The owners of Sydney's most expensive houses include tech billionaires like Scott Farquhar (Atlassian co-founder) and Mike Cannon-Brookes, who bought record-breaking properties like Uig Lodge and Fairwater in Point Piper for over $100M, alongside other prominent figures in business and property, with top sales often in exclusive areas like Point Piper and Bellevue Hill for tens of millions of dollars.
Point Piper, located just 6 kilometres from Sydney's city centre, has long been regarded as the city's most expensive suburb. Renowned for its multi-million-dollar waterfront properties and breathtaking panoramic views of Sydney Harbour, it epitomises luxury living.
Who currently owns the most expensive private home in the world? While Buckingham Palace is the most expensive home overall, the most expensive private residence is Antilia, located in Mumbai, India. It is owned by billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani and is valued at an estimated $2 billion.
Areas like Longueville, Mosman, Killara, and Palm Beach sit well above the Sydney median due to large waterfront blocks, strong school networks, and lifestyle appeal for affluent families. Premium apartments and luxury homes offer a lower cost entry into blue-chip postcodes.
However, it is Northern Territory mates and pastoralists, Viv Oldfield and Donny Costello, who hold the title as Australia's largest private landholders. Their portfolio spans more than nine million hectares – larger than Tasmania and more than twice the size of Switzerland – via their Crown Point Pastoral Company.
The ownership of Australia's most expensive house is often debated due to off-market sales and varying definitions, but currently, a Sydney penthouse at One Sydney Harbour (owned by Yan Zhang for $142m in 2025) and Paul Little's Coonac Estate in Melbourne (sold for around $150m in early 2025) are contenders, while tech billionaire Scott Farquhar owns multiple record-holding Point Piper properties like Uig Lodge.
1. Point Piper. Point Piper is considered Australia's most prestigious and exclusive postcode, offering stunning harbourfront mansions and uninterrupted water views. This ultra‑luxury suburb boasts iconic real estate with direct access to Sydney Harbour.
Over the past decade, the Emerald City's millionaire population has grown a massive 28 per cent, now being home to 152,900 millionaires, 224 centi-millionaires and 22 billionaires – and that's all in USD, suggesting an even higher figure in Aussie dollars.
Wolseley Road in Point Piper is considered one of the most expensive streets in the world. “Wolseley Road is probably considered the most expensive street in the whole of Australia,” says local agent and Highland Property director Bill Malouf.
Microsoft's Bill Gates is said to have bunkers beneath multiple homes, while Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly building a $300 million compound in Hawaii that includes a 5,000-square-foot underground bunker with its own energy, water, and food infrastructure.
Donald Bren is the richest real estate investor in the United States, with a net worth estimated at $18 billion. His immense fortune comes from his ownership of the Irvine Company, which controls a vast portfolio of commercial and residential properties, primarily in the Southern California luxury market.
Sydney's best areas depend on your interests, with Bondi/Coogee great for beaches, Newtown/Marrickville for vibrant arts and food, Surry Hills/Paddington for chic dining and boutiques, The Rocks/Circular Quay for history and sights, and Darling Harbour for family fun, while the North Shore offers greenery and safety. The Inner West (Newtown, Glebe) provides cool, student-friendly vibes, while the Eastern Suburbs offer that quintessential Sydney beach lifestyle.
To buy a $650,000 house in Australia, you generally need a gross annual household income between $100,000 to $140,000, with figures varying significantly by location and lender criteria, requiring a strong deposit (around $130,000 for 20%) and managing loan repayments to not exceed 30% of your income to avoid mortgage stress, often necessitating a joint income or substantial savings, as highlighted by financial experts and data from sources like Fundd, Finder, and Real Estate.
The richest suburb in Australia, based on average taxable income, is often Double Bay, NSW (postcode 2028), known as "Double Pay," followed closely by Sydney's Eastern Suburbs and Perth's affluent western areas like Cottesloe and Peppermint Grove (6011). Other top contenders for wealth and high property values include Point Piper, Bellevue Hill, Vaucluse, Toorak (VIC), and Palm Beach (NSW), featuring high-end homes and luxury lifestyles.
The richest family in Australia is generally considered the Rinehart family, primarily through Gina Rinehart, who leads the mining giant Hancock Prospecting, consistently topping lists with wealth estimated in the tens of billions (e.g., ~$38B-$50B+ in recent years), followed by other prominent families like the Pratts (manufacturing) and Forrests (mining/commodities).
The world's 10 richest families
The 34-year-old Australian billionaire you're likely referring to is Adrian Portelli, known for his extravagant giveaways via his LMCT+ rewards club, making millions through subscriptions for luxury car and home raffles, and gaining fame from the TV show The Block. He became Australia's seventh-wealthiest young business leader by 2023, featuring prominently on lists like the AFR Young Rich List.
Fairfield. Fairfield continues to rank as the poorest suburb in Sydney based on weekly income levels. As of 2025, households earn a median of $1,390 per week — well below the Sydney metro average of over $2,200.
Top 20 Richest Suburbs in Sydney To Live
Rhodes and Longueville had the city's equal highest share of residents with either a postgraduate degree, postgraduate diploma, postgraduate certificate or bachelors degree (73 per cent) closely followed by St Leonards and Pymble (both 72.2 per cent).
The British Royal Family is often described as the world's largest landholder, with King Charles III overseeing vast assets managed through the Crown Estate. Reports estimate that land linked to the monarchy covers around 16% of the Earth's surface, about 6.6 billion acres across multiple continents.
Here's a look at who owns the most land in the world, as identified by Madison Trust.
Gina Rinehart is often cited as Australia's largest private landowner, controlling millions of hectares through her Hancock Prospecting and other interests, primarily for mining and cattle, but ownership is complex with vast areas held under lease and significant land also owned by large corporations like the Australian Agricultural Company and First Nations groups, notes The Guardian and A-Z Animals.