Skip to main content

In the Money: 7 Mansions to Splurge on When You Win the Lottery

With the Powerball jackpot sitting at $50,000,000, it’s tempting to buy a ticket (or ten) and cross your fingers you beat the odds to become one of the lucky few who hit it big. But what to do with those winnings? We’ve got seven homes worth splurging on when you become an instant millionaire.

Cowboy Up at this Ranch for $45 Million

Located in the rolling hills of Carmel Valley, California, Rana Creek Ranch is the perfect spot for anyone looking to live out their very own Western. At a whopping 14,000 acres with room for 400 head of cattle to graze, this property requires a full time staff to maintain it. Not to worry, staff housing is already on site, along with the main home, agricultural buildings, guest houses, and of course a private airstrip because you’re a millionaire and that’s just how you live now.

A Deluxe Apartment in the Sky for $36.5 Million

If city living is for you, the 15th Floor of this West Chelsea high rise in New York is the perfect buy. A private elevator (complete with doorman) takes you straight up to the sprawling 8,300 square foot home which features jaw-dropping views of the Hudson River and Manhattan. High ceilings and oversized doorways speak to the grandeur of the residence which includes seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and a gourmet kitchen. Of course, you’ll probably never leave the master suite with its corner bedroom and soaking tub with a window to the river.

A Vineyard in Italy for $32.8 Million

Torre di Civita in Ravello, Italy is a wine lover’s dream home. A roomy 10,387 square feet, there’s space enough for you, your family, and all of your friends to live comfortably. With twelve bedrooms, fourteen bathrooms, a gym, orchards, a pool, and a tower with a 360 degree view of the surrounding landscape, the home (which once belonged to a prince) sits atop a cliff overlooking the Amalfi Coast. And of course the fact that it comes with its own vineyard adds major bonus points.

Live Like Tarzan for $29.75 Million

Playa Barrigona—Mel Gibson's 500-acre tropical luxury retreat for sale in Costa Rica

Surrounded by the jungles of Costa Rica, Playa Barrigona is a property unlike any other. Consisting of 403 acres of dense foliage with three main villas, this tropical paradise was once owned by Mel Gibson. The homes are ideally situated to see above the treetops and provide stunning ocean views. Along with the three villas, Playa Barrigona includes a pool and a private beach. If disappearing into the jungle is your ultimate dream, this is the property for you.

The Ultimate Mountain Cabin for $20.7 Million

If mountain living is more your speed, there is nowhere more beautiful to settle down than the Swiss Alps. Featuring several stone terraces for taking in the mountain views, an indoor pool, outdoor hot tub, a massive great room, and six bedrooms, this Swiss Ski Chalet located in Villars-sur-Ollon is over 20,000 square feet of pure luxury. With easy access to skiing in the winter and plenty of hiking trails in the summer, this is an ideal home for adventurous nature lovers.

Live on Island Time for $19 Million…

For most people who dream of hitting the lottery, packing up and moving to a tropical island is the ultimate dream. Few islands offer a more luxurious lifestyle than St. Barts. A playground for celebrities and the uber rich, you can be among them at Villa Bel Esprit. With just four bedrooms and six bathrooms, this home is no mansion. But that won’t matter when you take in the views of Lorient Bay from the covered pavilions. Surrounded by lush, tropical greenery, the villa is the perfect island retreat for a newly minted millionaire.

… Or Buy a Whole Island for $14.9 Million

Petra Island: Private Heart Shaped Island Available for Purchase

Shockingly, Petra Island – complete with Frank Lloyd Wright inspired home – is the cheapest property on the list. The heart-shaped island located in Mahopac, New York, is 11 acres and includes a 6,000 square foot home. With just seven bedrooms and three and a half baths, this home may be on the smaller side, but what it lacks in space it makes up for in its helipad. That’s right, you’ll save so much money when you buy this private island that you’ll be able to splurge on a helicopter to go with it.

And if you’re just not lucky enough to win anything more than a few thousand bucks, hey, no worries: you can stay in Pablo Escobar’s Fromer Mexican Mansion, which is now a luxury hotel.

Editors' Recommendations

Kelsey Machado
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kelsey is a professional interior designer with over a decade of experience in the design field. With a passion for…
The Ghostbusters have a new ride in Frozen Empire, courtesy of Mercedes Benz
Mercedes Benz Sprinter plays a pivotal role in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
The ECTO-Z makes its debut in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Later this month, the Ghostbusters will be back on the big screen in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. And while three generations of the team are coming together, there is a big addition to the crew: The ECTO-Z. At an event in New York City, Mercedes-Benz officially unveiled the Ghostbusters' new ride, which is a customized Mercedes-Benz Sprinter that follows in the footsteps of the iconic ECTO-1 from the first three films.

Given the larger size of the second and third-generation Ghostbusters team, it was only natural that they would need a vehicle that could carry all of them to the scene of a haunting anywhere in NYC. As for the name, it comes from original team member Dr. Winston Zeddemore, as played by Ernie Hudson. Ghostbusters: Afterlife established that Zeddemore is now the financial backer of the Ghostbusters and the de facto leader of the team.

Read more
Everything points to Apple TV+ making a change you’re not going to like
Is an ad-supported tier coming to Apple TV+?
The Apple TV Plus Logo

It turns out that TV worked pretty well under its old model. According to a new report from Business Insider, Apple TV+ may be the latest streaming service that's set to introduce an ad-supported tier and charge those who don't stream with ads a premium fee to access their great shows and movies.

At this point, the report is still speculation, but Apple has made several recent hires in the advertising space that seem to suggest the direction they're planning to take. The company recently hired former NBCUniversal ad executive Joseph Cady to serve as executive vice president of advanced advertising and partnerships, a move that comes following the company's hiring of another former NBCUniversal executive, Jason Frum, who joined Apple's video ad sales team.

Read more
From Gilda Radner to Ali Wong, these are the best female comedians of all time
These women from all generations will make you laugh out loud
Ai Wong comedian 2017 Moontower comedy festival

Hot take: I don’t care for straight male comedians. It’s not that they’re not funny, they’re just … I don’t know, boring? Maybe that’s reductive of me, but I never seem to leave a straight male comedian’s set feeling particularly inspired. And though some may argue that it’s not important for a set to "inspire" its audience, I’d actually argue that the opposite is true. For me, I want to see a comedian use humor to address real issues and say real things about the world, even if they do it in a completely goofy way.

Therefore, I tend to prefer female and female-identified comedians. They’re sharp, tough, and have often seen shit that makes their comedy feel raw and true. Undoubtedly there are male comedians who do this, too, but to a much lesser degree, in my very humble and very personal opinion.

Read more