King Abdullah II & Queen Rania of Jordan | House Tour | $70 Million Malibu Mansion & More

How much land does the king own? Well, I guess that kind of depends on which king you're talking about. But if it's King Abdullah II of Jordan alongside his wife, Queen Rania, then as it turns out, far more than they should. Abdullah has ruled Jordan since the death of his father in 1999, the man who originally positioned the kingdom as a key ally of the Western world, while also being known for his very public displays of wealth. Well, his son is most definitely carried on with that tradition. The problem is, in a country that's propped up by billions of dollars in international financial aid, and where unemployment has nearly doubled over the past decade, the king's wealth is something that the government considers to be too sensitive for the public to know about. Until the release of the Pandora Papers, that is, considered to be the biggest leak of offshore financial secrets detailing the hidden assets of some of the world's richest people. It contained 11.9 million files worth of confidential information, thanks to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Its biggest revelation? That nearly $32 trillion of secret shadow money had been hidden by dozens of world leaders in global tax havens. And to absolutely nobody's surprise, much of that money has wound up being funneled into luxury real estate. Which brings us back to King Abdullah II. The files expose that the Arab world's largest serving current monarch has spent the past few decades amassing an international luxury property empire worth over $100 million. With a footprint stretching from the clifftops of Malibu, California to Washington DC and the streets of London, this longtime monarch isn't short of places to call home no matter what country he's visiting, for what I'm just going to have to assume are diplomatic purposes. Has the king actually done anything wrong here? Let's find out as I take you inside some of these breathtaking mansions. In 2014, King Abdullah II of Jordan shelled out $33.5 million for what's the most palatial and certainly most expensive of his real estate purchases revealed by the Pandora Papers, a vast clifftop property on California's Malibu coast. Described as a resort hotel-like mega mansion, which is maybe five of the most exciting sounding words in the English language when lined up next to each other, this estate is said to contain 26 rooms and overlook a stretch of coastline that was actually made famous as the location of the shocking final scene in the original 1968 Planet of the Apes film. Originally built in 1999 and tucked behind gates, the home is of unclear architectural heritage, but we do see some large columns and inside the entire space is most definitely fit for a modern day king. After buying the property, Abdullah poured millions more into a complete overhaul of the home and the interiors are now likely even fancier than some of the images you're about to see. Take for example this ocean view kitchen that's been equipped with striking wood cabinets which connects directly to a family room with an outdoor patio. Upstairs, you'll discover a lavishly decorated primary suite with sitting area spa-style bathrooms and a private balcony with stunning whitewater views. Elsewhere back on the main floor, the home's Ritz Carlton-like interiors also include a massive movie theater and a fully stocked gym. Meanwhile, outside there's a swimming pool and a big grassy yard that overlooks the Pacific Ocean alongside various patios and terraces, all of which offer ample space for a little al fresco dining and entertainment. As impossibly beautiful as that home is, apparently it just wasn't enough for King Abdullah's purposes and over the next few years, he'd scoop up further homes in this sun-drenched city. In 2015, His Royal Highness spent $12.2 million for the property directly right next door. This 2,700 square foot estate is the smallest and least expensive of the King's Malibu's holdings. Built in 1982, the 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom home sits on a 1.1 acre lot and boasts a very cozy beach-chic vibe. The white Mediterranean villa-style structure is partially shrouded by dense foliage and includes garden walkways as well as panoramic ocean views. Not much is known about the interior, but it's believed that the home was converted into a security building for the King's bodyguards and other service staff. Recently, documents were submitted to city officials for a teardown, with a proposal to build a new home on that same lot that would be twice as large as the old one. So, it's possible that the King has big plans for this property in the coming years. In September of 2017, the King made his most recent purchase of his three Malibu estates when he spent $23 million on a 1.3 acre property next to Point Dume State Beach. Boasting 7,700 square foot of space alongside 7 bedrooms as well as 7 baths, this former listing for this property described it as a grand European-style estate with 100 feet of bluff-top panoramic ocean views. Images of the outside reveal a beige house that gives off a light, airy feel and makes me imagine that the King and Queen probably use this property as a laid-back beach pad when they're looking to engage in a little R&R. According to reports, the King also has construction plans for this home, which include the additions of a new pool, pergola and a large outdoor barbecue space. If you were to add those three properties up alone, you're already arriving at a price tag of nearly $70 million. But these weren't the only estates that the King quietly added to his portfolio over the years. Outside of his