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Bill Gates’s properties are speculated to be worth around US$170 million in total.
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Gates’s most grand and talked about property is the Bill Gates’ house or Xanadu 2.O, shrouded by top-notch security
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300 construction workers, 100 of which were electricians worked on the site for seven years.
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The home features 7 bedrooms, 6 kitchens, and 24 bathrooms. 10 of those bathrooms have a bathtub or Jacuzzi.
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There is also a sauna, steam room, and separate locker rooms, a large 1000 square foot dining room.
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The sand on the beach inside the mansion is speculated to have been imported from Hawaii
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Interiors designed by famous interior designer Thierry Despont. famous for the restoration of the interiors of the Ritz in Paris and the Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel in New York.
20 Facts about Bill Gates House you should know: Bill Gates, recognised worldwide as a successful software developer and the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, is the fourth wealthiest person in the world today. He is an eminent American business magnate, philanthropist, and investor. As of May 2021, his net worth is US$ 144 billion.
Bill and Melinda Gates collectively own a lot of property together. The worth of all their properties is speculated to be around US$170 million in total. Some of their properties include a six-bedroom beach house in Del Mar, a 13,600 square foot mansion in Indian Wells, a villa in Florida that has its own private yacht dock, an US$ 18 million estate in Rancho Santa Fe, a villa in Montana, and several properties in Wellington, Florida.
However, their most grand and talked about property is the Bill Gates’ house or Xanadu 2.O. The name Xanadu 2.O was popularised in normal usage since the mansion bears a resemblance to Charles Kane’s residence, Xanadu in the much-celebrated movie Citizen Kane. This 66,000 square foot estate lies on the side of a hill in Medina, Washington. The house overlooks Lake Washington. This dream home is not only technologically innovative but also green and eco-friendly. Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and Cutler-Anderson Architects designed the mansion.
The mansion that is mostly shrouded by top-notch security and an unwillingness by the residents to grant a peek into it has some pretty cool features. Let’s look at a few of Bill Gates House that are known to the outside world:
1. 300 Construction Workers at Bill Gates House
About three hundred construction workers, out of which a hundred were electricians worked on the site for the construction. The elaborate design took a total of seven years to manifest into its physical form. Working with construction estimating experts, the project incurred a staggering cost of sixty-three million dollars on a plot purchased for two million dollars in 1988. Today, the whole complex is worth 130 million dollars. The yearly tax payable on the property alone is 1 million dollars.
2. Connection through Private Tunnel
The entrance to the massive compound is through a private tunnel. This tunnel connects the mansion to Highway 106. Upon entrance, one can walk down a staggering 84 steps or take the elevator to the ground floor.
3. 25000sqft Gym
The mansion houses a 25,000 square foot gym that is paneled with mountain stone extracted from the Pacific Northwest. The exercise complex also has a spa and a trampoline room with a 20-foot high ceiling.
4. 60 ft Indoor/ Outdoor Pool | Inside of Bill Gates House
An opulent 60-foot pool is placed in such a manner that part of it lies indoors and part of it outdoors. However, an underwater grate allows the swimmer to move between the two sections without coming out of the water. The pool also has an underwater music system.
The house is built in the Pacific lodge style, influenced by the materials found in the Pacific Northwest region. 500-year-old Douglas fir trees were used. It is said that half a million wood logs were used in its construction.
5. Lavish Bedrooms & Amenities
There are seven bedrooms, six kitchens, and twenty-four bathrooms in the house. At least ten of those bathrooms also contain bathtubs or Jacuzzis. A large number of kitchens are located at all corners of the large house, in such a manner that no matter where a person is, they are close to at least one kitchen in the house. There is also a sauna, steam room, and separate locker rooms. The floors of the house are heated, ensuring a very comfortable environment for its residents during the cool months. A large 1000 square foot dining room promises to accommodate a large number of guests without getting overcrowded. It also boasts of an estate-wide server system and a separately located 1900 square foot guest house on the property.
The property is Earth-sheltered; built such that the surroundings help regulate temperature. Tall trees are planted in the complex, which helps in reducing heat loss.
6. Sand imported from Hawaii
The sand on the beach inside the mansion is popularly speculated to have been exported from Hawaii. The house is divided into panels that are terraced to form a 170-foot hill. This factor ensures that the mansion looks interesting and grants interesting views to the nearby lake and meticulously landscaped areas. When viewed from a distance, the level differences that have been designed as part of the landscape and built structure make it look like a house built on the hills, granting it a fairy-tale-like aura.
About 300 construction workers, out of which 100 were electricians worked on the site for the construction.
7. Home Theatre for 20 Guests
A special home theatre inside the house can accommodate at least 20 guests on plush seats and sofas. It grants its residents and visitors a complete movie-going experience, what with a large movie screen and a popcorn machine.
An automated high-tech sensor system is used to monitor the room’s climate and lighting. The guests can change the temperature and lighting of the rooms as per their preferences. The music flows from speakers placed behind the wallpapers.
8. Reception Hall for 200 People at Bill Gates House
The 2300 square foot reception hall with a holding capacity of 200 covers in case of a cocktail party and 150 covers in case of dinner party has been especially designed for large-scale events and parties. It also boasts of a 22-foot video screen that can be used for multiple purposes, ranging from the screening of desired videos or movies to setting up virtual images or backdrops for large-scale events. Another feature in this area is a six-foot-wide limestone fireplace that dominates one wall.
