What Celebrities Own The Most Expensive Airplanes?

Hey Tourist! Owning a private jet is something everyone dreams about. There are plenty of celebrities out there that make millions of dollars a year and some of the toys they spend their money on are pretty impressive. We're taking a look at the most ridiculously expensive private airplanes that are not only owned by Hollywood's top celebrities, but also flown by them too. You won't believe who owns the most expensive plane of the lot though.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates is well known as one of the richest men in the world. His home alone is worth 120 million dollars. It would only make sense for him to have a private stash of jets to travel in style. Bill Gates has probably been through a few planes over the years, but it makes sense because he has so much work to do to make all his money. He is the kind of guy who has used his plane to help people, and it also allows him to get his staff all over the world to do their jobs. He closes deals on the plane, and he travels on the plane with other famous individuals. In 2013, Gates was listed as number ten in a top ten list of largest private jets in the world for his Dassault Falcon 7x. The plane is a three-engine private jet customized for enduring hot temperatures during high altitude flights. It is one of the safest planes in the world as it can take off at steep levels and land at low speeds. Back in 2001, the plane sold for twenty-five million dollars, which was approximately ten million dollars cheaper than its competitors in the long range and large cabin style. In 2007, the cost jumped to forty-one million dollars, and in 2008 it became fifty million.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie learned how to fly in a private plane near her home. Many individuals do not realize how daring Angelina is because she is not very public about her piloting ambitions, though this is a skill she puts to good use getting to and from her gigs, and something she shares with her children. Reports say Jolie took up flying after being inspired by her son, Maddox. Jolie stated, “Every time Maddox sees a plane, he's amazed. If I could actually fly a plane. I'll be like Superman to him.”

Jolie has had her pilot’s license since 2004, and she currently flies a single-engine Cirrus SR22, which can reach speeds of up to three hundred miles per hour. Reports came out in 2013 about Jolie being banned from flying after she did not renew her plane’s registration on time. According to an internet news source, she did not renew her airworthiness certification for her plane before her certification expired on June 30, 2013. She made an effort to send in her renewal, but it did not arrive before the deadline. As of 2015, Jolie appears to be back in the air.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise may be into motorcycles too, but he certainly has an affinity for aircraft. He has a pilot's license, and he owns a few planes. He has definitely made more than enough money to afford any aircraft he wants, but many do not realize he is a pilot. He has been flying for a long time, and it was really brought on by his turn in Top Gun as one of the most famous pilots in the history of film. Reports say Tom has to be pulled away from his motorcycles and planes when filming, but he is still a daredevil at heart. Cruise is reported to have anywhere from three to five jets, which may include a twenty million dollar Gulfstream aircraft he purchased as a wedding present for Katie Holmes. At the time, Holmes was quoted as saying of the aircraft, “It’s like a bus, only quicker.” Reportedly, Cruise once used his personal jet to pick up groceries for Holmes.

Cruise has had his pilot’s license since 1994. His Gulfstream IV is the most luxurious, with a Jacuzzi and screening room. His favorite aircraft is said to be his P-51 Mustang, a single-seat fighter American long-range plane that dates back to World War II. At one time, the words “Kiss Me, Kate” were printed on the side. Since the divorce, it might be safe to assume those words have been removed.

Jim Carrey

Comedian Jim Carrey owns his own jet, though it may surprise many to learn he can also fly it, because he seems to be so far off the wall. Many individuals might not think he can actually fly, but Jim has had his piloting license for a long time. He has been using his own plane to fly to locations for several years, and it helps free up his time for his acting and his family. There are a lot of celebrities who love to fly just for the sake of flying, but Jim has made time for his family to get on the plane too.

In real life, Carrey knows how to do one of those two things. He reportedly owns a Gulfstream V, which is priced at around fifty-nine million dollars. Carey’s aircraft is considered one of the highest performance and safest private jets in the world. It can fit up to sixteen passengers and is twelve thousand feet long. It also has a service ceiling of fifty-one thousand feet and can cruise near the speed of sound. Carey reportedly allows his Gulfstream V to be used for charters, which cost around eight thousand dollars per hour.

Harrison Ford

The public has known Harrison Ford has been a pilot for a long time, since many are interested in just about everything he does. However, he typically only flies smaller planes. Ford owns many planes, which he keeps at his multiple homes, and he uses them to get to locations for his films. He has been able to learn to fly many different types of planes over the course of his career, and he has used those planes for charity work and personal travel alike.

Ford discovered his passion for flying later in life. He was fifty-two when he first started taking flying lessons and has since acquired an impressive collection of planes. Back in 2015, Ford made the news when he crashed his two-seater PT-22 into a Venice golf course, though he did not appear to sustain major injuries. The PT-22 was originally built in 1942 to be a trainer for the US Army Air Corps. During an interview in 2010, Ford talked about why he loves flying so much. He said, “Flying is like good music; it elevates the spirit, and it’s an exhilarating freedom. It’s not a thrill thing or an adrenaline rush; it’s engaging in a process that takes focus and commitment.”