homes in Malibu, California, King Abdullah II of Jordan has also acquired four condominiums in Georgetown, a wealthy part of Washington, D.C., for a total of $16 million between 2012 and 2014. According to reports, his son, Crown Prince Hussein, was attending Georgetown University at the time of these purchases. He also secretly bought a portfolio of seven luxury properties in the United Kingdom. These include three in Belgravia, London. Purchased between 2003 and 2011, these English homes are estimated to have a current market value of around $35 million in total. At the same time as the President was spending money as if it were nothing, the United Kingdom's government was sending up to $120 million a year in bilateral aid to Jordan. And they were far from the only country doing so. The biggest red flag when it comes to the King's real estate purchases is that he used a number of different offshore companies incorporated in the British Virgin Islands to keep his ownership of these properties a secret. Those individuals who set up these companies on behalf of the King were extremely careful not to identify him in any way and only referred to him in internal documents as know-who. I know that was only done to protect his identity, but now that we know what was really going on, all that does is make Abdullah sound guiltier by drawing comparisons to he who shall not be named. In a statement released by Jordan's Royal Hashemite Court, it was suggested that the had not acted in an improper manner when it came to taking ownership of these properties. Reading in parts, His Majesty uses these properties during official visits and hosts official and foreign dignitaries there. The King and his family members also stay in some of these properties during private visits. It was further suggested that the ownership of these properties wasn't originally publicized out of security and privacy concerns, not out of secrecy. Using offshore companies to acquire property isn't illegal and is sometimes used for exactly the reasons that the Jordan government claims. But the secrecy of this system also opens the door up to money laundering, which is why people were looking to the King for answers. No matter what way you look at it, this leak of public finances in his real estate portfolio is an embarrassing blow for Abdullah, who was only further made to look foolish recently when his half brother, former Crown Prince Hamza, accused the ruling system of corruption. Claiming he was a victim of a malicious plot, the King decided to place his half brother under house arrest. The question is, with all the homes his family owns, which palatial estate do you think his half brother has been incarcerated in? In all honesty, I'd be willing to be placed under house arrest too if it meant being holed up in one of these residences. Alright everyone, that's going to bring this latest house tour to a close. Thanks so much for watching, and before you head out, consider answering the following question. If you found out someone you knew had an offshore account, would you immediately assume that they were up to something? Let me know what you think about the King's real estate activities in the comments down below. Otherwise, like, subscribe, and turn on your notifications to make sure that you never miss an episode. My name's Cara, and if you'd like to keep checking out another beautiful mansion or two, then stay tuned as I take you inside the homes of another notorious world leader, Dick Cheney. I'll see you all next time. Bye! Has there ever been a more powerful or frightening vice president of the United States than Dick Cheney? After all, this is a man that not only resembled the penguin from Batman by looks, but demeanor as well, with many photos taken of the man always managing to capture him with a sneer. And then there was that whole hunting fiasco where he wound up accidentally shooting a friend of his. Only to have said friend apologize to him. Now, that's what I call power. In the years leading up to his ascent at the right hand of George W. Bush, Dick was living in the town of McLean, Virginia, more or less the political celebrity capital of America. To say that McLean is a right wing haven might be something of an exaggeration, but only slightly. Here in this neighborhood, real estate prices are some of the most expensive in the city, and it was already a challenge to find anything less than $400,000 over 20 years ago. McLean has always been upscale, and before it was reborn as a Republican enclave, it used to be home to the Kennedys. In fact, Ethel Kennedy still owns a house on Hickory Hill to this day. Even Jacqueline Kenny Onassis' step parents once owned a house here, probably because most residents turned a blind eye to these political dynamos that roam the streets and shops around them. Simply put, McLean is not the kind of place where you'll catch people gawking, which made it perfect for the Cheneys. Back in the late 80s, Dick and his wife Lynn spent about $450,000 for a three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom, two-story family townhouse located just down the street from a popular eatery known as Three Pigs Barbecue. More than just the occasional fan of some Southern-style barbecue, Dick also became a fixture at the meat counter of the someplace special giant gourmet. But when George took office, Dick moved into the Vice President's residence at the Naval Observatory for what would turn out to be the next eight years. As a result, Dick sold this original property. Dick and Lynn then decided to spend more than on their last home, dropping $1.35 million on a small lot in January 2000 before heading to Washington, D.C. Dick tore down the