The walls have computer screens worth $80,000 where paintings, artworks, and photographs can be displayed, which are stored on devices worth $150,000 million.
9. I.T. Integrated Sensor System to monitor Climate inside House
An automated high-tech sensor system is used to monitor every room’s climate, lighting, and other key features in order to make it comfortable for the residents. Although automated, the guests can change the temperature and lighting of the rooms as per their preference. Music systems are installed behind the wallpapers in the rooms and can be played on demand. Previously, Bill Gates wanted all the features in the house to be regulated by guests through the wearable electronic pin that they would be given on entering the mansion. However, it is not known whether that desire of his came to fruition.
There are 7 bedrooms, 6 kitchens, and 24 bathrooms in the house. There is also a sauna, steam room, and separate locker rooms. There is a 25,000-square-foot gym.
10. Interior Design by famous Thierry Despont
The interiors of the house were worked upon by the famous interior designer Thierry Despont. He is also credited for the restoration of the interiors of the Ritz in Paris and the Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel in New York.
The exercise complex has a trampoline room with a 20-feet ceiling.
11. Artwork worth $150,000 on walls
The walls have computer screens that are worth $80,000. On these screens, paintings, artworks, and photographs can be displayed. The data is stored on devices worth $150,000 million.
It houses a 2100-square-foot enormous library with a dome-shaped roof and oculus. It also has two secret bookcases, with a hidden bar. The library stores a $30.8 million 16th century Leonardo-da-Vinci manuscript. There is a quote on the ceiling from “The Great Gatsby”, “He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”
12. Enormous Library at Bill Gates House
The mansion also houses an enormous library. Covering an area of 2100 square foot, it has a dome-shaped roof with an oculus that lets natural light into the library. It also has two secret bookcases, with a hidden bar. The library stores a 16th-century Leonardo-da-Vinci manuscript worth $30.8 million. On the ceiling, a famous quote from The Great Gatsby is etched. It goes: “He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”
13. Parking for 20 Cars
The large mansion also houses an equally grand parking area that can hold at least 20 cars. Another underground garage made out of steel and concrete can hold up to 10 cars. This underground garage was given a deconstructivist look by methodically breaking the concrete to give it a rough look.
Various garages in the house can accommodate 23 cars. One of the underground garages can take up to 10 cars. It is made of stainless steel and concrete.
14. Built from Wood of 500 years old Douglas fir trees.
The house is largely built out of wood from Douglas fir trees. Trees as old as 500 years were cut from the Pacific Northwest region to build this ostentatious structure. At least half a million logs were utilized in the construction. Although hailed as a green design, the origins of the estate are rather murky and controversial.
The reception hall is 2300-square-foot and can accommodate 200 guests. It has a 22-foot video screen and also a fireplace. The floors of the house are heated.
15. Resemblance of Falling Waters Home
Bearing resemblance to the Fallingwater, an artificial stream runs under the house and into Lake Washington. This artificial stream prevents surface water run-off to utilitarian spaces that are regularly used or are much frequented to. The fear of surface run-off arose because of the presence of the large retaining walls that prevented the normal movement of water. One can imagine the reverberation that the residents must experience in that area and the phenomenal views that the porch overlooking the lake must grant.
16. Marine Life at Bill Gates House
An estuary inside the complex houses many salmons and trouts. Having lived there for a few years now, these wildlife creatures have managed to re-create their own habitat in these waters. These water features, although not natural, grant the residents a much-needed break from their otherwise technologically pestered lives.
Astonishingly, Bill Gates has his favorite tree which is watered electronically every 24 hours. In case the tree gets too dry, it is immediately watered. It is a 40-year-old maple tree.
17. Large Aquarium with rare marine animals
One of the living rooms also has an aquarium that offers rare, beautiful, and exquisite views into the world of rare marine animals. One can only imagine the surreal and calming influence that these views must grant to the residents.
18. Privacy at Bill Gates House
The Gates are so private about their estate that no one is allowed inside the compound even for documentation purposes. In 2009, a tour of the property was auctioned at the hefty price of 35,000 dollars. Despite this, an intern of Microsoft was allowed to write about his experience inside the mansion in 2007. His re-telling was posted on a blog on the Microsoft website.
There are artificial streams and estuary systems in the complex. Many salmons and trout have formed their natural habitat in the stream. The stream helps to prevent any run-off that may happen due to the constructed high walls.
19. Earth Sheltered
The property is Earth-sheltered, which means that it maintains a steady temperature inside. It is built such that the surroundings help regulate temperature. Tall trees on the compound provide shade to the built areas. They also prevent heat loss from the built spaces, thus helping conserve energy that might have been used to heat the structure.
The complex also has a beach to add to its wonders, and the sand of the beach is imported from the Caribbean.
20. 40-year-old Maple Tree electronically watered
One of Bill Gates’s favourite trees is electronically watered every twenty-four hours. It is a forty-year-old maple tree that is located near the large driveway next to the house. The automated sensors around the compound also ensure that it is watered in case it gets too dry before the next watering period. This makes one wonder whether all landscaped areas in the compound are similarly maintained and serviced.
Here’s your tour of Bill Gates’ house.
