One of the most expensive private residences in the world is located in France. A true madness of grandeur, it is distinguished by its innumerable rooms, its bathrooms in abundance and a garden larger than a park… The price? To make you turn your attention!
Times are not difficult for everyone in our country… Nestled in the South of France, the c turns heads and panics the meters. Inaccessible for 99.9% of the population, it remains a waking dream reserved for a handful of billionaires. A sumptuous residence with incredible charm, it even appeared in the cinema in The Hand in the Collar by Alfred Hitchcock in 1955. An extraordinary real estate myth at all levels…
This villa has breathtaking dimensions. Its park extends over eight perfectly maintained hectares. There are more than 1,200 trees there: olive trees, cypresses, lemon trees, orange trees… A lush setting that would require the constant maintenance of around fifty gardeners. The villa itself has around ten bedrooms and fourteen bathrooms. Several annex outbuildings are also scattered across the property. Perched on the heights of Villefranche-sur-Mer (PACA), it offers a panoramic view of the Mediterranean Sea. An idyllic setting, worthy of a dream… or a whim of the ultra-rich.
Villa Leopolda was built in 1902, under the leadership of King Leopold II of Belgium. He built an elegant Belle Époque style residence there, topped with a central turret. Very quickly, she attracts attention. During the First World War, its impressive size led to it being transformed into a hospital. In the 1950s, it became part of the heritage of Giovanni Agnelli, the powerful Italian industrialist at the head of the Fiat group. It then passed into the hands of the rich Lebanese banker Edmond Safra. In 2008, a sale agreement for 390 million euros was about to be concluded, but the transaction was canceled. The price of the villa would then have continued to rise. Its value today would reach 660 million euros according to the magazine Forbes. A dizzying price which makes it, without doubt, the most expensive residence in all of France.
In a century of existence, the Villa Leopolda has seen kings, billionaires and discreet fortunes pass by. But its price has never been stable. It climbs, year after year, to the rhythm of rumors and desires. One thing is certain: only the biggest spenders can claim to set foot there. Since the death of Lily Safra in 2022, and the last known owner, the mystery hangs over who occupies it. No official takeover, no leak. It is impossible to know who the current owner is. Secrecy seems to be part of prestige.
