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Even for upper-middle-class Americans, some expenses just can’t be justified to your accountant or your future self. However, beyond the scope of the wealthy are the uber-rich, who have the luxury of knowing some precious things could be attainable … for the right price.
Consider the world’s most expensive things — literally. From rare works of art to the most exclusive status symbols, here’s a look at several categories of the priciest items money can buy. While they will cost anyone a fortune up front, some could end up being wise investments.
Watches: The Patek Philippe Chronograph Watch
In the world of high-end watches, the Swiss watchmaking company Patek Philippe is considered the gold standard. In November 2019, its chronograph watch — signed by the watchmaker, with moon phases and a “perpetual” calendar — sold at a Christie’s auction. With a final price of $31.19 million, it was the highest amount ever paid for a wristwatch at auction.
Other notable mentions of expensive Patek Philippe luxury watches:
Henry Graves Supercomplication: $24 Million
Ref. 1518 in Stainless Steel: $11 Million
“Prince Tewfik” Pink on Pink 1518: $9.57 Million
Learn More: Suze Orman’s Top Tip for Building Wealth Is a ‘Very Easy One’
Homes: Buckingham Palace
If you think your housing market is tough, try being of noble blood. Sure, this Royal Family quarters isn’t on the market, but if it were, it’s estimated to cost over $5 billion to purchase in total. Hopefully it’s roomy enough for you with 240 bedrooms, 78 bathrooms and a swimming pool.
Cars: Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe
The average Mercedes is not cheap, but this brings the meaning of a luxury vehicle to a whole new level. There were only two of these vehicles manufactured. This model is from 1955. It sold in Germany at a secret auction in 2022.
Art: Painting and Sculpture
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but purchasing these beautiful pieces is only possible if you are uber wealthy:
Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi”: Sold for $450 million at Christie’s New York to a private buyer after being thought destroyed for years. However, it was found in 2005 and restored.
L’Homme au doigt (Pointing Man): This sculpture was created by Alberto Giacometti in 1947. L’Homme au doigt is hand-painted and 5 feet 10 inches tall. It sold for a whopping $141.3 million in May 2015 to a private collector.
Instruments: Stradivarius Violins
In the world of music, there are violins and then there are Stradivarius violins. Over 300 years ago, Antonio Stradivari, an Italian luthier, made about 1,100 instruments that some of the world’s greatest violinists still play today. There are, however, only approximately 650 of these original violins left in play.
Though prices vary, it’s not uncommon for these violins to fetch upwards of $15 million to $20 million. For example, the “Joachim-Ma” Stradivarius is currently valued between $12 and $18 million.
Wine: 1945 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Red Wine
Price: $558,000 for one bottle
In October 2018, Sotheby’s auctioned off a rare bottle of wine from the personal cellar of a renowned winemaker, Robert Drouhin, who heads the Maison Joseph Drouhin winemaking operation. The wine comes from the equally renowned winemaking region of Burgundy, France. This pinot noir is typically aged at least 10 years before drinking and is known for its full-bodied flavor.
Coffee: Elida Geisha Cup of Coffee
Price: $75 per cup ($1,029 per pound)
Coffee lovers can be a bit obsessed with their daily cup of joe, but some took that to an extreme in the San Francisco Bay Area in May 2019, when they paid $75 per cup of Elida Geisha coffee, brewed and served by Klatch Coffee. That same year, a pound of Geisha from Panama sold for a record-breaking $1,029 per pound.
Cheese: Cabrales Blue Cheese
Price: $16,570 for 5.78 pounds
Not everyone enjoys the taste of the pungent French blue cheese. But in 2018, 15 restaurateurs in Spain spent hours bidding on one of the strongest blue cheeses in the world, known as Cabrales. The winning bid, $16,570 (originally 14,300 euros), set the Guinness World Record for most expensive cheese.
Pets: Cats, Dogs and More
Furry friends and beloved family pets can come in many shapes, sizes and … price points. These luxury animals don’t subscribe to the idea of “adopt, don’t shop.” Take a look:
Ashera cat: The estimated value for these fancy felines can vary between $22,000 to $125,000. This newer breed of cat is rare and seriously big, at 30 pounds. A hybrid of the African serval, Asian leopard and domestic house cat, these felines are so exclusive that they’ve been known to sell for as much as $125,000.
Samoyed dog: Prices vary for this rare breed from Siberia, typically ranging between $2,000 to $5,000, but can cost upwards of $14,000. They are known to be sweet and loving, but unfortunately, they’re prone to health issues like corneal dystrophy, autoimmune conditions and cardiac disorders.
Fusaichi Pegasus thoroughbred horse: $70 million large will get you this thoroughbred stallion that earned its owners millions of dollars in races like the Kentucky Derby. Genes like this don’t come cheap, as his owner sold him to a stud farm in Ireland for $70 million to hopefully produce foals with the horse’s award-winning DNA.
Scotch: Isabella’s Islay
Though the Scotch is probably pretty good, the casing isn’t anything to sneeze at. The bottle is encrusted with more than 8,500 diamonds and is made of English crystal.
Rare Coins: 1933 Double Eagle
The Double Eagle is the world’s most valuable coin, after selling to a private buyer in 2021 at Sotheby’s. The Double Eagle coin was the last gold currency struck in the United States.
Wedding Dresses: Serena Williams’ Alexander McQueen
Serena Williams wore a custom-made dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen in her 2017 wedding to Alexis Ohanian. The dress required five pairs of hands and took over 1,500 hours of work to make.
Stamps: The Inverted Jenny Stamp
What makes this stamp so unique? First of all, it features a plane known as the JN-4HM, built in World War I. It was the first plane used to deliver mail. What makes this batch of stamps unique is that, due to a printing error, the airplane and the blue background are printed upside down. That aspect helped it sell for $1.7 million at auction in 2023 with an 18% buyer’s premium tacked on, raising the total cost to $2,006,000.
Music: ‘Once Upon a Time in Shaolin’ by Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan only made one copy of this album in 2015, and it came with a unique contract that stated the buyer of the album could not sell or profit from the album in any way for 88 years.
Martin Shkreli, the disgraced pharmaceutical executive, purchased the album for $2 million. Fans, who expected him to release the album for free, were left disappointed.
Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this story.
