Back in 2015, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman paid nearly $300 million for a massive estate in Louveciennes, outside of Paris, France. That made the property known as Chateau Louis XIV, the most expensive home in the world, a distinction it still holds. And now The New York Post reports that it's finally almost ready for the Crown Prince to move in.
At a glance, the 53,800-square-foot chateau that serves as the centerpiece of the 57-acre property might look like something out of 1800s France, but actually it was built from the ground up in 2009. The goal in the mansion's design was to combine the look of an authentic Versailles-era castle with all the modern conveniences, like a system that lets users control the mansion's many devices, fountains, lights, and thermostat with a smartphone.
The mansion also boasts a home movie theater, a wine cellar, a squash court, TWO ballrooms, two swimming pools (one indoor and one outdoor), and even an underground nightclub. It even has authentic historical touches like a moat, although no 17th century moat ever had an "underwater meditation room" with fish swimming around and above visitors' heads.
17th century French castles were known for their lush, expansive gardens, and the grounds surrounding Chateau Louis XIV are undoubtedly in keeping with this tradition. Colorful flowerbeds, topiary sculptures, and immaculate box hedges abound across the outdoor garden space, and there's even a labyrinth as well as a small and fully functional farm and vegetable garden.
Bin Salman first purchased the property under a veil of secrecy, but eventually it came out that the spiderweb of shell corporations that actually made the purchase could be traced back to him, and now according to the Post he's getting ready to move in. When he does, he'll be surrounded by a level of opulence that even he might not be accustomed to, and you can get a better look at what I mean by taking a look at the video below, from the French Connaissance des Arts YouTube channel:
