Gone are the days when the wealthy only wanted to fly because it offered a fast way to travel. Now, private jets have become nothing short of a luxury hotel suite, offering the most deluxe amnesties and amazing views thousands of feet above the ground.
Of course, not everyone can afford a private jet. Even many wealthy people find it beyond their affordability, so you can say for sure that if someone owns a private jet, they are among the richest people in the world.
The Most Expensive One
We are not sure whether the title of the most expensive plane in the world changes every year or not, but as of now it is an Airbus A380 commercial jetliner that has been converted in to a majestic palace on the inside to fit the preferences of its owner, Prince Al Waleed of Saudi Arabia.
As a member of the royal family, Prince Al Waleed is obviously a billionaire not only because he is the nephew of King Abdullah, but also because he is a successful businessman who owns an investment company located in London by the name of Kingdom Holding.
He is also an investor, and puts his money into multinational companies, stock, and even real estate, whichever offers him the greatest return on investment.
How Rich Is Prince Al Waleed?
Prince Al Waleed has investments in some of the biggest companies in the world, such as a 6% stake in Citigroup, a 7% stake in Fox News, 17% in Al Nahar, and 25% in Al Diyar. Also, back in 2011, Prince Al Waleed invested $300 million in Twitter, so it can be said that the Prince has certainly diversified his investment portfolio with investments in major companies in multiple business sectors.
According to estimates made by Forbes, the Prince is worth about $18.7 billion, which makes him the 45th most rich person around the globe. So it makes sense that he is able to afford an Airbus A380 all for himself and then holds the financial muscle to convert it into a little heaven which he can take with himself around the world.
Apart from the jet, the Prince also owns several yachts, has about 100 cars, and three other private jets as well, including a Boeing 747. His yachts are also praiseworthy and deserve to be mentioned. The prince is the proud owner of a 5KR, a superyacht measuring 280 feet, whose previous owner was the current US President Donald Trump.
About the Jet
The Airbus A380 Superjumbo, as it’s called, has a price tag of $500 million, and was easily the largest commercial plane in existence when the Prince ordered it back in 2010, also earning a feature for its size in the 2009 version of the Guinness World Records. Some of the most prestigious airlines in the world, such as Emirates, use the A380 for its ability to carry around 800 passengers on long-haul flights.
The jet itself costs $300 million to purchase, but Prince Al Waleed paid the extra $200 million for the modifications which he required to transform the interior to fit his requirements. Of course, he did not need seating for 800 people, so all of that went out the window. Instead, rooms with excellent furnishings, bathrooms with marble Turkish baths, and also a parking spot inside the plane to allow him to carry his Rolls-Royce around the world has been installed.
That’s not all, obviously. To move between the floors inside the plane, a lift is installed however the Prince also has the option to take the grand staircase. The plane is also equipped with four rooms for family members and VIP guests, and a prayer room with virtually generated mats for prayer that automatically face Mecca no matter where you are offer a very technologically modern feature.
But then again, the flying carpet feature in the Wellbeing Room, which is basically a glass screen at the bottom of the plane showing the ground below as scented breeze is artificially blown into the room, giving the perception that you are flying on a magic carpet.