How much would you pay for a new car? A watch? Or even a figurine to decorate your home? Unlikely millions of dollars, as some "moneybags" are willing to pay exorbitant prices for the finest or rarest items.
We present to you the most expensive things in the world, a selection of items that would bankrupt most people on Earth.
10. Heintzman Crystal Grand Piano - $3.22 million.
Before this piano was sold at auction to an unknown buyer, it was played around the world at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
This musical instrument may look too beautiful to be played, but now it produces crystal-clear sounds in the home of a private owner.
9. Passion Azteca Tequila - $3.5 million.
This drink is made from the sap of six-year-old blue agave. But who needs the contents when the vessel it's in is so much more interesting?
The world's most expensive tequila is so expensive because its bottle is crafted from platinum and white gold and encrusted with nearly 6,500 diamonds. But there are cheaper options—a tequila without the diamond surround, in a gold or platinum bottle, costs $250,000.
8. Neiman Marcus Limited Edition Fighter – $11 million.
Among the most expensive things, there may be more exotic and compact examples. But nothing as fast as the most expensive motorcycle in the world.
Only 45 Neiman Marcus Limited Edition Fighter cars were ever produced. With its powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, this 195-kilogram road monster can reach speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour.
In 2000, it cost $110,000—not particularly expensive compared to other high-end items. However, the Neiman Marcus Limited Edition Fighter is one of those iron horses that only increases in value with time.
It is now a highly sought-after, extremely rare and very expensive "street sci-fi dream," as Neiman Marcus described his creation.
7. The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond – $24 million.
Discovered in India in the 17th century, this deep blue, 35.36-carat diamond has seen many crowned heads. The first of these was the Spanish monarch Philip IV, who presented it to Infanta Margarita Teresa in honor of her engagement to Leopold I.
It subsequently came into the possession of Elector Karl Albrecht of the House of Wittelsbach, who ruled Bavaria. It remained in the Bavarian crown until World War I. This is where the stone's first name comes from.
In 2008, Christie's in London auctioned the diamond, and it was purchased by jeweler Laurence Graff of Graff Diamonds. Dissatisfied with the stone's "25 flaws and numerous chips and scratches resulting from numerous alterations over the past 360-plus years," he transformed it into a flawless 31.06-carat diamond.
6. Graff Diamonds Hallucination Watch – $55 million.
The world's most expensive wristwatch is encrusted with yellow, pink, blue, gray, and orange diamonds in various shapes. Their combined weight reaches 110 carats. Experts at London-based jeweler Graff Diamonds spent thousands of hours creating this alluring hallucination.
5. 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO – $70 million.
In June 2018, the world's most expensive car was purchased by David McNeil, founder and CEO of WeatherTech.
According to CNN, "owners rarely part with it (the car) at any price" because only 39 Ferraris produced between 1962 and 1964 exist in the world.
"The Ferrari 250 GTO is the car market's equivalent of Van Gogh's Sunflowers," said auction chairman James Knight.
4. Falcon Supernova iPhone 6 – $95.5 million.
The lucky few who got their hands on the world's most expensive smartphone didn't shell out nearly $100 million for its internals. They're no different from the regular iPhone 6: an Apple A8 processor, far from the most powerful, a 4.7-inch screen, an 1810 mAh battery, 1 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of storage.
Of interest is the unique pink diamond located under the Apple logo.
For those not ready to part with such a sum, there are less expensive options with blue or orange diamonds. The case is made of yellow gold, rose gold, or platinum—the customer's choice.
3. Alberto Giacometti's sculpture "Pointing Man" - $141.3 million.
Photos of the most expensive things in the world usually depict elegant, stylish objects crafted from precious materials. And they take years to create. But the "Pointing Man" sculpture is not one of them. It resembles Slenderman more than a work of art.
And yet, art connoisseurs are willing to pay millions of dollars for it. After all, its creator is the renowned Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti, who created "Pointing Man" in just one night.
The 180-centimeter-tall figure symbolizes weakness, loneliness, and the desire to escape the fear engendered by World War II. Even in the postwar period, people could not recover from the horror they had endured. That's why this and other Giacometti sculptures are so thin and clearly lack a joyful appearance.
2. Leonardo da Vinci's painting "Salvator Mundi" - $450 million.
One of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous paintings was acquired in 2017 by Saudi Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan al-Saud.
According to Artnet.com sources, this buyer was merely an intermediary, and the painting's true owner was Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. A Christie's representative claimed that the da Vinci masterpiece was purchased by the Abu Dhabi Department of Tourism.
Be that as it may, Salvator Mundi is the most expensive piece of art in the world ever put up for auction.
The painting was first sold for $60 in 1958. I wonder what the previous owners would say if they knew how much they paid for Salvator Mundi 59 years later?
1. Yacht Streets of Monaco - $1 billion.
Here's the answer to the question of what the most expensive thing in the world is. This enormous yacht-city represents a miniature Principality of Monaco, with all its most important attractions.
What are the attractions in Monaco? That's right, hotels and casinos. And then there are the Formula 1 races on the Monaco Grand Prix track. The track itself couldn't be accommodated on a yacht, so a go-kart track is used to create the racing atmosphere.
Yacht Island Design is no stranger to creating themed yachts designed to entertain multibillionaires and their friends. However, this is likely their first project on such a large scale.
While other vessels may outperform the Streets of Monaco in speed, this yacht is the most expensive in the world.