]
Gates amassed a small real estate empire in San Diego County, and it started with a property in Rancho Santa Fe.
Purchased in 2008 for $3.1 million, the home is 4,300 square feet, and at the time of sale, it featured a 500-bottle wine cellar, saltwater swimming pool, and outdoor bar. It's part of the guarded and gated community on the grounds of the Del Mar Country Club, which reportedly costs six figures to join.
Del Mar beach house, San Diego
[The Del Mar coast, where Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates purchased a fourth San Diego property. Art Wager/Getty Images]
Gates and then-wife Melinda purchased their fourth San Diego property, this 5,800-square-foot beach house, for $43 million in Del Mar, California, in 2020. A year later, when they divorced, it was moved into another trust.
The property's most expensive feature is likely its 120 feet of Pacific coastline, but the move-in-ready mansion was listed as "one of the most prominent coastal contemporary beach homes" and boasted a 10-person jacuzzi and a two-bedroom guesthouse.
Yellowstone Club lodge, Montana
[One of the lodges at the Yellowstone Club, where Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates own a property. Yellowstone Club]
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.
The lot, which sits on 2.76 acres, has the same tax address as Gates' many other properties and was linked to his lawyer and family office. Its assessed market value is $29.4 million — up from $5.8 million in the 2009 county record.
There are no photos available of the home online, but property records indicate the main house is 6,993 square feet, with eight full baths, eight bedrooms, two half baths, a sauna, and a home theater. It's almost guaranteed to match the surrounding homes, which heavily feature timber and stone.
To see more of Bill Gates' real estate empire, head to Business Insider.
