12 Luxuries Only Billionaires Can Afford

One of Leonardo Da Vinci's most famous artifacts, the Codex Leicester details scientific writings, diagrams and thoughts from one of the greatest minds of the Italian Renaissance -- many of which pre-date the actual technology by centuries.

Which is precisely why the historic document piqued Bill Gates' interest. Gates eventually purchased Da Vinci's Codex in 1994 for $30.8 million, making it the most expensive book ever sold. As Gates puts it, "I remember going home one night and telling my wife, Melinda, that I was going to buy a notebook. She didn’t think that was a very big deal. I said, 'No, this is a pretty special notebook.'"

Today, the Codex is on display several times a year at various locations around the world.

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While it's not a prerequisite to be a part of the billionaire club, it's almost as if you have to own major sporting franchise to be included.

Many of the world's wealthiest individuals own or have stake in professional teams and venues -- and in some cases more than one. Of the world's billionaires, here's a short list of those that have invested a portion of their wealth on the sporting life:

• Mikhail Prokhorov - New Jersey Nets
• Paul Allen - Seattle Seahawks, Portland Trailblazers
• Richard DeVos- Orlando Magic
• John Malone - Atlanta Braves
• Hiroshi Yamauchi - Seattle Mariners
• Dietrich Mateschitz - Red Bull Racing (F1), Red Bull New York (MLS), Team Red Bull (NASCAR)
• Larry Ellison - BNP Paribas Open (ATP Masters Tournament)
• Micky Arison - Miami Heat
• Mukesh Ambani - The Mumbai Indians (Cricket)

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What could be better than reserving the $10,000-a-night suite of your favorite hotel on a moment's notice? Maybe owning the hotel itself.

Billionaire Sheldon Adelson made his fortune through Las Vegas hotels with his company the Las Vegas Sands Corp, which includes The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and the Sands Expo and Convention Center. When the company went public in 2004, Adelson's net worth skyrocketed, putting his current net worth at $23.3 billion.

Other billionaire hotel owners include:

• Dermot Desmond: Sandy Lane Hotel, Caribbean
• Donald Trump: Trump Hotel Collection, Worldwide
• Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud: Four Seasons George V in Paris
• Lim Goh Tong: Genting Highlands Resort, Malaysia

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Richard Branson was just 28 years old when he bought this 74-acre Caribbean island for around $270,000. But he spent the next three years and $10 million turning it into a luxury resort that is worth $60 million today.

Necker Island has been transformed into an exclusive destination for the ultra-rich that rents for $50,000 a day and can accommodate up to 28 guests.

Google co-founder Larry Page married there in 2007, and other notable guests include Princess Diana, Steven Spielberg, Robert De Niro, Mel Gibson and Oprah Winfrey.

But you can visit the island for free if you're there to study the rare breed of gecko that inhabit the island -- any legitimate scientific expedition has full access as part of a stipulation in Branson's original purchase agreement.

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Carlos Slim Helu, the richest man in the world with a net worth of $74 billion, is the chairman and chief executive of Mexican telecommunications companies Telmex and America Movil, which together provide traditional and mobile communications to the majority of the population in Mexico.

Mr. Slim established his financial foundation by buying distressed companies and turning them around, but it wasn't until he purchased the telephone giant Telmex from the government in 1990 that his wealth qualified him for the billionaire club.

Today, his monopoly faces strict fines from antitrust agencies and antimonopoly laws that could challenge his control. But for the past two years, Mr. Slim has topped Forbes' list of the world's wealthiest thanks to his dominance of the Mexican airwaves.

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While most of us can comfortably afford a McMansion in the suburb of our choice, only the richest in the world can afford the extreme luxuries that come with the most expensive home in the world.

Antilla -- named after a mythical island in the Altantic -- is a custom-built, 27-story, 570-foot tall towering mansion in Mumbai, featuring: double height ceilings, retractable stages, ballrooms, 50-seat theatre, crystal chandelier ceilings, underground parking for 160 cars, three helicopter pads, a health club, a dance studio, elevated gardens and 600 servants.

Antilla is the home of India's second-richest man, Mukesh Ambani, who is the head of Indian petro-chemical giant Reliance Industries and has a net worth of $26 billion.

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If you possess one of these cards, you know you're rich.

As the most elite of any credit card, the American Express Centurion Card is not passed out to just anyone, even if they have spotless credit. In fact, until 2006, the card was only granted on an "invitation-only" basis from American Express.

It was even considered an "urban legend" as far back as the 1980s, giving any wealthy person who wielded it the power to charge anything from a multimillion-dollar yacht to a fighter jet. 

Want one? You'll need a "major" net worth according to Amex, and reportedly spend at least $250,000 annually on your current American Express Platinum or Gold Card.

After that, you may just be given the "privilege" of paying the $5,000 initial joining-fee and the $2,500 annual fee after that.

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Able to travel nearly the speed of sound (0.925 Mach or 800 mph), the Gulfstream G650 travels the fastest speed and has the longest range of any business jet on the market.

Its heated and massage-controlled chairs can be fully reclined, and its full kitchen is complete with stainless steel appliances. The entire cabin offers touch controls, but if you prefer to stay comfortably seated you may opt to control your cabin surroundings using a mobile phone or tablet interface.

Strangely, the brochure that the G650 is advertised in doesn't have the price listed. It must go with that old adage, "If you have to ask, you can't afford it." But you might be able to find a G650 with a ballpark price of $60 to $65 million.

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Before billionaire adventurer Steve Fossett met an untimely death in a plane crash in 2007, he was working on a multimillion-dollar project to break the existing land speed record of 763 miles per hour.

His Target 800 M.P.H. supercar features a turbojet power plant that produces 18,400 pounds of thrust and a projected speed of 800 miles per hour. In Mr. Fossett's absence, his estate has given permission to sell the car at a $3 million price tag.

Not a bad price for a piece of immortality.

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If a Yacht enthusiast ever needed to get somewhere in a hurry with style and luxury, they would probably choose the world-renowned WallyPower 118.

With a combined 17,000 horsepower, its three jet turbine engines can propel the 118 ft luxury ship up to 70 mph, while still keeping its 12 passengers and crew comfortable with cutting-edge stability and control technology.
 
If speed and size isn't enough, the James Bond-esque vessel caters to its guests with a luxurious saloon, dining area, three bedrooms and cabin windows that offer a panoramic 360-degree view of the surrounding ocean.

A marvel of human engineering, you can pick up the diesel version of the Wally 118 for $22 million. But if you want the featured jet turbine version, you'll need to shell out about 50% more, or $33 million.

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No. 5, 1948 -- painted by the American modern artist Jackson Pollock -- is a relatively large painting (4' x 8') in the drip style for which Pollock is famous.

In a late-2006 sale allegedly brokered by Sotheby's, Hollywood billionaire David Geffen sold the painting to ultra-secretive Mexican financier David Martinez for $140 million.

In a shrewd piece of timing, Geffen sold two other modern masterpieces in 2006, just before the bottom fell out of the global financial markets. In October 2006, he sold Jasper Johns's False Start and Willem de Kooning's Police Gazette for a total of $143.5 million.

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