Benjohn

 Bill Gates House

Several pictures of Microsoft founder Bill Gates house.

Microsoft Photo

The Gates home is a modern design in the "Pacific lodge" style, with classic features such as a large private library with a domed reading room. The house occupies 50,000 square feet (4,600 m²) on a 5.15 acre (2.1 ha) lot. Garage space and outbuildings may occupy an additional 16,000 square feet. Property records indicate eight bedrooms and four building levels. According to King County public records, as of 2005, the total assessed value of the property (land and house) is $125 million, and the annual property tax is $990,000 (Zillow.com).

The lot was purchased in December 1988 for $2 million, and construction occurred over a period of seven years with nominal completion in 1995. The address is 1835 73rd Ave NE, Medina, WA 98039

Gates often entertains the rich and powerful at his home. Once when Bill Gates had a private party at the house, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a "temporary security zone" around Gates' Lake Washington home which locked down all of Lake Washington south of the Highway 520 bridge and stayed in effect for two days

House View from the Lake

Photo by Arden Sanford

Photo by Arden Sanford

The 1997 total assessed value of the house was $53,392,200 with the land value being $9,122,200.

House View from the Air

The house encompasses more than 66,000 square feet which is equal to 1.5 acres.
The major rooms include seven bedrooms, 24 bathrooms, six kitchens, and six fireplaces.

Hallway

Fire Place

Swimming Pool

Features include a swimming pool, a grand staircase, a theater, a library, a formal
dining room, a reception hall, conference facilities, offices, an exercise room, outdoor
sports courts, and of course loads of technology

The big boss of Microsoft does have a nice little pad down on the shores of Lake Washington.

Bill and Melinda Gates' $97 million house.

Much of the house is built underground into the hill, so the house looks smaller than it actually is.
Unfortunately the hidden section underground did not escape the taxman's view; Bill paid over a million dollars last year on property taxes.

A stream flows through the property.
The pool room is in the background.