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    Bill Gates Just Dropped $60 Million on a Castle in Northern Italy

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    Bill Gates is now the king of his very own castle.

    The Microsoft co-founder purchased the famous Castello di San Giorgio in Italy’s Liguria region for approximately $60 million, Il Secolo XIX first reported. According to the local newspaper, Gates bought the historic property through his Four Seasons real estate company, meaning there’s a chance that the tech billionaire turned hotelier could turn the building into a luxury resort.

    The fortress-like structure was used for military defense during the Roman Times because of its elevated position; however, it was later abandoned, The Daily Mail reported. After a British diplomat scooped the place up some decades later, it was converted into the luxury villa seen today. Also known as Portofino Castle, the ancient European spread measures 12,917 square feet, and it even sports an elevator that will bring you directly down to the beach.

    Bill Gates reportedly bought a castle in Northern Italy for $60 million

    Kevin Britland/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    Portofino, which is perched on Italy’s northwest coast, has long been a popular hideaway for jet setters, entrepreneurs, and celebs. Fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana famously have villas there, while Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeff Bezos, and Jennifer Lopez have all visited the colorful fishing village, not to mention it’s where Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker got married at Villa Olivetta.

    This isn’t the first time that Gates has added an Italian property to his impressive $170 million real estate portfolio. In 2021, Gates’s private equity firm, Cascade Investment, bought a majority stake in the Four Seasons Hotel chain from Saudi Prince al-Waleed bin Talal in a $2.2 billion deal. Four Seasons was subsequently awarded a contract for a new resort in Rome, located within a 17th-century palazzo right by St. Peter’s Basilica and the Spanish Steps, which will become the city’s first six-star hotel. More

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      in Luxury

      Paul Allen’s Historic Villa in the South of France Has Been Sold to a Hedge Fund Billionaire

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      Villa Maryland, Paul Allen’s hilltop mansion in the South of France, has just been snapped up by Millennium Management founder Israel Englander, Bloomberg reported.

      According to local agents, the palatial pad, one of the late Microsoft co-founder’s many prized real estate properties around the world, is worth upwards of €100 million (or roughly $105 million). Although the sale price has not yet been disclosed, the transaction, which was brokered by Savills, is positioned to rank among the biggest private-party transactions this year.

      Paul Allen’s home in the South of France sold to Millennium Management founder Israel Englander.

      Toni Anne Barson/WireImage/Getty Images

      Prominently sited above the seaside fishing village of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, a favorite summer destination for the beau monde, the 18-bedroom villa measures a whopping 27,000 square feet and sports 10 acres of terraced gardens. The Côte d’Azur spread dates back to 1904, when it was commissioned by shipping and railroad magnate Sir Arthur Wilson, an acquaintance of Edward VII.  

      Per the city’s website, Wilson held a number of grand receptions here, and Allen seems to have continued the tradition; according to the Wall Street Journal, Allen hosted a pirate-themed soirée at Villa Maryland in 1996 during the Cannes Film Festival. It was also reported that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie spent time at the estate in 2008 before they separated in 2016. Every summer, Allen would anchor his megayacht Octopus in the harbor of Villefranche-sur-Mer before journeying over to the estate. 

      The entrance to Villa Maryland in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.

      Toni Anne Barson/WireImage/Getty Images

      Englander, whose net worth clocks in at $11.4 billion, has recently been expanding his portfolio. At the start of 2022, he acquired a $20 million apartment in Paris, formerly owned by Jean-Victor Meyers, the great-grandson of the founder of L’Oréal. He’s also taken a lease on an office building in the French capital, Bloomberg reported. 

      Before Allen’s passing in 2018, he pledged that all of the proceeds from his trust would go to charity. Last year, his art collection was hammered down for a record-setting $1.5 billion at Christie’s, and several of the tech tycoon’s lavish properties have already been sold or are currently for sale. They include a sprawling Beverly Hills estate, a Bay Area mansion, a cluster of homes on Seattle’s Mercer Island, and Georgia O’Keeffe’s former home in New Mexico. More

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      in Vacation Homes

      This Modern Villa on a Private Island in Fiji Runs $7,800 Per Night

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      The hardest part of planning a vacation can be deciding where to stay. But when you’ve rented your own full-service villa in the South Pacific, all you need to choose is who you’re gonna bring. 

      Reef House, on privately owned Vomo Island in Fiji, is available to rent out for up to 10 of your closest friends and fam. The secluded pad, which sits on roughly 330 feet of powdery beachfront, has five bedrooms and just about every creature comfort you can imagine, from an 80-foot infinity pool to a personal butler.  

      The Reef House on Fiji’s Vomo Island is available for rent for up to 10 people.

      Mark Snyder/VOMO Island Fiji

      Overlooking the Yasawa Islands, Vomo Island has just 34 residences spread across its 225 acres. Reef House just so happens to be the biggest and the newest. For $7,862 a night, you and your guests will have all your meals and non-alcoholic bevvies covered, plus complimentary Wi-Fi and laundry service, access to non-motorized water sports, and use of the island resort’s tennis court, gym, and golf course. Did we mention the property is only accessible via helicopter or seaplane? 

      The five-bedroom home is the biggest residence on the resort.

      Mark Snyder/VOMO Island Fiji

      Nestled on just shy of two acres and designed by Mark Richi, managing director of the award-winning firm Architecture Building Culture, the home has a contemporary vibe to it. Internally, the abode feels casual and serene thanks to an abundance of neutral tones and natural materials, like the off-white limestone that was imported from Portugal. There’s also blonde Victorian ash wood paneling, and off-white painted plaster walls. Dark-tinted windows help mitigate the sun’s heat and glare.  

      The heart of the dwelling comprises one long, low-slung structure that houses the living room, dining area, and open-plan kitchen. Full-height glass walls in the living room and dining spaces slide open to a spacious loggia, creating a continuous space that serves as a single alfresco poolside hangout.

      The primary suite has its own wing with an outdoor terrace and hot tub.

      Mark Snyder/VOMO Island Fiji

      At one end of the great room, you’ll find two pavilions that hold four suites, each with separate entries, ensuite bathrooms, and walk-in closets. And over on the eastern side, the primary suite is a free-standing pavilion complete with an ensuite bath and an outdoor lounge. Another of the estate’s more notable features is the hot tub, which is equipped with a system that makes the water cooler if it’s too sweltering to soak comfortably.

      If and when you do decide to rejoin the group, kick back on any of the many sundecks or take a dip in the charcoal-tiled pool.  

      Click here to see all the photos of the Reef House.  

      Mark Snyder/VOMO Island Fiji More