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Inside the World's Most Expensive $142 Billion Palace
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00:00From China's $70 billion Forbidden City, where 24 emperors ruled across nearly 10,000 rooms, to France's $50 billion Versailles, with its iconic Hall of Mirrors, some palaces are so extravagant, they're worth more than the GDP of entire countries.
00:17We're talking thousands of rooms, priceless art, and luxuries you'd never imagine.
00:22Today, we're counting down the most expensive palaces in the world, each worth billions.
00:27The Forbidden City, Beijing, China
00:31Let's begin our journey in the heart of Beijing, where stands what many consider the crown jewel of palatial architecture, the Forbidden City.
00:40With an estimated value of $70 billion, this isn't just the world's most expensive palace, it's arguably the most expensive single architectural complex ever created by human hands.
00:52But to understand why the Forbidden City commands such a staggering valuation, we need to journey back over 600 years to when this magnificent complex first began to take shape.
01:03Constructed between 1406 and 1420 during the Ming Dynasty, the Forbidden City served as the imperial palace for an incredible 24 emperors over nearly 500 years, witnessing the rise and fall of dynasties, the ebb and flow of power, and the transformation of China from a medieval empire into a modern nation.
01:25The name itself, Xi Jinping, or Purple Forbidden City, tells a story of absolute power and divine authority.
01:32For centuries, unauthorized entry into this sacred space was punishable by death.
01:37This wasn't just a palace, it was considered the earthly dwelling of the Son of Heaven, the Chinese Emperor, whose very presence was believed to maintain the cosmic balance between heaven and earth.
01:48What makes the Forbidden City's $70 billion valuation so extraordinary isn't just its size, though the numbers are mind-boggling.
01:57We're talking about a complex that spans 72 hectares with 980 buildings and 9,999 rooms, a number chosen deliberately to symbolize imperial perfection, as only heaven could possess 10,000 rooms.
02:13The land value alone, situated in Beijing's prime central district, where prices reach $27,000 per square meter, totals $19.66 billion.
02:25But here's where the story becomes truly remarkable.
02:28The contents of the Forbidden City are valued at over $50 billion, making it not just a palace but one of the world's greatest treasure houses.
02:37Imagine walking through halls where every surface is adorned with priceless artifacts, where jade ornaments worth millions of dollars are displayed as casual decoration, where silk tapestries that took master craftsmen years to create hang-like wallpaper.
02:54The architectural genius of the Forbidden City lies in its perfect embodiment of traditional Chinese design principles.
03:01Every element follows the ancient philosophy of Feng Shui, with buildings arranged along a precise central axis that reflects the cosmic order.
03:11The symmetrical layout aligns major halls, creating a sense of harmony that visitors describe as almost mystical.
03:18The yellow-glazed tile roofs that catch the sunlight and seem to glow within a fire, these weren't just beautiful, they were symbols of imperial authority,
03:27as yellow was the emperor's color, forbidden to all others.
03:31The interior spaces of the Forbidden City are divided into two main sections, each serving a distinct purpose in the elaborate theater of imperial power.
03:41The outer court, where state ceremonies unfolded, centers around the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the largest hall used for coronations and major events.
03:51Picture the scene, hundreds of officials in silk robes prostrating themselves before the dragon throne,
03:57while incense burns and ceremonial music echoes through halls designed to make mere mortals feel insignificant in the presence of divine authority.
04:07Then there's the inner court, the private world of the imperial family, where the Palace of Heavenly Purity served as the emperor's residence.
04:16These weren't just living spaces, they were stages for the most intimate dramas of power, where empresses schemed, where succession was decided,
04:26where the fate of a nation often hung on whispered conversations in rooms lined with priceless art.
04:33Today, the Forbidden City attracts 14 to 19 million visitors annually as the Palace Museum, making it one of the most visited museums in the world.
04:42But even as tourists flood through its courtyards, the Palace retains an aura of mystery and grandeur that money simply cannot buy.
04:52Palace of Versailles, Versailles, France
04:55While the Forbidden City impresses with its age and cultural significance, Versailles dazzles with its sheer opulence and the audacious scale of its creation.
05:05The Palace's historical construction cost is equivalent to $50.7 billion in today's money, making it one of the most expensive building projects in human history.
05:16But Versailles is more than just an expensive palace.
05:19It's a monument to the absolute power of the Sun King, Louis XIV, and a testament to what happens when a monarch decides that no expense is too great to demonstrate royal magnificence.
