The half a Billion Dollar flying palace – Rolls Royce not included

Holy crap. That is about the only response I have to this Airbus A380 being developed for Saudi prince al-Waleed bin Talal. Of course, the prince has not officially announced that this will indeed be his new home on the road, but enough news has been pieced together to link him to the purchase.

Not only is this the first Airbus A380 sold to a private owner, it is the most expensive private plane ever put together. For comparison – one of the most popular large private planes in the world is the Boeing Business Jet, which starts at “just” $42 Million.

Seriously, someone obviously sat down with some crayons, and decided to design the most insane, over-the-top plane they could. This thing has it all – starting with the special cylindrical elevator that comes out of the bottom of the plane. His Chauffeurs can then drive his Rolls Royce up the ramp on the rear, and park it in his on-board garage.

Relaxation comes from a steam room, Turkish bath, concert hall (with a baby grand piano) or in one of the five private quarters, complete with king size beds. Less fortunate guests will have to spend the night in one of the 20 “normal” first class sleeper suites.

When his Royal Highness needs to get some work done, he can take the elevator up to his boardroom and play with the touch screen TV’s or the holographic projection system.

And finally in the lineup of ludicrous additions – get this – the well being room has a floor made from a giant screen, showing what the plane is flying over.

Total price? About $488 Million Dollars.

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A380 is fit for a prince

If you’re looking to spend some cash on a status symbol, don’t even bother with yesterday’s Jaguar and Concord — instead be the first on your block to own the new Airbus 380. Having one of these jumbo jets is on par with owning your own island, and probably about as expensive.

Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal spent an undisclosed amount (though companies spend more than $300 million) to be the first person to own an A380. Bin Talal is the 13th richest person in the world according to Forbes, with assets adding up to more than $20 billion.

Bin Talal hasn’t disclosed any plans for the jet, but really the sky is the limit. Dubbed the “Flying Palace,” the A380 has 5,930 sq. ft of floor space and can be outfitted with cocktail bars, casinos, showers and sleeping quarters.

What would you do with a jet this large?

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