The Humvee Home of the Hamptons
Around this time last year I took a ride to the Hamptons with one of the editors of the Forbes book to get some color for a chapter on conspicuous consumption. We zipped around the Long Island countryside on a beautiful fall day, snooping on various McMansions and gaudy homes. But nothing, and I mean nothing, beat Ira Rennert’s mansion-by-the-sea, Fair Field.
Next time you read a story about a billionaire plonking down $30 million or $40 million for a house, bear in mind that Rennert’s home was valued last year at $185 million. That’s $50 million more than Forbes’ official World’s Most Expensive Home Updown Court, in Windlesham, Surrey. (Rennert’s home doesn’t make the cut because the Forbes list only includes property on the market.)
Rennert’s five building, 63-acre beachfront compund includes a 66,000 sq ft Italienate mansion and sports 29 bedrooms, three swimming pools, a two-lane bowling alley, a 164-seat theater, and parking for between 20 and 200 cars, depending on which articles you read. The house even has its own power station. You can click on the image above for a closeup.
Fittingly, Ira Rennert is the man who had the bright idea of turning the military Humvee into a consumer car. His net worth this year? $3.5 billion.
You can hear my editors Annalyn Swan and Peter Bernstein talking about the book “All The Money in the World” on the Brian Lehrer Show on Monday at 11am.
Of all the homes I saw that day, I liked this one the most. When I make my first billion…
All The Money in the World, Ira Rennert
So that’s where all the humvee money is going!! Yikes! Is it jealousy that makes me totally repelled???? Anyway, I like your dream house much better. I’m just hoping for a porch someday and one more bedroom!!!
Well I like the beach house but the prefab gangster mansion looks like a turkey farm we used to run past during games at school. And, with regards money, the price of these shacks would barely cover fitting out the kitchen in one of the palaces springing up in the oil countries.