As the head of a tech company, you likely have a lot of money to spare. But what are some of the most extravagant and unusual ways tech executives have chosen to spend their money?
From the exotic to the extravagant, whether it is spending on luxury cars and private jets to extreme home renovations and island getaways, read on for some truly over-the-top spending by tech CEOs.
Larry Ellison Bought a Hawaiian Island for $300 Million in 2012
The Oracle founder and executive chairman doesn’t just own part of Hawaii — he owns all 662 acres of the island of Lanai, which is located near Maui. The land is primarily undeveloped, but Oracle CEO Larry Ellison has big plans: He wants to turn it into a giant playground for the rich.
Jeff Bezos Bought a $65 Million Jet So He Wouldn’t Have to Fly Commercial Anymore
According to Business Insider’s Rob Price, Bezos purchased a Gulfstream G650ER jet in 2015, which costs around $65 million. It’s one of the fastest and longest-range private jets on the market today.
Bezos also owns a clock that’ll run for 10,000 years. The 10,000 Year Clock is a massive clock inspired by inventor and author Isaac Asimov’s short story “The Last Question.”
The idea is that it’ll keep time for ten centuries and beyond, marking historical events as they happen and helping people think about long-term cycles in human history.
Mark Zuckerberg and Family Bought Houses Surrounding His Palo Alto Home for $30 Million
According to Forbes, Mark Zuckerberg’s current net worth is around $63 billion. After Facebook went public in 2012, the company’s co-founder and CEO, Zuckerberg, splurged on four nearby homes that he reportedly plans to turn into a private compound for his family.
According to Business Insider, the homes cost around $30 million (or as much as $1.6 million per acre).
Elon Musk Bought a McLaren F1 Sports Car for $800,000 and Crashed It the Same Day
Elon Musk is worth more than $200 billion today — but he didn’t always have so much money to his name. When he started as an entrepreneur in South Africa, Musk reportedly spent $200,000 of his savings on the McLaren F1, which he later crashed. Musk was apparently “totally distraught” over the loss, but clearly, it didn’t put him off fancy cars forever.
Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Eric Schmidt Spent $1 Billion to Buy a Caribbean Island in 2007
In 2007, Google founders Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and former Google CEO + current Alphabet chairman Eric Schmidt bought a private Caribbean Island. Little is known about the strange acquisition, but it’s believed to be part of Brin’s plan to build an ecologically friendly utopia.
Evan Spiegel Spent $4 Million on His Engagement Ring
In 2016, the Snapchat founder and CEO bought his then-fiancée a diamond ring that reportedly cost around $4 million. According to Forbes, the 31-year-old entrepreneur’s current net worth is an estimated $7.7 billion.
Google Co-founder Sergey Brin Reportedly Invested a Whopping $100 and $150 Million to Build a 600-Foot Flying Airship
He is building the airship, allegedly the world’s largest aircraft, to use it to provide internet access to rural and hard-to-reach places. The Google co-founder is also investing in a company that wants to bring internet connectivity by blimp to Silicon Valley.
In May 2018, Elon Musk Hosted a Now-Infamous After-Party at His Bel-Air Mansion for the Met Gala
Celebrities like Grimes and Jared Leto were seen entering and leaving the bash. Around 1,500 people attended the party, which lasted for about five hours. Musk reportedly spent $250,000 on alcohol at the event.
Maybe Money can Buy Happiness
Even with these seemingly lavish purchases, some of the highest-paid CEOs only ever bought a fraction of what they could have. In short, money beyond belief is an immutable part of the sphere in which these founders and CEOs operate. They are not just rich; they are super-rich. And yet spending that money seems to be one of the biggest challenges they face.
As a tech geek, if you’re confused about putting your money in the right company for your internet needs, call Spectrum Phone Number for a resolution to your internet problems.
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