As the richest man in America, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates lives in a home as lavish and luxurious as you would expect. Gates’s Xanadu 2.0, named after the fictional home of Charles Foster Kane from “Citizen Kane,” is 66,000 square feet of high-tech details, and it took seven years to build. The Medina, Washington mansion is one of the most impressive and over-the-top residential structures in the United States. Here are 10 fun facts about Xanadu 2.0:
- High-Tech Sensor System: Guests staying in Gates’ home are given a pin upon arrival, and then enter their lighting and climate preferences. This pin interacts with sensors located all over the house, so the light and temperature change as guests move throughout the house. Speakers behind wallpaper allow music to follow guests from room to room.
- It’s Earth-Sheltered: This mansion is what is known as an earth-sheltered structure, meaning that it is built into its surroundings and it regulates temperature more efficiently.
- Get a Great Workout: There are 2,500 square feet of exercise facilities including a sauna, steam room, and separate men’s and women’s locker rooms. Perhaps the most fun room for fitness is the trampoline room with a 20-foot ceiling!
- Caribbean Sand: The lakefront shore of Xanadu 2.0 features sand from St. Lucia, which is delivered in large quantities each year on a barge.
- 23-Car Garage: Gates doesn’t have a 23-car garage, but he does have several different garages (including an underground one) that can fit 23 cars total.
- Underwater Sound System: The beautiful 60-foot pool is located in its own 3,900-sq.-ft. building, and it features an underwater sound system for a multisensory experience.
- Take Stairs or an Elevator: There are 84 steps down from the entrance to the ground floor.
- The Codex Leicester: Da Vinci’s famous notebook, the Codex Leicester, is located somewhere within the mansion – Gates bought it for $30.8 million dollars.
- 24 Bathrooms: Gates will never have to worry about waiting for a bathroom, his mansion has 24 – 10 of which are full baths.
- Reception Hall: The immense reception hall can hold 200 guests for a cocktail party, or 15 guests for a sit-down dinner.
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