20 Insane Luxuries Only Billionaires Can Afford

When we think of extreme wealth, we picture luxury cars, private jets, and sprawling mansions. But what about the things the ultra-rich spend money on that most of us wouldn’t even think about?

A recent Reddit thread explored this exact question, and the answers range from fascinating to downright mind-blowing.

These responses offer a glimpse into a world where money isn’t just about things—it’s about access, power, and an entirely different way of life. If you had unlimited funds, would you indulge in any of these?

Image source: FadeIntoReal, malitskiybogdan

I worked for a guy with so much money that he’d book entire charter flights just so he could smoke on them—at about $40,000 per flight. And he wasn’t just lighting up cigarettes. He was smoking crack.

That $350 cleaning fee for smoking in a non-smoking hotel room? He laughed at it. Pocket change.

Edit: Oh, and the extended cruises. I know a girl who worked as a hairdresser on a luxury cruise line for the ultra-wealthy. The shortest voyage they offered was six months. If you had the money, you could literally just sail around the world indefinitely.

Image source: vflaneur, Rohit Raj

I work with a very wealthy Chinese entrepreneur. His cigarette of choice? Black Russian cigarettes with filters re-wrapped in 24K

Image source: dirtymoney, cottonbro studio

They pay people to do the most mundane of activities for them.

Image source: Sensei2006, Mathias Reding

When companies like Lamborghini and Koenigsegg release limited-edition supercars worth $6 million+, those cars are usually paid for in full before they’re even built.

Which means somewhere out there, there are garages filled with dozens of these insane machines—just sitting. Untouched. Unused.

I can’t even imagine being so rich that $6 million for a decoration feels trivial.

Image source: Harish R, Hashmi3

Oxygen. Yep, you read that right.

You might have heard about that shop in Delhi that, during peak pollution season, started selling pure oxygen to people. While the wealthy could literally buy fresh air, the poor—who arguably needed it the most—couldn’t even dream of affording it.

Imagine a world where breathing clean air becomes a luxury.

Image source: anon, wahyu_t

Sometimes, it’s the little things that really highlight extreme wealth—not just the big purchases.

I once stayed at the vacation home of a family worth over $300 million—just one of their five or six residences. The house itself was, of course, incredible. But the thing that stuck with me? Their cable TV package.

They had the most expensive package available—every channel imaginable—for a house they might visit once a year.

It’s one thing to own a multi-million dollar vacation home. But spending thousands annually just to maybe watch TV for a weekend? That’s a different level of wealth.

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Imagine a fully equipped ER, complete with all the life-saving machines—but redesigned with wood paneling and seamlessly integrated into a luxurious room of your house. No need for a regular hospital when you can bring the entire medical facility to you.

This is one of the newer status symbols among the ultra-rich—another way to separate themselves even further from the rest of society.

Image source: 112663636, Terry Browning

I grew up with two artists as parents, and my uncle is a high-end art dealer, so I’ve always been aware of just how insanely expensive art can be. But it still shocks me how many people don’t realize just how rich the people buying it are.

Sure, we all know the ultra-wealthy buy mansions, supercars, and sports teams—that’s common knowledge. But what usually surprises people the most? Art.

To put things in perspective: last year, the most expensive painting my uncle sold went for £18 million in a private sale. Now, think about your own net worth—how much would you realistically spend on a single painting? 10%? 5%? Most people with a million dollars wouldn’t even drop $50K on art.

Let’s say the buyer spent just 2% of their net worth—meaning they’re sitting on ~£900 million. And that’s just one painting in their collection.

The most expensive painting I’ve personally held in my own hands later sold at auction for $44 million USD—more money than I’ll make in ten lifetimes.

Image source: anon, Shadowman39

I once stayed at a guy’s place who ranks among the top 100 richest people in Britain—and of all the extravagant things I expected to see, nothing prepared me for this:

Dude had a massive K’Nex set.

Not just a little hobby collection—a whole alcove dedicated to it. Just filled with intricate structures, towering models, and probably enough pieces to buy a small house.