05:31The story of Versailles begins not with grand ambitions, but with a simple hunting lodge.
05:36Originally built by Louis XIII in 1623, this modest retreat would be transformed by his son into something the world had never seen before.
05:46When Louis XIV decided to expand his father's hunting lodge starting in 1661, he wasn't just building a palace, he was creating a tool of political control.
05:57By moving the court from Paris to Versailles in 1682, the Sun King forced the French nobility to live under his direct supervision, turning potential rivals into dependent courtiers who competed for his favor, rather than plotting against his rule.
06:14The scale of this transformation is breathtaking.
06:17The finished palace spans 63,154 square meters, with 2,300 rooms, but it's the quality of those rooms that truly staggers the imagination.
06:29The crown jewel is undoubtedly the Hall of Mirrors, a 73-meter-long gallery with 357 mirrors that reflects light from 17 arched windows, creating an effect that visitors describe as walking through liquid light itself.
06:45But why mirrors?
06:47In the 17th century, mirrors were among the most expensive objects that could be manufactured.
06:53Venice held a monopoly on high-quality mirror production, and a single large mirror could cost as much as a warship.
07:00By lining an entire gallery with hundreds of mirrors, Louis XIV was making a statement about French wealth and power that resonated throughout Europe.
07:09The Hall of Mirrors wasn't just beautiful, it was a diplomatic weapon designed to intimidate foreign ambassadors and demonstrate that France could afford luxuries that other nations could only dream of.
07:22The palace's royal opera, a theater with intricate woodwork and gold leaf, represents another level of royal extravagance.
07:29Completed in 1770 for the wedding of the future Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, this theater could be transformed from an opera house into a ballroom in a matter of hours, with a floor that could be raised to the level of the stage.
07:44The engineering required for this transformation was so advanced that it wouldn't be matched until the 20th century.
07:51The state apartments, including the king's and queen's apartments, adorned with paintings, sculptures and tapestries, tell the story of daily life in the most formal court in Europe.
08:02Every moment of the royal day was choreographed, from the lever, the king's morning rising ceremony, to the coucher, the evening retiring ceremony.
08:12The bedroom where Louis XIV slept wasn't just a private space, it was a stage where dozens of courtiers gathered each morning to witness the king's awakening, a ritual that reinforced his divine status.
08:25The 800 hectares of manicured gardens designed by André Le Notre represent landscape architecture on a scale that boggled the minds of contemporary observers.
08:36These weren't just gardens, they were outdoor rooms, each with its own character and purpose.
08:42The famous fountains, which operate to this day, required engineering innovations that pushed the boundaries of 17th century technology.
08:51The problem was simple. Versailles sits on a plateau with no natural water source capable of powering such elaborate fountains.
08:59The solution was the construction of the machine de Mali, a massive water pumping system that was considered one of the engineering marvels of its age.
09:08But perhaps the most poignant aspect of Versailles is how it became a symbol of the excess that ultimately led to the French Revolution.
09:17The palace that had served as the seat of absolute power for over a century became a prison for Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette when revolutionary forces compelled them to leave in 1789.
09:30Today, Versailles hosts 15 million visitors annually, serving as both a monument to royal grandeur and a reminder of the costs of extreme inequality.
09:40While Versailles dazzled with gold and mirrors, the next palace rose from ashes, its true power hidden not in what it shows, but in what it survived.
09:51Tokyo Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan
09:54Our journey now takes us to the land of the rising sun, where ancient traditions meet modern realities in the Tokyo Imperial Palace.
10:03With a land value estimated at $11.25 billion, this palace represents a fascinating fusion of historical significance and contemporary urban economics.
10:14But what makes the Tokyo Imperial Palace truly extraordinary isn't just its astronomical value.
10:21It's the story of how a nation's identity survived devastating war and emerged transformed yet unbroken.
10:28The palace's story begins in the feudal era, when this site was home to Edo Castle, the seat of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years.
10:40But the transformation from feudal fortress to imperial residence came with one of the most dramatic political upheavals in Japanese history.
10:48The palace became the imperial residence in 1869, after the Meiji Restoration moved the capital from Kyoto to Tokyo, marking the end of the samurai.
10:59Age and the beginning of Japan's transformation into a modern nation.
11:03The original palace, a magnificent structure that embodied centuries of Japanese architectural tradition, was destroyed in the most devastating air raid of World War II.
11:14On the night of May 25, 1945, American B-29 bombers reduced much of central Tokyo to ashes, and the imperial palace was not spared.
