15 Most Expensive Things in the World

#15 Crystal piano (Image 1 of 15)

This crystal grand piano by Heintzman was auctioned and purchased by a private bidder for $3.22 million! The piano was played by renowned pianist Lang Lang during the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008.

 

#14 Susse Freres camera (Image 2 of 15)

This antique Susse Freres daguerreotype camera dates back to 1839 and was sold at auction in 2007 for $775,000! It is believed to be the oldest commercial camera in the world!

 

 

#13 Diamond chess set (Image 3 of 15)

This hand-made chess set features 9900 black and white diamonds and is set in 14-carat white gold. It was designed by Bernard Maquin and is part of the Charles Hollander Collection. The set weighs a total of 186.09 carats!

 

 

#12 The Picasso (Image 4 of 15)

In 2004, "Garçon à la pipe" -- a 1905 painting by Pablo Picasso -- became the most expensive Picasso painting ever sold when it fetched a whopping $104.2 million when it was auctioned at Sotheby's in New York.

 

 

#11 The Villa La Leopolda (Image 5 of 15)

The second most expensive home in the world is the Villa Leopolda on the French Riviera at a price of $506 million. The current incarnation of this villa was designed and built between 1929 and 1931 on an estate that was once owned by King Leopold II of Belgium and was used as a set in Alfred Hitchcock's film "To Catch a Thief".

 

 

#10 The 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO (Image 6 of 15)

At $35 million, the 1962 Ferrari GTO became the most expensive car in the world when it was purchased by collector Craig McCaw, whose fortune comes from selling telecommunications company AT&T in 1993 for $11.5 billion.

 

 

#9 The Card Players (Image 7 of 15)

"The Card Players" is a painting by Paul Cézanne sold at auction in April 2011 for $259 million. The buyer was the Royal Family of Qatar and the painting was acquired through a private sale.

 

 

#8 The magnetic floating bed (Image 8 of 15)

Though the most expensive piece of furniture is an antique, the magnetic floating bed that debuted in 2006 is arguably the coolest bed in the world. The bed floats 1.3 feet off the floor while holding 2,000 pounds of weight and costs $1.6 million.

 

 

#7 The 201-carat Chopard watch (Image 9 of 15)

The world's most expensive timepiece is a flashy watch by Chopard adorned with three heart-shaped diamonds and another 163 carats of white and yellow diamonds -- bringing the weight to a whopping 201 carats. The spring-loaded mechanism allows the hearts to open up for the wearer to see a diamond studded watch face. In 2000, the watch was sold for $25 million.

 

 

#6 The Badminton Cabinet (Image 10 of 15)

In 2004, an antique 18th century chest was sold at auction for $36.7 million. The ebony cabinet stands over 12 feet tall and features an intricate design of polished stones. The chest was commissioned by Henry Somerset, the third Duke of Beaufort, when he was 19 years-old. The piece took six years to create and is the result of the toil of thirty experts.

 

 

#5 The Birkin (Image 11 of 15)

In 2011, a red crocodile 30 cm size Hermes Birkin bag with 18 carat white gold and diamond hardware was sold at a public auction in Dallas for $203,150. The average new Birkin costs around $8,000 -- that is, if you have the patience and funds to stand the long waiting list.

#4 The Wallis Simpson bracelet (Image 12 of 15)

In 2010, the onyx and diamond panther bracelet that was once owned by Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor and most famous American for whom King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry, was auctioned at Sotheby's in London for $12.4 million.

 

 

#3 That dead shark (Image 13 of 15)

In 2004, "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" -- an artwork consisting of a tiger shark preserved in formaldehyde inside a vitrine -- by artist Damien Hirst was reportedly sold to hedge fund manager Steven A. Cohen for a rumored figure of $8 million (though others have suggested $12 million). The taxidermy shark was initially preserved poorly and had to be replaced in 2007.

 

 

#2 The Perfect Pink (Image 14 of 15)

In 2010, a rectangular-cut pink diamond ring weighing 14.23 carats -- a rarity for pink diamonds -- was purchased by an anonymous buyer at a Christie's auction in Hong Kong for $23.2 million. The lot was called "The Perfect Pink".

 

 

#1 The Antilla (Image 15 of 15)

The most expensive home to date is a 27-story tower called "Antilla" in Mumbai that belongs to the head of a Mumbai-based petrochemical giant . The $1 billion home features 400,000 square feet of interior living space and features three helipads and parking space for 168 cars.