The 11 Most Obscenely Expensive Homes in the World and Their Filthy Rich Owners

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- If you have $437 million lying around and don't know how to spend it, why not try to scoop up a 60,000 square footproperty in one of London's most chic neighborhoods? 

That's a few hundred thousand dollars above areported bid of £280 million ($436.5 million) for a London mansion that has been empty for three years. If the bid goes through, it would become the UK's most expensivehome sale ever. Despite the big ticket and splashy sale, the home is only the fourth most expensive in the world.NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- If you have $437 million lying around and don't know how to spend it, why not try to scoop up a 60,000 square foot property in one of London's most chic neighborhoods? NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- If you have $437 million lying around and don't know how to spend it, why not try to scoop up a 60,000 square footproperty in one of London's most chic neighborhoods? 

How much would you pay to live in a lavish palace appointed with the most luxurious furniture and fixings? There are homes that would stretch any budget, even if you're among the super rich. 

Take 17 Upper Phillimore Gardens, formerly a prep school for girls located in London's exclusive Kensington neighborhood. The home features an underground swimming pool, a gym, 10 bedrooms and, of course, a "panic room," lest the proletariat rise up against its owner, Elena Franchuk, a Ukranian oligarch known as a philanthropist and friend to celebrities like Elton John, according toComparecamp.com, a product reviews and comparisons website. The price tag? $128 million. 

The address brings up the rear on this list that features two homes priced at $1 billion or higher. The other 10 residences, including the London mansion mentioned above, aren't too shabby, either.  

See the world's 11 most expensive homes and the insane abode is that's No. 1 after the jump!!!

  

11. 17 Upper Phillimore Gardens 

This London home has it all -- see above. Part of the value of this palace is the priceless furniture and art in every room and hallway. 

10. Kensington Palace Gardens -- $140 million 

Owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who heads the private investment company Millhouse LLC, this London home will soon boast a tennis court, health center and auto museum. 

9. Seven the Pinnacle -- $155 million 

Owned by Tim Blixseth, an American real-estate developer and musician, and his ex-wife Edra, this home has heated floors, an indoor-outdoor pool, and a private ski lift at the Big Sky ski resort in Montana. 

8. Hearst Castle -- $191 million 

Owned by William Randolph Hearst's trustees, this 27-bedroom San Simeon, Calif. home is now a part of the California Park System.  

7. Ellison Estate -- $200 million 

Oracle (ORCL) billionaire Larry Ellison owns this Woodside, Calif. home that sits on a 23-acre compound and boasts 10 separate buildings, a man-made lake and a bath house. 

6. 18-19 Kensington Palace Gardens -- $222 Million 

Owned by Lakshmi Mittal, head of the world's largest manufacturer of steel, this London home hosts 12 bedrooms, Turkish baths and parking for 20 cars. It was once owned by Berne Ecclestone, head of the Formula One racing series. 

5. Four Fairfield Pond -- $248.5 million 

Located in Sagaponack, N.Y., two villages over from ultra-chic East Hampton, this 29-bedroom estate has its own power plant, basketball court, bowling alley, squash courts, tennis courts and a 91-foot long formal dining room. Its owner, Ira Rennert, built his personal fortune of an estimated $5.9 billion through acquiring companies by raising junk bonds.

4. Rutland Gate Mansion -- $436.5 million

The mansion at 8a Rutland Gate in London's Hyde Park neighborhood has beenempty for three years, since the 2012 death of its previous owner, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The home boasts 45 bedrooms, a large swimming pool in the basement and underground parking. 

While the £280 million bid for the home hasn't yet been accepted, insiders say that the deal will get done. The furnishings left in the home have already been put up for auction -- everything from gold garbage cans to a run-of-the-mill toaster oven -- and are expected to gross nearly a million dollars. 

3. Villa Leopolda -- $750 million 

This palatial series of villas and gardens located in the town of Villefranche-sur-Mer on the French Riviera was once owned by King Leopold II of Belgium. It made the news in 2008 when Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov was forced by courts to forfeit a €39 million ($48.34 million) down payment he made to owner Lily Safra after a price dispute scuttled a deal for the home. Safra donated the money to various philanthropic causes around the world. She inherited her fortune from her husband, the late banker Edmond Safra. 

2. Antillia -- $1 billion 

Owned by Indian billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani, this 27-story, 400,000 square-foot south-Mumbai estate has six underground parking levels, three helipads and a staff of 600. Ambani is the owner of the second-biggest company in India, the oil and gas firm Reliance. 

1. Buckingham Palace -- $1.55 billion 

The official home of the British monarchy has 775 rooms and is dripping with priceless furniture and art. You don't have to be a billionaire, though, to have a little taste of all that luxury. Tickets for a tour go for a modest ¿£¿75 ($118.66) and are available year round. 

source~The Street(Article was written by Laurie KuliKowski)