11:25But from this destruction came rebirth.
11:28The current palace, completed in 1968, was designed by Junzo Yoshimura, one of Japan's most celebrated architects,
11:36who faced the challenge of creating a structure that honored tradition while embracing modernity.
11:42What Yoshimura created is nothing short of architectural poetry.
11:47The palace combines modernist design with Japanese influences, using steel-framed reinforced concrete with large gabled hipped roofs, columns and beams that echo traditional Japanese architecture, while incorporating the latest construction techniques.
12:04The use of domestic woods and stones creates a connection to the Japanese landscape that runs deeper than mere aesthetics.
12:13It represents a philosophical approach to architecture that sees buildings as part of the natural order, rather than impositions upon it.
12:22The palace's interior spaces reflect this same philosophy of harmonious synthesis.
12:28The Sidon State Function Hall, used for official ceremonies, and the Homiden State Banquet Hall, that hosts diplomatic banquets, showcase a design aesthetic that somehow manages to be both thoroughly modern and unmistakably Japanese.
12:44The residential areas feature tatami mats and traditional coffered ceilings, creating spaces that could have been designed centuries ago, while Western-style parquet floors and furnishings in public spaces acknowledge Japan's position as a global power.
13:00Perhaps the most striking feature of the complex complex is the Tokugokudo Music Hall, an octagon-shaped hall with mosaic tile decorations built in 1964 to 1966.
13:13This building, designed by Kenji Imai, represents the optimism of 1960s Japan, when the country was preparing to host the Tokyo Olympics and demonstrate its recovery from the devastation of war.
13:26The hall's unique octagonal design creates acoustics that are considered among the finest in the world, making it a favourite venue for both classical Western music and traditional Japanese performances.
13:39But what makes the Tokyo Imperial Palace's $11.25 billion valuation so remarkable isn't just the buildings, it's the land itself.
13:50Set within a 1.15-square-kilometre park in the heart of Tokyo, the palace grounds represent some of the most valuable real estate on Earth.
13:59During Japan's economic bubble of the 1980s, the palace grounds were theoretically worth more than all the real estate in California combined, a statistic that perfectly captures the surreal nature of that era's asset inflation.
14:14The palace is surrounded by elements that survived the bombing and connected to its historical roots.
14:21The moats and stone walls from the Edo period create a sense of continuity with the past, while the carefully maintained gardens provide a green oasis in one of the world's most densely populated cities.
14:33These gardens aren't just beautiful, they're a living museum of Japanese landscape design with species of plants and trees that have been cultivated for centuries.
14:43The Imperial Family's private residence, the Fukiaga Palace, added in 1993 by Shozo Uchi, represents the latest chapter in this ongoing story of architectural evolution.
14:56This building, which serves as the Emperor's primary residence, combines traditional and modern elements in a way that reflects contemporary Japan's comfortable relationship with its past and its future.
15:08While Tokyo's worth lies in the billions, the next palace holds a value you can't put a number on and reflects the royal legacy.
15:17Buckingham Palace, London, United Kingdom
15:21While its estimated value ranges from $1.6 billion to $4.9 billion, what makes Buckingham Palace truly priceless is its role as the living, breathing heart of one of the world's oldest continuous monarchies.
15:36The palace's story begins not with royal ambition, but with aristocratic ambition.
15:42Originally built in 1703 as Buckingham House for the Duke of Buckingham, this elegant townhouse was designed to be impressive but hardly palatial.
15:52The transformation began when King George III acquired it in 1761 for Queen Charlotte as a private retreat, known then as the Queen's House.
16:02It was here that 14 of their 15 children were born, beginning the palace's long association with royal family life.
16:09But it was George IV who had the vision and the ego to transform his father's comfortable retreat into a palace worthy of a king.
16:18Beginning in the 1820s, George IV commissioned John Nash, one of Britain's most celebrated architects, to create something magnificent.
16:27Nash's vision was grandiose, a palace that would rival Versailles in splendour while maintaining a distinctly British character.
16:36The project was so expensive that it nearly bankrupted the royal treasury, and Nash was eventually dismissed when costs spiralled out of control.
16:45The palace truly came into its own when it became the official royal residence in 1837 under Queen Victoria.
16:53Victoria, who would reign for 63 years and give her name to an entire era, understood that monarchy in the modern age required both grandeur and accessibility.
17:03She opened the palace to public scrutiny in ways that previous monarchs had never contemplated, while simultaneously expanding it to accommodate the growing needs of the royal household.
