Mohamed Bin Salam is mystery owner of world’s most expensive home

The identity of the person who owns the world’s most expensive home has been unmasked as Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman. The young prince, who is overseeing an anti-corruption purge within the Kingdom, was uncovered as the buyer of the $300 million French chateau.

When the Chateau Louis XIV was sold for over $300 million two years ago, there was mystery surrounding the new owner. However the New York Times has discovered that it is none other than the 32-year-old Saudi royal.

The purchase of the “gold-leafed fountain, marble statues and hedged labyrinth set in a 57-acre landscaped park” is one of several extravagant acquisitions made by Bin Salman even though he has imposed austerity measures on the country as part of a massive modernisation project to overhaul the Kingdom’s economy.

According to the New York Times, the identity of the owner of the world’s most expansive home was concealed by various shell companies in France and Luxembourg that were ultimately owned by firms run by the head of Bin Salman’s personal foundation.

Read: Is Saudi’s Bin Salman tackling corruption or making money?

Earlier this month, investigations into the owner of the world’s most expensive painting also led to Bin Salman. The de facto ruler, described by critics as a power hungry inexperienced prince, splashed $0.5 billion on Leonardo da Vinci’s depiction of Jesus Christ.

Bin Salman’s extravagant purchases, which also include a half a billion dollar 440-foot yacht bought from a Russian vodka titan on an impulse, have raised questions about his motives for the anti-corruption purge.