Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa September/ October 2019 | Page 12

MASTER INVESTOR
spent, as the exquisite home sparkles with high-tech features
in every corner.
The cutting-edge smart mansion has seven bedrooms, a
cavernous 1900 square-foot guest hall for up to 200 guests,
a 60-foot swimming pool, six kitchens, and 24 bathrooms. If
you think these features are astonishing, then, the high-tech
sensor system will drop your jaw. The system apparently helps
guests monitor the lighting and the room’s climate. Moreover,
the house has a room with a 20-foot ceiling to accommodate a
trampoline. There are numerous computer screens around the
house estimated to be worth $80,000. Other stunning features
include an elegant home theatre finished with 20 plush seats,
an enormous library and a pool with an underwater music
system.
Rancho Paseana (California)
Another expensive property in Bill Gates portfolio is the Rancho
Paseana. Previously owned by Jenny Craig, Bill Gates acquired
this farm in 2014  for an estimated $18 million. As you may
expect, the property is filled to the brim with unique features.
It includes a guesthouse, race track, veterinarian’s suite, office,
orchard, and five barns. The buildings in the Rancho Paseana
are kitted out with equestrian decor that’s worth the taste of a
classy billionaire.
Horse Farm (Wellington, Florida)
In addition to the Rancho Paseana, Gates has another horse
farm in Florida. He acquired the farm before the Rancho
Paseana in 2013 for $8,7 million. He bought the Wellington
horse farm to support the endeavours of his daughter, Jennifer,
who is an avid equestrian.
Wyoming Ranch
Bill Gates bought the Wyoming Ranch from its previous owner,
William “Buffalo Bill” Cody, in 2009. The exact amount that he
paid for this property is not common knowledge. However, the
property was formerly listed for $8,9 million.
Bill Gates’ apparent love for farms does not end with his
Wyoming Ranch. The billionaire is said to have purchased
approximately 4,500 acres of land in Florida. It’s reported that
Mr. Gates paid $28 million for the piece of farmland through an
unnamed subsidiary with his private investment firm, Cascade.
Water Street Tampa
Former hedge-fund owner and manager of the Fidelity
Magellan Fund, Jeffrey Vinik, is part of a $3 billion co-investment
wager to revive Tampa’s once-moribund downtown. He
teamed up with Cascade Investment LLC, the investment firm
of Microsoft, in the city’s biggest-ever development - known
as Water Street Tampa. The 50-acre project includes two luxury
hotels, office towers and apartment buildings with amenities
such as roof gardens and fitness centres.
Gates the investor
Beyond his real estate portfolio, Bill Gates has made numerous
secret investments via his private investment firm. Some of the
investments made under Cascade include partial ownership of
Charles Hotel in Massachusetts and nearly 50% ownership of
the Four Seasons Holding’s hotel. Rumour has it that together
with Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, he owns 95%
share ownership of the hotel located in Houston and Atlanta.
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine
Bill Gates real estate investing
education for those inspired to
go bigger
Bill participated in a recent webcast
Q&A session and shared 5 key
principles:
1. Transparency is a good thing
If you can be transparent and win
in the tech industry and still wield
that type of wealth you can certainly
do it in real estate investing and
also be richly rewarded for it. The
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
is considered to be the “largest
transparently operated” foundation on
the planet.
2. Giving back is better than getting
Make all you can, but give all you can
too. Bill’s passion for giving back has
been echoed by many of the world’s
wealthiest, who see it as the top tier of
their potential.
3. Size of screen matters & improves
productivity
The metrics show that working
on a larger screen can speed up
productivity, Gates’ uses an 80 inch
touch screen.
4. Be passionate
Be passionate about your real estate
investing product, it shows.
5. Personal Branding
Embrace personal branding in your
real estate investing business. While
some are rushing to put on a big
corporate look like the Microsoft’s of
the real estate industry, Bill Gates and
other leading tech billionaires have
moved closer and closer to embracing
their own personal brand. Obviously
they have learnt something.