17:15The palace's 775 rooms include architectural spaces that have witnessed some of the most important moments in British history.
17:24The 19 state rooms aren't just beautiful, they're stages where the drama of constitutional monarchy has played out for nearly two centuries.
17:33The throne room, with its dramatic canopy and thrones used for coronations, has hosted ceremonies for monarchs from Queen Victoria to King Charles III,
17:43each coronation marking a new chapter in the ongoing story of British royalty.
17:48The picture gallery, a 55 yard long space with masterpieces by Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Rubens and Vermeer, represents one of the finest private art collections in the world.
17:59But calling it private is somewhat misleading. These aren't just possessions of the royal family, but are held in trust for the nation.
18:07The royal collection, valued at $12.6 billion, includes artworks and treasures accumulated over centuries,
18:15making the palace not just a residence, but a repository of British cultural heritage.
18:20The palace survived its greatest test during World War II, when it was bombed nine times by the German Luftwaffe.
18:28Rather than fleeing to safety, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, remained in London sharing the dangers faced by their subjects.
18:38The famous photograph of the royal family inspecting bomb damage at the palace became an iconic image of British resolve during the war's darkest hours.
18:48The east front, with its iconic balcony added in 1850, has become one of the most recognizable architectural features in the world.
18:57This balcony, where the royal family appears during moments of national celebration and mourning, represents the unique relationship between the British monarchy and the British people.
19:08From VE Day celebrations to royal weddings, from jubilees to state funerals, this balcony has been the stage for moments that have defined British national identity.
19:19The palace's role as a working royal residence sets it apart from other royal palaces around the world.
19:25This isn't a museum that happens to have royal inhabitants, it's a functioning seat of government where state banquets host visiting heads of state,
19:34where investitures see the monarch award honours, and where receptions bring together dignitaries and public figures from around the world.
19:42While Buckingham Palace stands as a symbol of royal tradition, our next stop is a $4.6 billion skyscraper that redefines royalty itself, not through lineage, but through luxury.
19:55Antilia, Mumbai, India
19:59Our journey now takes us to modern India, and a palace that represents something entirely new in the world of luxury residences.
20:07Antilia, the private home of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, with its estimated value of $4.6 billion, isn't just expensive, it's a vertical palace that redefines what a private residence can be in the 21st century.
20:23Rising like a modern temple above Mumbai's skyline, Antilia is a 27-storey, 400 000 square foot skyscraper that serves as home to one of the world's richest families.
20:36But to understand why this building exists, we need to understand the story of modern India itself.
20:43Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, is one of the architects of India's economic transformation from a closed socialist economy to a dynamic capitalist powerhouse.
20:54Antilia isn't just his home, it's a symbol of India's arrival on the global stage.
21:00The building's design, inspired by the lotus and sun, reflects ancient Indian architectural traditions while embracing cutting-edge modern technology.
21:09Built between 2006 and 2010, Antilia represents a collaboration between international design firms and Indian craftsmanship that perfectly captures the spirit of contemporary India.
21:23The interiors, designed by Hirsch Bednar associates, use luxurious materials like crystals, marble and mother of pearl, creating spaces that manage to be both opulent and surprisingly intimate.
21:36What makes Antilia truly extraordinary is its amenities, which read like a list of everything a billionaire could possibly want.
21:44The 168 car garage across six underground levels houses one of the world's most impressive private car collections, including multiple Rolls Royces, Mercedes Maybachs and custom-built vehicles.
21:58But it's the 50-seat private theatre that really captures the imagination, a cinema that rivals the best commercial theatres in the world, where the Ambani family can screen the latest Bollywood blockbusters or Hollywood films in perfect comfort and privacy.
22:15Perhaps the most famous feature of Antilia is its snow room that produces artificial snowflakes.
22:21In a city where temperatures regularly exceed 35 degrees Celsius, 95 degrees Fahrenheit, a room that creates winter weather on demand isn't just luxury, it's a technological marvel.
22:34The engineering required to create and maintain artificial snow in Mumbai's tropical climate represents the kind of over-the-top thinking that makes Antilia so fascinating.
22:46The building's ballroom hosts lavish events that have become legendary in Indian society.
22:51These aren't just parties, they're cultural events that bring together Bollywood stars, business leaders, politicians and international celebrities.
23:00The Ambani family's celebrations, particularly weddings, have become spectacles that capture global attention and showcase Indian culture and hospitality on an unprecedented scale.
