Saturday, May 19, 2012

First Pictures of Interior of Ambani's "World's Priciest Home"

Whether or not it is the costliest is open to debate, more below.
From the BBC:

Ambanis give first view inside 'world’s priciest house’ in Mumbai
Nita Ambani pictured next to Antilia  
The Ambanis say they moved in last September
The first pictures have been released showing the inside of what is believed to be the world's most expensive house.

Built by India's richest man Mukesh Ambani, the 27-storey building towers over swanky Altamount Road in Mumbai.

Named Antilia, after a mythical island, it cost more than $1bn, reports say.

Living room of Antilia in Mumbai 
 Luxury hotel or 'modern home with Indian heart'?

Those who have visited it speak of helipads, a vast library, extravagant dining areas, opulent marble floors and even a snow room. Until now the family has remained silent on the residence.

"This is the first time I am talking about my home," says Mr Ambani's wife, Nita, in an interview published in the June issue of Vanity Fair magazine.

"There have been exaggerated reports in the media about it, I must say," she adds....MORE
From our January 2011 post, Nice Shack: "RuLeaks posts photos of alleged 'Putin Palace'":
Quick, what's Vlad's net worth?
From Foreign Policy's Passport blog:

RuLeaks, a WikiLeaks type site owned and operated by the Russian Pirate Party, was shut down by a denial of service attack yesterday after posting photos of a lavish mansion alleged to be Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's estate on the Black Sea. The site, and the photos, are now back up. 
The existence of the "Putin palace" on the Black Sea was discussed by the Washington Post's David Ignatius in an article last year. According to Russian whistleblower Sergey Kolesnikov, the still under-construction digs cost more than $1 billion, include an amphitheater and three helipads and is being "predominantly paid for with money donated by Russian businessmen." Putin's spokesman denied the report, saying that the building has nothing to do with Putin.

From the photos, the place certainly looks fit for a Romanov, with frescoed ceilings, outdoor maze bushes, marble floors, and four-post beds. Bizarrely, a man who appears to be a construction worker with his face blacked out poses in a number of the shots. (He may want to read up on the fates of previous WikiLeakers.) RuLeaks' description of the photos coyly describes them as "photographs of a palace, which has recently been discussed in the press"....MORE
On the net worth question, check here