6 Things the Ultra-Rich Buy That You’ll Never See
Written by
Cindy Lamothe
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
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When you think of the ultra-rich, you probably picture private jets, mansions and fancy cars. But there’s a whole other world of luxury out there — stuff so exclusive that the rest of us could likely only dream of it.
Often, the things that the ultra-wealthy splurge on are as bizarre as they are impressive.
“We worked with two billionaires when I was in private wealth management, and let me tell you — the things they buy are wild,” said Andrew Lokenauth, money expert and owner of Fluent in Finance. “Like, completely different universe wild.”
The thing about ultra-wealth is that regular luxury items — fancy cars, big houses, designer clothes — are amateur hour. “The real crazy stuff happens behind closed doors, in private vaults or deep underground. And trust me, we’ll probably never even know about half of it,” he said.
Here’s a look at some jaw-dropping, over-the-top purchases you won’t see in your average shopping mall.
Dinosaur Fossils
According to Lokenauth, there’s a market for dinosaur fossils. Full skeletons of triceratops, velociraptors and other prehistoric creatures can fetch tens of millions, depending on their completeness and rarity. Auctions are often invite-only, and some transactions happen entirely off the record — brokered through private dealers with global reach.
Lokenauth said one of his clients dropped $31.8 million on a T. rex skeleton, which he keeps in his living room.
“And we’re talking complete skeletons here, not just little pieces,” Lokenauth said.
Private Islands
Private islands are another big one, according to Lokenauth. These aren’t cute little resort-style getaways, either. We’re talking about untouched land with custom-built eco-compounds, private chefs, underwater wine cellars and full-time staff.
“But I’m not talking about those islands you see on travel sites — these are completely off-grid places that don’t show up on any maps,” he said. “My richest client owns three of them in Southeast Asia, and they’re only accessible by his personal seaplane.”
Rare Wines
“From my experience, rare wines are huge status symbols,” Lokenauth said. “They’re stored in these crazy underground wine bunkers with biometric security. Most aren’t even meant to be drunk — they’re basically liquid art.”
Some of these wine collections are so exclusive, they’re appraised like private equity holdings. Each bottle is cataloged, temperature-controlled and insured.
According to Forbes, wine is an excellent investment, but building the right wine portfolio is critical for success. Collectors can compete to acquire vintages from legendary vineyards with only a handful of known surviving bottles — some never to be opened, just admired, flipped or passed down like a family dynasty.
Famous Paintings
Speaking of art, here’s something wild: Some ultra-wealthy collectors buy famous paintings and lock them away in special storage facilities called freeports. “I’ve been to one in Switzerland — it’s basically an ultra-secure fortress filled with billions in art that nobody ever sees,” Lokenauth said.
These aren’t pieces to be admired. They’re assets. Negotiable, storable, swappable assets that appreciate in value while hidden from the world.
Space Rocks
“And don’t even get me started on space rocks,” Lokenauth said. “These folks are paying millions for meteorites. One of my clients has this chunk of Mars (yes, actual Mars) sitting in a temperature-controlled display case in his study.”
People can buy meteorite fragments from the moon and Mars, as well as from asteroids that are older than Earth itself. These aren’t just geological artifacts; they’re cosmic trophies.
Historical Documents
According to Lokenauth, many ultra-wealthy people also collect historical documents that never go on public display. We’re talking original manuscripts from famous authors and even personal letters from historical figures.
“They keep them in climate-controlled vaults,” he said.
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Sources
- Andrew Lokenauth, Fluent in Finance
- Forbes, “Wine Investment Strategy: RareWine Executives Describe A Winning Portfolio.”
