If having money in the bank eases worries about essentials, such as a roof over your head, being a billionaire means they can be pieces of art unto themselves. Bill Gates, the perennial top-ranked billionaire now worth $56 billion, has a 66,000-square foot compound built into a Medina, Wash., hillside. While the home, just outside Seattle, couldn't fit every Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people) Vista buyer, the 1,000-square foot dining room, domed roof library with secret chambers, 60-foot pool and five acres of space could host quite a launch party for future editions.
The London home of steel baron Lakshmi Mittal, ranked No. 5 on our list, is tucked between Kensington Palace and the Sultan of Brunei's spread. In 2004 Mittal paid $128 million for the townhouse, the highest single-home buy of all time, and situated in what is known as "Billionaire's Row." Mittal's mansion has garage space for 20 cars and is embellished with marble taken from the same quarry that supplied the Taj Mahal.
Warren BuffettOmaha, Neb.
Net Worth: $52 billion
Rank: 2
At the rate Buffett is giving away his money, it won't be long before net worth matches the value of his home. He still resides in the 6,000-square-foot gray stucco home he bought in 1958 for $31,500. In 2004, Buffett sold one of his two Laguna Beach, Calif., properties, but still has one valued at about $4 million.
Lakshmi MittalLondon,
England
Net Worth: $32
billion
Rank: 5
In 2004, Mittal paid $128 million for this townhouse in the posh Kensington neighborhood known as Billionaires' Row. Mittal's mansion, tucked between Kensington Palace and the Sultan of Brunei's spread, has garage space for 20 cars and is embellished with marble taken from the same quarry that supplied the Taj Mahal. Mittal has another home in the city and is said to have residences in Delhi, Indonesia and Trinidad.
