Wouldn’t it be nice to have so much money that you could buy anything you wanted without checking your bank balance first? Ever wondered what the world’s wealthiest people spend their fortunes on? Maybe you’d buy a series of inconspicuous private jets, 10-carat diamonds, vintage cars and waterfront property in Malibu?
Or if you really want the Joneses to talk, roll up with the most expensive item in the world, which is the History Supreme Yacht, worth nearly $5 billion. Curious what tops the list in 2026? Here are 15 of the most expensive things ever created, ranked from least to most expensive, and why they cost a fortune.
While many expensive things have useful, revenue-generating purposes, some of the world’s most expensive objects seem to make less sense. Artist Damien Hirst created “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, aka The Shark” in 1991.
It’s a tiger shark preserved in formaldehyde in a vitrine and was commissioned by Charles Saatchi. It sold for $8 million to hedge fund billionaire Steven Cohen, according to multiple reports. However, “The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art” by Don Thompson hints at an even higher figure, as it is estimated to have sold for that in a private auction in 2005.
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Befitting a quintessential pop diva with an estimated net worth of around $350 million, Mariah Carey’s engagement ring from former fiancé James Packer cost an estimated $10 million — the highest purchase price ever for a celebrity engagement ring. Carey wore the ring for a year after her engagement ended, then sold it to an L.A. jeweler for a paltry $2.1 million in 2018, which by comparison feels like pocket change.
Christie’s Hong Kong sold a 14.23-carat, fancy intense pink diamond to an anonymous buyer for just over $23 million in 2012. The pink diamond expenses don’t stop there, though, as Christie’s also sold “The Eden Rose,” a 10-carat pink diamond, for $13 million in 2024.
This timepiece features 874 individual gemstones, including three heart-shaped diamonds ranging from 11 to 15 carats each, all with flawless clarity. These diamonds form a pattern and open like flower petals to reveal the watch’s face.
Among billionaire Jeff Bezos’ more extravagant purchases is a $42 million giant clock designed to run for 10,000 years. Perhaps it could be considered a business expense if he uses it to ensure everyone receives their Prime Day purchases in two days or less?
Car insurance is a big business, and finding the right domain name can be a pricey proposition. CarInsurance.com reportedly cost $49.7 million — the highest publicly reported price ever for a domain name. The purchase was made by Quinstreet in 2010.
The runners-up for most expensive domain names go to Insurance.com at $35.6 million and VacationRentals.com at $35 million.
It’s not surprising to find a few cars on this list of the world’s most expensive things. In 2018, a 1962 red Ferrari GTO was sold to an anonymous buyer at Sotheby’s auction in Monterey for $48.4 million, then again for $52 million in 2023. However, car experts are saying to watch the Ferrari Bianco Speciale, as this new model could be worth even more in 2026.
Laurence Graff, chairman of Graff Diamonds, introduced this gemstone watch masterpiece to the world in 2014. It is an undisputed one-of-a-kind show of craftsmanship featuring more than 110 carats of diamonds in various shapes and colors.
Your portfolio would look pretty sweet if you had this pricey painting in it. The Gustav Klimt painting last sold in 2006 for $135 million, purchased by art collector Ronald Lauder for display in the Neue Galerie New York.
Bezos owns a lot of real estate, including a $119 million mansion, a $23 million New York City condo and a $23 million house in Washington, D.C. But his priciest property to date seems to be his $175 million estate in Beverly Hills, previously owned by music mogul David Geffen.
More recently, Bezos has been purchasing property in the “Billionaire Bunker” in the Indian Creek area of South Florida. He has purchased three houses in that neighborhood in total, the last one at an estimated $90 million.
With stocks and investments tumbling in a bear market, it’s not just individual investors who are opting to invest in art and other tangible items. “The Card Players” is a 1890s painting by Paul Cezanne. It was purchased by Qatar in 2011.
Christie’s auctioned Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi” for $450.3 million in 2017. The seller was Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, who had purchased the masterpiece from Yves Bouvier. Rybolovlev later accused Bouvier of fraud, alleging the Swiss art broker had overcharged him over $1 billion for several works, including “Salvator Mundi.”
A mansion on the French Riviera named Villa Leopolda holds the title of second-most expensive private residence. The building served as a hospital during World War II and has changed hands several times since its construction in 1902 for Belgian King Leopold II — hence, the name.
Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov is the current owner; he bought the mansion in 2008.
If you’ve ever wanted to live in the world’s most expensive house, you’ll find it in Mumbai, India. The 27-story building towers over others in the skyline and boasts three helipads, nine elevators, a 50-seat home theater and other luxuries. It was completed in 2010 for around $2 billion, but some estimates say it could be worth upwards of $4 billion.
It is owned by Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in India, who has a net worth of more than $116 billion, according to Forbes.
The History Supreme Yacht is not the largest in the world. That honor goes to Bezos’ superyacht Koru at 417 feet — but Koru cost a mere $500 million. However, the History Supreme took three years to design from the mind of Stuart Hughes and is outfitted with some of the world’s priciest materials and amenities, coming out to 100 feet of pure wealth.
According to Architectural Digest, it is currently in the hands of Robert Kuok, Malaysia’s richest man.
Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 15 of the Most Expensive Things in the World
