In leading his company MicrosoftBill Gates has become one of the richest men in the world.
But in February 2014 the entrepreneur made an important decision: he chose to focus on his well-known commitment in the field of charity together with his wife through his foundation “Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation”. This is how Gates announced his resignation as president of Microsoft. But there is much more to say about him.
For example, the obsession with i Toilet It’s a detail about Bill Gates that perhaps not everyone knows: the tycoon has well 24 bathrooms that in his incredible villa in the United States. But this is only one of all its features uncommon. Let’s see together what the home of the sixth richest man in the world according to the Forbes list looks like.
Bill Gates’ villa seen from above
It is worth 130 million dollars.
Xanadu 2.0, Bill Gates’ villa, is almost 60 thousand square meters large
Medina’s residence in Washington is particularly important for the entrepreneur. In fact, it has a monetary value but above all it has a strong sentimental value: that’s where he lived his whole life with his partner Melinda Gates and his children Jennifer Katherine, Rory John and Phoebe Adele.
The house is called Xanadu 2.0 and is 258,065 square meters large. The name is a reference to the fictional estate of Charles Foster Kane, the main character of Fourth estate by Orson Welles.
Inside, in addition to the 24 bathrooms, we also find a garage for 23 cars, a private cinema which can hold up to 20 people, one 232 square meter gymsand imported from the Caribbean islands and a swimming pool with heating system.
Gates’ Villa worth 130 million euros with an approximate cost of 1 million euros in taxes per year.
More details of Xanadu 2.0
The entrepreneur cares a lot about his privacy: to access Xanadu you have to go through an underground and private path. This is to avoid unwanted incursions by fans, paparazzi or journalists. The construction process of the villa required the commitment of 300 workers, including 100 electricians.
Gates is very famous for his philanthropic works. A few years ago he auctioned off private tours of his home for charity. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, the highest bid came from a Microsoft employee with a record sum of $35,000
Quotes by Leonardo da Vinci and Francis Scott Fitzgerald
Furthermore, inside Xanadu 2.0 there is an immense library in which Gates keeps the original manuscript of the Leicester Codex Leonardo da Vincipurchased for $30.8 million in 1994.
The library, with a domed roof, is almost 200 m2 large. Inside there are two secret bookcases, one of which reveals a hidden counter. On the ceiling was a quote from The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, which reads: “He had come a long way to reach this blue meadow and his dream must have seemed so close that he could no longer escape it.”.
A luxury, but eco-efficient home
In the construction of his house Bill Gates requested a technologically advanced space but also eco-efficient.
Xanadu 2.0 was built with 500-year-old Douglas fir trees and uses its natural environment to reduce heat loss and regulate temperature in a functional way. In addition, each guest is given a key that allows them to interact with the climate and the lighting of every space in the house. It is lit with LED panels and on the property there is an artificial stream full of fish. Incredible right?
