Millionaires Who Live in Surprisingly Small, Modest Homes
72. Lady Gaga
Net Worth: $150 million*
Purchased For: $33,000 per month in rent*
Sq. Footage: 2,000-Square-Feet
If you have a lot of money, you can rent the former penthouse owned by pop superstar Lady Gaga for $33,000 a month. Mother Monster rented the apartment, too, and it has been home to a lot of other celebs like Liza Minelli, Lance Armstrong, and Michael Bennett.
The most appealing feature of the place is its privacy, as there are no neighbors on either side (something prominently placed in the listing). The 2,000-square-foot duplex also has four terraces, a formal dining room, a huge Hollywood-esque staircase, and a chef’s kitchen. The building’s amenities include standards like a fitness center and concierge.
73. Ariana Grande
Net Worth: $200 million*
Purchased For: $13.5 million*
Sq. Footage: 4,023-Square-Feet
Let us not forget that before Pete Davidson dated Kim Kardashian, he was engaged to Ariana Grande. After he and Grande got together, they moved into a luxury apartment in NYC. The apartment was worth around $16 million, and it recently sold for $13.5 million in 2021.
The Chelsea unit, which measures over 4,000 square feet, was designed in a minimalist style, with five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. As befitting a pop star like Grande, there is a huge dressing room in the master suite. The kitchen is one of the best rooms in the pad, as it has double-dishwashers, a double refrigerator, a steam oven, and a fridge just for wine.
74. Chuck Feeney
Net Worth: $2 million*
Purchased For: $3,400 per month*
Sq. Footage: 700-Square-Feet
Irish-American billionaire Chuck Feeney’s story is one of charity. He made his fortune when he co-founded the Duty-Free Shoppers Group in Hong Kong, and, immediately after, he began giving all of his money away. He has given $8 billion in wealth to charitable causes, leaving his own fortune at around $2 million.
Feeney doesn’t even own a house—he actually rents an apartment in sunny San Francisco, California. MarketWatch described the apartment as having the “austerity” of a “freshman dorm” in college. Usually, when a billionaire loses their wealth, it’s from a negative reason, but, in the case of Chuck Feeney, it’s due to true altruism.
75. Dave Grohl
Net Worth: $260 million*
Purchased For: $3.78 million*
Sq. Footage: 3,000-Square-Feet
Dave Grohl is not your average rock star living a life of excess. He might have a net worth of $260 million, but he has lived in the same house in California for twenty years, bucking the trend of owning a bunch of different properties when he downsized a few years back.
His beach house is nice, and it even has a recording studio in the basement. Grohl said that he has chosen a more modest approach to life because of his childhood. He said in an interview that his family “didn’t have any money” when he was a kid, and they survived only on “happiness” and “being a happy family.”
76. Paul McCartney
Net Worth: $1.2 billion*
Purchased For: $2.3 million*
Sq. Footage: 5,360-Square-Feet*
Paul McCartney, former Beatles star and current solo artist, is one of very few musicians in the world who have achieved billionaire status. McCartney’s reported net worth is $1.2 billion, so he could afford a megamansion if he wanted. But, he sticks to a three-story home in London that is still in the four-digit range for square feet.
According to Stella McCartney, a designer and the daughter of the singer, her dad was “tight” when she was growing up, spending responsibly (if at all). His friends have agreed, and it is a common joke that Sir Paul is notoriously “cheap.”
77. Bill And Giuliana Rancic
Net Worth: $12 million*
Purchased For: $2.1 million*
Sq. Footage: 11,086-Square-Feet
Reality stars Bill and Giuliana Rancic have a combined net worth of $12 million, but that doesn’t stop them from buying a fixer-upper house. Through an LLC, the pair purchased a brownstone in Chicago, Illinois that needed a lot of work. At the time, the house cost $2.1 million, but the Rancics likely had to pour hundreds of thousands back into it to restore it to its former glory.
The brownstone was built in 1886, and its interior details, including the gorgeous wooden staircases, high ceilings, and trio of fireplaces, were kept as true to their original form as possible. The Rancics did, understandably, totally redo the kitchen and the bathrooms, bringing them from the nineteenth century into the present.
78. Serena Williams
Net Worth: $250 million*
Purchased For: $5.1 million*
Sq. Footage: 6,000-Square-Feet
Serena Williams is one of the greatest athletes of all time. The tennis pro has a net worth of $250 million, thanks to her winning athletic record and many different sponsorships. Williams and her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, could afford a home in the eight-digit range, but, instead, they live in a three-story, $5.1 million home in Beverly Hills.
Located in Summit Estates, one of the most popular neighborhoods in Beverly Hills, Williams’ home is new, having been constructed in 2017. The 6,000-square-foot property has a lot of amenities packed in, including a wine cellar, games room, yoga and massage room, and massive chef’s kitchen.
