The $1 billion house
This article was written on 05 Jun 2007
Yeah, you read correctly, the $1 billion house, that’s not Rupee or Yen. MSN released news today (MSN has taken the article down for some reason) that India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, is in the process of building a new home in Mumbai that currently has an estimated value of $1 billion.
Forbes estimated Ambani’s net worth at $43 billion in March, making him the 5th richest person in the world. Reliance Industries was founded by Mukesh’s father, Dhirubhai Ambani, in 1966, and is India’s most valuable firm by market capitalization.
£70 million is what currently The Most Expensive House In The World was purchased for. There’s no doubt that this property will completely smash that record when or if it ever gets sold in the future. The home will cost more than a hotel or high-rise of similar size because of its custom measurements and fittings. How swanky, aye?
I recently said, you have to be an idiot to spend £70 million on a house, but I was just being facetious. But I actually mean it when I say that you have to be the ultimate idiot to spend $1 billion on a property for, and I quote, “Ambani plans to occasionally use the residence for corporate entertainment”. I don’t think there’s any justification for spending that much on a house, besides from being an extreme egotist. Even Bill Gates doesn’t have a home worth a fraction of that; $125 million for his home. The only remotely comparable high-rise property currently on the market is the $70 million triplex penthouse at the Pierre Hotel in New York.
I just can’t imagine what you could possibly spend on a house that would make its value $1 billion. One thing is for sure, I’m sure it’s filled with complete unnecessary bullshit like gold toilet paper holders. Ambani’s architect has said the first floors of the skyscraper mansion will be reserved for parking. Immediately above will be lodgings for servants and their families. Eight floors have been reserved for “entertainment,” including a mini-theatre and a number of swimming pools, and several more floors will house a health club and rooms for guests.
Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Group is India’s largest private company, with interests in oil, retail and biotechnology. The 50-year-old became the country’s first rupee trillionaire this week. Him and his family currently live in a 14-storey building, while they await to move into their home, which should be ready by next year. Yeah, apparently 14-stories just isn’t enough space for him, his wife, his mother, and his 3 children.

The new $1 billion building, named Antilla after a mythical island, will have a total floor area greater than Versaille: 60-storey palace with helipad, health club and six floors of car parking (who the fuck needs six floors for parking?). Draped in hanging gardens, the building will have a floor for a home theatre, a glass-fronted apartment for guests, and a two-storey health club. As the ceilings are three times as high as a normal building’s, the 173-metre tower will have only 27 floors. Apparently Mukesh and his family see it necessary to have 600 members of full-staff to move into the new home, too. What the fuck would you need 600 members of staff for? I imagine he has people on standby to scrape the toe-jam out from under his royal toes. 1 man for each toe. 600 members of staff in a residential home, unbelievable. Of course, providing 600 jobs is NEVER a bad thing.
This guy has serious problems in my opinion, he could single-handedly fix up living conditions for millions of people in India but instead he builds a playhouse that he’ll never really need, in the middle of a poor country which is populated by 1.1 billion people that live in abysmal poverty, with tens of millions regularly receiving insufficient nourishment. I wonder how many of those precious square feet will actually be touched by his feet.
He’s a wealthy guy, and I’m sure he worked hard to get to where he is, so good for him. Further more, I’m sure his empire has created thousands of jobs for people, which is all very cool. But even if someone has more money than they know what to do with, I don’t think building a $1 billion house is justifiable. Fuck, build a thousand schools for disabled children or something, you crazy, crazy man!!
All financial talk aside, I’m not gonna’ lie, homie, that’s one swish looking crib. Impressive.









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Talk / 66 Comments
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Your house could save people. The money you spend on your car could save people. Every dollar you spend could save people. If his house makes you sick, go live in a wooden box and give all you earn to the poor instead of pointing a finger.
This guy distributes a billion dollar and will give 600 persons a job. Great !!! Every billionaire should build such a house !
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Moreover, I just think it's bad taste to build something like that in the middle of poverty.
I agree though, creating 600 jobs is never a bad thing.
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from emma dowling age 13
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-You know one Indian. There are a billion genius.
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and im not stuck up the only reason we got this house is because we knew we wanted to take in kids, which we have about 100 kids staying woth us at a time and then we let them go back to there lives, but first we build them this house..so for the people who think im rich stuck up IM NOT..IM CURRENTLY SHARING A ROOM WITH 3 KIDS FROM UGANDA..
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Just because he has a lot of money doesn't mean he came by it dishonestly. For all we know he could be donating a lot of money to the poor, its just not being talked about in this article.
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He bought the land for Rs 21 crores (5 million USD in 2007 money, using 2003 rate about 4.6 million)
So i doubt it would cost a billion in construction costs. Property rates in Bombay have gone up substantially. Almost tripled or more in some areas, but construction cost havent gone up that much.
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article§id=15&contentid=2007070402230678177c1294e&pageno=1
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(:
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Mukesh Ambani and Relaince is a major factor why India's turning into the Economic Powerhouse it is...
All the west see in India is poverty...
Goddamned dimwitted schmucks!
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can never see Tatas or any established businessmen do something like this.these newly emerged trillionaires lack class n subtelty.
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Yes $ 1 BN is too much, but think of other hollywood starts, who waste millions for wines, night clubs, fighting their cases in court for their bad deeds like driving. Its better to have a billion dollar house and keep mom, wife and children happy.
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when all you low-class (i say low-class because you cant appreciate somebody else being more blessed than you) people build your dream homes 400-700 thousand dollar homes i hope that somebody is there to criticize and judge you because they think your not doing enough for others and then we will see how u like it. then mabey u'd think twice about judging somebody you dont even know! thats all i wanted to say, kinda long... but stupid people need to think about what they say and their meaning behind their words befor they start talking!
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You can "build" one, though.
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India is one of the poor Countries in the world with starvation and malnutrition rampant in the whole country. With his billion $s he could have built clinics, hospitals and schools not only for the wellbeing and for the education, but to create jobs as well.
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Even if he already donates billions to charity its a total waste on money.
Anyway i wish him luck on this useless loss making project.
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"All my possessions,
for one moment of time".
Queen Victoria's
last words.
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He could do so much more for a 3rd world country like India!
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That's all I can say, hope you took no offence.
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Most people who are commenting on this article are saying bad things about Mukesh Ambani, but truthfully those people (the commentors) don't distribute money to the poor like they're all saying Mukesh should, that is just hypocriticsm.
Probably, the fact that Mukesh set up a 600 people staff job for his house is probably more than any of the bad-lipped commentors who are saying that he should give to charity.
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I wouldn't you give a thing nor would I be told what to do with my money, if it was mine, by someone who can't figure out how to earn it.
You want to give away your money. You do it. Stop telling people who create jobs, employ others (they don't enslave them) that they are the drain on society. YOU ARE.
Some of you people have lost it.
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For example, if he spent the money on infrastructure the effect on the economy would be multiplied because it would enable other businesses to grow and create new opportunities. A residential building does not grow the economy, it only provides a set number of jobs and maybe some added maintenance work for local companies.
By spending his money on a house his intention is self-gratification, nothing else. This is his right but demonstrates the way he thinks. I think he is showing no thought for the people who have enabled him to make his money by waiving it in their faces. He built his father's company up, which is EXTREMELY impressive, but, as far as I know, India isn't a free market economy and because of the caste system those poor people will NEVER enjoy the business opportunities he does.
Incidentally, if he just 'sat' on his money it would also contribute to the economy because banks use deposits to fund businesses and bonds and equities are also sources of funding for them. Therefore, you could say by spending on a house he is starving the economy of money. Just a thought...
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