When you’re that rich, I guess you can turn your childhood obsessions into full-blown architectural

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Image source: theultimateusername, Marcin Ciszewski

I’m friends with a few superbly wealthy people from the Middle East (mainly Bahrain and the UAE). Some are high-ranking royal family members, while others own major stakes in the region’s biggest family corporations. Their net worths range anywhere from $10 million to $500 million+ each.

Yacht Life

We’re talking insane yachts that barely get used. One sheikh I know bought a yacht specifically for the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 race—a three-day event. He docked it trackside, partied with 50+ random Spanish girls, and had music blasting all night, every night. After that? The yacht just sat there until the next year.

And just buying a $10–50 million yacht wasn’t enough. He completely remodeled it with custom leather, rare wood finishes, and even engraved his name on everything—from the seating to the wine glasses. That bespoke customization? An extra $2 million.

The $7 Million Empty Music Studio

Another sheikh was obsessed with music, so he built a $7 million recording studio with the best equipment money could buy. He hired top-tier sound engineers and producers—the same guys who worked on some of the biggest albums in the world—and paid them a minimum of $200K+ per year.

Only problem? The studio was empty 95% of the time.

Oh, and their salaries? That didn’t include the luxury housing, cars, and expenses he covered for them.

Art Buying? Just for Fun

The way these guys buy art is absurd.

I was with one of them at an auction, and he decided he’d only spend $100K because the collection wasn’t really his style.

One painting he casually bid on for $50K started climbing—$100K, $200K, $300K, $500K.

At that point, the auctioneer looked at him and asked, “Gentleman in the back?”

When a few other rich people in the room turned toward him, he just shrugged and said, “Oh, hell, why not?”

Boom. $500K. Bought it. Walked out like he just grabbed a candy bar.

On the Philanthropic Side

For all the excess, some of these guys are incredibly generous. I know a few who sponsor hundreds of families, covering their entire living costs, education, and beyond. Some support entire villages in poorer countries, paying for food, schools, and healthcare.

Extreme wealth definitely comes with extremes—both in spending and generosity.

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My mom used to work for a wealthy couple, and since the wife took a liking to me, I sometimes got to stay with her while my mom worked. They weren’t top 1% rich, but they were definitely well off.

I knew dog spas were a thing. But when they sent their iguana to what was basically an iguana spa for a week… yeah, didn’t know that existed.

Their house had four or five bathrooms, and they had a full-time employee whose only job was to scrub interior grout.

Oh, and they also employed a guy whose sole duty was to rinse off their cars every time they were driven in the winter—because they hated road salt and refused to let their cars rust.

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Image source: Stanley R. Wigglesworth, olegdoroshenko

It’s one of those things that makes total sense when you think about it—rich people are prime targets. But the world is so bizarre that I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them start bragging about it like it’s a Bentley.

Oh, you don’t have K&R insurance? Must be nice not having to worry about being snatched in Monaco.

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Image source: wanderingbilby, Colin Watts

The ultra-wealthy don’t just make money—they structure their wealth so that it grows on its own.

Wealth That Sustains Itself

At a certain level, money isn’t just sitting in a bank—it’s self-sustaining through strategic investments:

Commercial real estate 🏢—think skyscrapers, shopping centers, entire neighborhoods.
Mineral rights ⛏️—own the land, own what’s under it (oil, gas, rare metals).
Private equity & venture capital 🚀—investing in startups before they explode in value.

Collectibles as Investments

Beyond traditional assets, they also put their wealth into high-value collectibles—things that appreciate over time:

Rare cars & motorcycles 🏎️—Lamborghinis and Ferraris they’ll never drive.
Fine wines 🍷—bottles that cost more than a house.
High-end art & jewelry 🎨💎—Picassos, diamonds, and one-of-a-kind Rolexes.

Unlike cash, these don’t depreciate and aren’t hit by inflation. For the ultra-rich, owning rare, appreciating assets is just another way to store wealth.

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Image source: anon, Mat Brown

Buying Time: The Ultimate Luxury

People imagine wealth in terms of luxury cars, private jets, and mansions—but what the ultra-rich really buy is time.

Think about every small task you do in a day:
☑️ Getting ready in the morning
☑️ Grocery shopping
☑️ Cooking & cleaning
☑️ Making phone calls & paying bills
☑️ Commuting

Now imagine never having to do any of that—ever.