23:12The controversy surrounding Antilia begins with its very foundations.
23:17The land, previously an orphanage, was sold for Rs. 210, 5 million in 2002, sparking legal challenges that continue to this day.
23:27Critics argue that the sale violated Waqf regulations while supporters point out that the Ambani family followed all legal procedures.
23:36This controversy reflects broader tensions in Indian society about wealth inequality and the responsibilities of the ultra-rich.
23:44But Antilia is more than just an expensive house.
23:47It's a vertical city designed to be completely self-sufficient.
23:51The building includes multiple swimming pools, a spa, health centre, temple and terrace gardens that create an oasis high above Mumbai's crowded streets.
24:02The nine high-speed elevators are necessary because the building's extra-high ceilings make it equivalent to a 60-storey building, while three helipads provide private air transportation that bypasses Mumbai's notorious traffic.
24:17The top six floors are private for the Ambani family, designed to withstand magnitude 8 earthquakes and featuring security systems that rival those of government buildings.
24:28The unique design ensures that no two floors share the same materials or layout, creating a sense of discovery and surprise as visitors move through the building.
24:38If Antilia is a symbol of personal power in the age of billionaires, our final stop is a reminder of what happens when national wealth is poured into royal tradition.
24:49Istana Nurul Iman, Brunei, our final destination takes us to the small but incredibly wealthy nation of Brunei, where the Sultan's palace represents the ultimate expression of oil wealth transformed into architectural grandeur.
25:06Istana Nurul Iman, with its construction cost of $1.4 billion in 1984 and current estimated value of $3.4 billion, holds the Guinness World Record as the world's largest residential palace, but its significance extends far beyond mere size.
25:25The palace's name, meaning Palace of the faith light, perfectly captures its role as both a royal residence and a symbol of Brunei's Islamic identity.
25:34Commissioned by Sultan Hassan al-Balkia and completed in 1984, the palace was designed to mark Brunei's independence and demonstrate the nation's prosperity to the world.
25:46The timing was perfect, oil prices were high, Brunei's economy was booming, and the Sultan wanted to create something that would establish his nation's place on the global stage.
25:57The palace's designer, Filipino architect Leandro V. Loxin, faced a unique challenge, how to create a building that honored Islamic and Malay architectural traditions while incorporating modern amenities and technology.
26:11The result is a structure that manages to be both timeless and contemporary, with gold-plated domes and intricate Islamic patterns that reflect Brunei's cultural heritage while housing some of the most advanced building systems in the world.
26:26The scale of Istana Neural Iman is almost incomprehensible. With 1788 rooms spread across 200,000 square meters, the palace is larger than Versailles and the Vatican combined.
26:40But it's not just the size that impresses, it's the attention to detail that makes every space feel purposeful and elegant.
26:47The 257 bathrooms aren't just functional spaces, but showcases of craftsmanship, with marble, gold and precious stones creating environments that redefine luxury.
26:59The banquet hall, which can be expanded to accommodate 5,000 guests, represents diplomacy on an unprecedented scale.
27:09When the Sultan hosts state dinners or religious celebrations, the palace becomes a stage for soft power, demonstrating Brunei's wealth and sophistication to international visitors.
27:20The hall's ability to transform from an intimate dining space to a vast ceremonial venue shows the kind of engineering precision that went into every aspect of the palace's design.
27:32Perhaps the most spiritually significant space in the palace is the mosque that can accommodate 1,500 worshippers.
27:39This isn't just a private chapel, but a full-scale place of worship that serves both the royal family and the broader community.
27:48The gold-plated domes that crown the mosque can be seen from across Brunei's capital, serving as a constant reminder of the Sultan's role as both political and religious leader.
27:59The palace's 110 car garage houses, one of the world's most extensive car collections, including rare Ferraris, Bentleys and custom-built vehicles that exist nowhere else.
28:11But even more unusual are the air-conditioned stables for 200 polo ponies, which reflect the Sultan's passion for equestrian sports and his commitment to providing the best possible care for his animals.
28:24The palace's 564 chandeliers and 51,000 light bulbs create a nighttime spectacle that can be seen from space.
28:33During religious festivals and state celebrations, the palace becomes a beacon of light that symbolizes Brunei's prosperity and the Sultan's benevolent rule.
28:44The electrical systems required to power this display represent a significant engineering achievement,
28:50especially given Brunei's tropical climate and the need for reliable power in a region prone to severe weather.
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