Elvis Presley

Elvis did not fly his own plane, but he was so busy he needed to buy his own plane. He named his plane the Lisa Marie, and he had a pilot who could take him anywhere he wanted to go. Elvis kept his schedule so tight that the plane was needed all the time, and it was the only way he could make his way to everywhere he had to visit. It also gave him a way to take Priscilla along on all his engagements.

He was one of the first celebrities to have a plane, and it led the way for Led Zeppelin to have their own plane. Elvis’ last two planes, the Lisa Marie and the Hound Dog II, were put up for sale in 2014, but it was eventually decided they would remain at Graceland. Lisa Marie was a four-engine 1960 Convair 880 which featured a queen-sized bed, a videotape system with four TVs, a stereo system with fifty-two speakers, and gold bathroom features. Located on the tail section of the plane were the initials TCB, which stood for Taking Care of Business, along with a color scheme Elvis had picked out. Hound Dog II was Elvis’ back up plane and was flown while Lisa Marie was being worked on and remodeled to suit Elvis’ taste.

Tiger Woods

Tiger has owned his own plane to get to all his golf tournaments since he became famous, and he has had more than one plane in that time because he has been so busy. Playing all the tournaments he did when he was in his prime required him to have a plane, and he used the plane to fly his family around the world too. Tiger was so famous he could not fly commercial because everybody knew who he was whether they cared about golf or not. Having his own plane made traveling a lot easier for him.

Along with his own aircraft, Woods has indulged in several yachts and fancy cars. Woods owns a Gulfstream G550 jet, which is known for its luxurious design and spectacular views and lights. His plane comes with wide oval windows, a built-in restroom, and wardrobes. It can fly for twelve hours over twelve thousand kilometers nonstop while reaching altitudes of fifty-one thousand feet. It can fit around eighteen passengers, which is about the number of women he was caught cheating on his wife with, though those two numbers probably were not meant to be related. The aircraft had the longest flight range in its class and was designed to be a business jet aircraft. They were designed in Savannah, Georgia and as of 2016, there were 450 Gulfstream G550’s currently being used.

Celine Dion

When you commit to performing live in Las Vegas almost every night, it really helps to have a private jet for transportation. Celine Dion is probably the biggest singer of the last fifty years. She is so big, she has to have a plane to fly her children around the world with her, and she can do more engagements because she has the plane. She has been using the plane to fly her friends around the world with her, and it has helped charities as well.

Dion owns a Bombardier BD-700 Express, which is offered in several different categories. It features private bathrooms, a living area, a flight crew and two flight attendants, high-end amenities, and a full kitchen. The jet can hold up to eighteen passengers and includes many fine updates to keep Dion extra comfortable during her traveling days. The plane reportedly cost her forty-two million dollars, which is a small price to pay when you are worth much more than that. The plane was originally built for military purposes, and it can fly a long way without needing to refuel. Dion’s celebrity status does not stop at a private jet. She allegedly also owns a private island and several mansions.

Warren Buffet

When you are rich, a common thing to do is hang out with other rich people on their private jets. Warren Buffet has owned his own plane for a long time, and he has even been photographed sitting on his plane with Bill Gates. Warren Buffet is one of the richest men in the world, often attributed to him constantly investing in companies, which requires him to spend his time traveling to places around the world where he can check in on those companies. He actually manages the companies he owns, and he takes great pride in being there to make sure each company is healthy. Having his own plane makes his life a little bit easier.

Buffet is so rich that instead of buying his own jet, he owns his own jet company, called NetJets, which allows individuals to purchase shares of a jet, lease a jet, or purchase flying time. CEO Jordan Hansell stated, “It’s not inexpensive. It’s something you’ve got to be prepared to take on, but when people do, they describe it as something they would never give up.” According to news media reports in 2015, the pilots of NetJets picketed the fact they have been working without a contract since 2013. Union members stated the pay is unfair and health care benefits need to be addressed. The pilots also picketed at the Super Bowl, the Master's Golf tournament, and the NetJets Poker Invitational in Las Vegas, hosted by Buffet.

John Travolta

John Travolta is the most popular of celebrity pilots because everyone knows he owns his own commercial jet, parks it at his home in Florida, and flies it himself. He has been flying for a long time, and he even wears a traditional pilot uniform when he gets in the cockpit. This is something everyone has seen, but at the same time, it also adds to his mystique. John Travolta has made more than one comeback in the past, and part of those comebacks helped him pay for the planes he owns today. He has been able to make a new persona for himself as a pilot more than an actor, and it makes him look just as cool as the characters in his movies.

Travolta is a certified pilot whose home has been referred to as nothing more than a bunch of runways for his jets. He has two runways leading right to his front door at his home in Florida. Travolta’s wife, Kelly Preston, stated it was always John’s dream to have planes in his front yard. Of his home, Travolta said, “We designed the house for the jets and to have at our access the world at a moment’s notice, and we have succeeded at that. For the last eleven years, we’ve been able to globe-trot for Qantas and movies. I’ve been really able to operate out of this house for business and personal reasons.”