original home that was standing on the property over the course of his tenure as Vice President, and constructed a massive 12,765-square-foot home that was ready for when he left office in 2008 at the expense of around $1.5 million. In terms of location, Cheney's people have done a fantastic job scrubbing all potential details about where the former Vice President lives from the internet. For the most part, all you're gonna find are dead links and timeouts. What I can tell you is that Cheney's new neighborhood was close enough to the CIA that he could easily wander over to their head office from time to time to make sure that everyone was up to snuff on their intelligence gathering. And when it comes to the interior, reports suggest that Cheney's residence is a four-bedroom, nine-bathroom abode that includes his and her en-suites off the master bedroom on the first floor, as well as his and her libraries. Cheney also has two more bedrooms on the second floor, along with a sitting room, an exercise room, and three bathrooms. There's even a playroom in the basement for the grandkids, as well as a spot above the Last but not least, considering Cheney's age, the home was installed with an elevator so that he could easily move from floor to floor. Now that you know where Dick spends the vast majority of his time, let's take a look at where he likes to vacation. In 2005, Dick Cheney paid $2.67 million for a stunning waterfront estate located in St. Michael, Maryland. Situated in Chesapeake Bay, this property would later be described by the New York Times as a wide squat Mount Vernon. According to real estate records, Cheney bought this home under his Sumner LLC, a company that's managed by Dick's personal secretary. Dick is not the home's only owner of historical note. One of Thomas Edison's daughters, Madeline, lived here with her husband, John Sloan, who originally built the cottage as their private shore getaway. They even named it Ballintober after a medieval castle in Ireland. Constructed in 1930 and built atop 9 acres of land, Cheney's picturesque property is located about 2 miles from his longtime friend and former co-worker, Donald Rumsfield, who purchased his own home in the area for $1.5 million in 2003. This gated treeline estate features an expansive compound that reportedly totals 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, as well as nearly 5,000 square feet of living space. Boasting an open floor plan, the main house includes a light-filled living room with three walls of windows, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding water. In addition, there's also a kitchen that flows out to a family room, along with a formal dining room and primary suite located on the first floor. Since the Cheneys are likely to have visitors drop by pretty often, the home also offers plenty of room for friends and family. Not only is there a separate guest cottage, there's a guest suite attached to the three car garage. There's also plenty of room outside where you'll discover multiple patios, gardens, a pool, and a deep water dock. Dick and his wife would vacation at this lovely home regularly each summer, but then, in 2019, he listed the home for just under $2.5 million, ultimately selling it for $2.1 million. While that was a loss, I don't think Dick cared much, especially not when you take into consideration that he already had another gorgeous getaway waiting for him in Wyoming. As little as might be known about Dick Cheney's homes in the orbit of Washington, D.C., we know even less about his longtime residence in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. There, on the outskirts of town, Dick has owned a massive mansion since the early 2000s, estimated to be worth $3.6 million that he's used to throw fundraisers for conservative politicians looking to reach the White House. I'm talking folks like Mitt Romney, remember him? Obama might have banished Mitt to the Never Realm back in 2012, but there was a time when it was looking like Romney might actually defeat Barack, and a lot of that had to do with the money that Dick helped Mitt rake in through a series of fundraisers. You'll notice in the invite that Cheney sent out for their little shindig that only the biggest spenders would be invited to a dinner at their private home. And while the general reception was held at the Teton Pines Country Club nearby, all the actual important stuff was no doubt finalized inside the Cheney residence that overlooks the club grounds with some sweeping mountain views. Again, since very little is known about this home, the only actual photographic evidence of it is a series of pictures taken by USA Today of the former Vice President relaxing around the estate. Thanks to those images, we know that his grounds are covered in trees, and that there's more than enough space for him to spend time with their family dog Nelson. The only other spaces he provided access to were his kitchen, which boasts granite counters, dark wood cabinets, and stainless steel appliances. And Cheney also has a nice, if not kind of underwhelming, study located on site that boasts leather chairs, picture frame windows, reading materials, and a stone fireplace. Well, there you have it. All the information on Dick Cheney's homes that's fit for video. But with Cheney, you don't know what's gonna happen next. Thanks so much for joining me, and before you head out, consider answering the following question. What's the craziest Dick Cheney story you've ever heard? Shooting his own friend by accident is only the tip of the iceberg, so remind me of some of your old favorites down below. Otherwise, like, subscribe, and turn on your notifications to never miss an episode.