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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.
It shouldn’t be too surprising that one of the wealthiest people in the world also has an insanely extravagant home.
It took Gates seven years and $63 million to build his Medina, Washington estate, named “Xanadu 2.0” after the fictional home of Charles Foster Kane, the title character of “Citizen Kane.” Medina, a suburb of Seattle, is also home to Bezos, making it home to some of the wealthiest people on the planet.
At 66,000 square feet, the home is absolutely massive, and it’s loaded to the brim with high-tech details.
We’ve rounded up some of Xanadu 2.0’s most over-the-top features here.
It’s worth at least $127 million today.
It’s worth at least $127 million today.
According to the King County public assessor’s office, the property is worth $127.48 million as of this year. Gates purchased the lot for $2 million in 1988.
It has 7 bedrooms and a whopping 18.75 bathrooms, according to public records.
Half a million board-feet of lumber was needed to complete the project.
Half a million board-feet of lumber was needed to complete the project.
Reuters
The house was built with 500-year-old Douglas fir trees, and 300 construction workers labored on the home — 100 of whom were electricians.
A high-tech sensor system helps guests monitor a room’s climate and lighting.
A high-tech sensor system helps guests monitor a room’s climate and lighting.
Kevork Djansezian / Getty
When guests arrive, they’re given a pin that interacts with sensors located all over the house. Guests enter their temperature and lighting preferences so that the settings change as they move throughout the home. Speakers hidden behind wallpaper allow music to follow you from room to room.