For the rich, these tasks are completely outsourced:

Private chefs cook their meals exactly how they like them.
Personal assistants handle schedules, bills, and errands.
Drivers & car services eliminate waiting in traffic.
Helicopters & private jets cut travel time to a minimum.
House managers & staff keep their homes running like a hotel.

Even when they want something specific—like a new painting—they don’t spend hours picking one out. They just say, “I want art on this wall,” and someone else makes it happen.

One guy I knew (a college kid from a wealthy family) never had to shop for groceries, do laundry, or worry about transportation. Instead of wasting time on chores, he got to focus on music, studying, and enjoying life—something most of us can’t even imagine.

That’s real wealth. It’s not just having nice things—it’s the ability to live completely free from life’s small inconveniences.

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That place is insane. Hearst Castle isn’t just a mansion—it’s a full-blown palace sitting on the California coast, complete with indoor and outdoor Roman-style pools, gold-leaf ceilings, and priceless art. The guy basically imported pieces of European history and reassembled them on a hilltop overlooking the Pacific.

William Randolph Hearst was the original media mogul, and he threw weekend parties for the richest, most powerful people in the world—Hollywood stars, politicians, intellectuals. Imagine casually getting an invite to party in a private castle with people like Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill, and Greta Garbo.

The castle is still preserved as a museum, and even though the parties are long gone, it’s wild to think about the history that took place there. It’s like a time capsule of peak 1920s & 1930s excess. What was your favorite part of the visit?

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Yeah, the “justice system” seems to work differently when you have enough money. If you’re rich enough, consequences become more of an inconvenience than an actual punishment.

DUIs & reckless driving? A good lawyer (or a hefty donation) makes it disappear.
White-collar crime? At worst, you pay a fine that barely dents your fortune.
Serious crimes? House arrest in a mansion with a private chef and a home theater isn’t exactly hard time.

The real privilege of extreme wealth isn’t just buying expensive things—it’s being able to avoid the same rules that apply to everyone else. There are plenty of cases where regular people get years in prison for minor offenses while the ultra-rich walk free from way worse.

It’s frustrating, but not surprising. Money doesn’t just buy luxury—it buys immunity.

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Image source: Philoplex, Wesley Tingey

Now that is peak rich person behavior. Forget fancy cars and private jets—why not have a fire-breathing dragon guarding your estate?

Like, imagine pulling up to their house for the first time, and suddenly—BOOM!—a massive flaming dragon greets you. That’s not just wealth, that’s medieval fantasy overlord wealth.

I have so many questions:

Is this dragon handmade, or did they commission some insane sculptor?
Do they turn it off for Amazon deliveries, or is the FedEx guy just used to dodging flames?
Is there a button inside the house to make it breathe fire on command?

Because if I had that kind of money, I’d 100% have a remote just to freak people out.

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Image source: zerbey, Leo Iordache

That’s some next-level rich person flex—spending $80K just to not use something.

For most people, season tickets are a dream purchase. For this guy? Expensive decorations.

I bet the stadium staff knew his seats were always empty, too. Imagine the die-hard fans sitting in the nosebleeds, looking down at prime, unused seats like:
*”Sir, may I please touch just one of those seats? I will sit there with the utmost

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Ah yes, the “Prestige Price Tag.” Forget grades, research, or work experience—just cut a six-figure check, and boom—Ivy League secured.

Makes you wonder how many “brilliant” people at top schools are just walking trust funds with C-average GPAs. Meanwhile, someone out there with actual talent got rejected because their parents didn’t have a spare $250K lying around.

Also, imagine the admissions team pretending to review those applications:
“Wow, Chad’s 2.3 GPA and his essay about ‘why beer pong builds leadership skills’ are truly inspiring. Oh, and his family donated a new library wing? WELCOME TO HARVARD.

#20

You’re probably familiar with the luxury homes, cars, jewelry, yachts, and sports teams. But what you might not know about is stem cell treatments—the kind you can’t get in the U.S. Instead of using cells from your own fat, these treatments, available in Panama, come from placenta and cord blood. They’re a well-kept secret among the ultra-wealthy.