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The Billionaire’s Holiday Shopping Guide

When price is no object, experience, personalization, and rarity are among the only things that can make a gift feel like a true treat. For all the billionaires on your list, here are 10 ideas that will thrill ego and titillate the senses. (Editor’s note: It always helps if you, the buyer, are a billionaire, too.)

 

A Meal At Every Three Michelin Star Restaurant

Only 109 restaurants in the world have three coveted Michelin stars, and luxury purveyor VeryFirstTo, along with tour company Holidaysplease, will get you to all of them in half a year’s time. The flights will be business class and hotel stays will be in such places as the Conrad in Tokyo and the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo. But the real star of the show will be restaurants like London’s The Fat Duck, Arzak in Spain’s Basque region, Alain Ducasse in Monaco, and Per Se in New York. Cholesterol specialist, sadly, not included.

Price: $274,983, which includes a donation to the Prince’s Trust charity

 

 

A 1962 Aston Martin DB4/GT

Considered by many to be legendary designer Carrozzeria Zagato’s greatest work, the DB4/GT was unveiled at the 1960 London Motor Show. This particular car, which will be sold through RM Sotheby’s “Driven by Disruption” sale in New York on Dec. 10, was owned by a racing enthusiast who used it to win races in 1962 and 1963. Kept safely in storage for over 20 years, it re-emerged to win best in class at several concours events, including Villa d’Este and Pebble Beach. (That's why it's so expensive.) There are only 19 DB4/GTs with coachwork by Zagato, so this is a truly rare opportunity with serious bragging rights.

Price: Estimated to sell for $15,000,000 to $17,000,000

 

 

The First Omega Speedmaster

Certain watches are for certain people. Some guys are Rolex guys. (OK, a lot of guys are Rolex guys.) Some women are Cartier women, and that’s that. And if you’re an Omega person, chances are you love the Speedmaster—the wristwatch of choice for NASA. On December 15, Christie’s is holding a sale of 50 watches that constitute an excellent survey of the 60-year history of the Speedmaster. One of the stars of the sale is a ref. 2915-1 Speedmaster, the first of its kind. Only a few hundred were ever made, and it’s surprisingly difficult to find one in such good condition. 

Price: Estimated to sell for $100,000 to $150,000

 

 

Hang Out At The Edge Of Space

The Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalogue is one of the great holiday traditions in luxury—providing gift inspiration and one- of-a-kind goods and experiences every year. For 2015, one of the gems is a two-part adventure: First, your billionaire will tour Biosphere 2 and help do a test launch of “World View,” which is a high altitude balloon that will soon be taking commercial trips to 100,000 feet above the earth. Then, in 2017, your recipient will take a trip above. A guest at that height will enjoy 360-degree views of earth ordinarily afforded only to astronauts and angels.

Price: $90,000, which includes a donation to the Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation.

 

 

A 1978 Luke Skywalker Action Figure

Say your billionaire loves the Star Wars series. He already bought tickets to The Force Awakens. Until then, he’s indulging in a viewing marathon every weekend in his private screening room/Mos Eisley Cantina. Once, he won a night at George Lucas’s Skywalker Ranch during a charity auction. Even he probably doesn’t have one of the very few 1978 first edition Luke Skywalker action figures with the double telescoping light saber.Only about 20 with this rare feature exist , according to Sotheby’s, which is auctioning off hundreds of pieces of Star Wars memorabilia on Dec. 11. They’re all part of the collection of mega-fan and Japanese designer Nigo, and the group includes collectible coins, cards, action figures, and even helmets and weaponry.

Price: Estimated to sell for $12,000 to $18,000

 

 

A Hand-Painted Dress By Holly Fowler

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s famous Costume Institute Gala, socialite and philanthropist Samantha Boardman wore a one-of-a-kind dress that turned heads. It was green silk, with what looked like gold and turquoise embroidery. On closer inspection, it became clear to admirers that the designs were painted. The luxurious trompe l’oeil look is the signature of Brooklyn-based gown designer Holly Fowler, an alumna of such brands as Chloe and Louis Vuitton. Having been spotted by Voguetastemaker Lauren Santo Domingo, Holly’s works are now highly sought-after. She’ll work with private clients to determine the perfect fit and look for their special pieces, a throwback to an earlier era of dressmaking.

Price: Upon request

 

 

Marc Newson 'Extruded Table 3'

A billionaire who collects fine contemporary art had better get with the program and start collecting furniture to match. This table by top designer Marc Newson is made of incredibly smooth, striated Italian marble. Newson produced it, one of only 10 that exist, for the Gagosian Gallery. One would look just perfect under that Rothko your billionaire just bought—but you'd best avoid placing your wine glass on it while you admire the art.

Price: $100,000 to $150,000

 

 
 
A Wine Château in Saint-Émilion
 
 
Earlier this year, at VinExpo in Bordeaux, wine aficionados packed two separate seminars devoted to the subject of buying wine châteaux in Bordeaux. Guests scribbled notes on distribution policy, map discrepancies, and fluctuations in the market as they dreamed of running a (probably small) business as a passion project. Bloomberg wine critic Elin McCoy rounded up everything your billionaire will need to know in covering the event, so why not get shopping? This particular château, has 46.7 hectares of vines, four separate wineries, and a small chunk of the grand cru Saint-Émilion. The château itself is lovely to look at but could use an update. Tennis court and swimming pool are included because, really, you’re doing this for fun, not to make money. (Trust us.)
 
Price: $5,190,424
 
 
 
 
The Chance To Live Like A Spy For Two Months
 
 
With the help of luxe giving company Truly Experiences and former MI6 intelligence professionals, your billionaire can have James Bond's life (hopefully without the part in which he destroyed all those Aston Martins). Amid this interactive game, covert espionage engagements will arise about once a week for two months in the player's daily life. Through them, he or she will develop such spy skills as covert communications and even agent recruitment. The game adjusts in accordance with how well the player perform, so each experience is individualized, After it ends in a European spy capital, your billionaire will receive a visual playbook of the adventure. 
 
(Come to think of it, your player is a billionaire and can blow up countless Aston Martins!) trulyexperiences.com Price: $11,300
 
 
 
 
A Trek Through Untouched Rivers And Mountains In Papua New Guinea
 
 
Luxe travel group Epic Tomato has a 20-day itinerary that penetrates so deep into rural Papua New Guinea that patrons will encounter territory that hasn’t been explored by outsiders since the 1960s. This is not for the faint-of-heart billionaire; it is impossible to predict what travelers will encounter along the way. (Plus they must carry boats on their backs.) Still, finding one of the last places on earth that is still not fully understood by contemporary society? That’s priceless.
 
Actually, it’s one of the cheaper things on this list, but you get it.
 
Price: $15,000
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