Gates has maintained the same primary residence since the mid-’90s. The tech titan was already constructing the sprawling estate—nicknamed Xanadu 2.0, after the titular character’s mansion in Citizen Kane—when he married French Gates in 1994. Overlooking Lake Washington in Medina, a suburb of Seattle, the home clocks in at a whopping 66,000 square feet, with seven bedrooms, six kitchens, and 24 bathrooms. “My house is being designed and constructed so that it’s a bit ahead of its time,” Gates wrote in his 1995 book, The Road Ahead. “It’s built into a hillside, and most of the glass faces west over Lake Washington to Seattle to take advantage of the sunset and Olympic mountain views.” As one Microsoft intern put it in 2007, “Going down Bill’s driveway is like arriving at Jurassic Park. The driveway is long, windy, goes steeply down, and is just covered in plant life.” The house was designed by architects James Cutler and Peter Bohlin, with interiors by AD100 designer Thierry Despont. Some of its most notable amenities include a trampoline room, a 60-foot swimming pool with an underwater sound system, an artificial stream, a reception hall that can accommodate 150 people, a 2,100-square-foot domed library displaying a Leonardo da Vinci manuscript, and high-tech video walls.
Over the years, Gates has also scooped up many properties surrounding the main residence; he reportedly bought 12 neighboring plots between 1988 and 2009, spanning 10.5 acres and adding an extra layer of privacy to his main estate. In 2024, he sold one of those properties—a midcentury modern home for which he paid $1.31 million in 2003—for $4.85 million. The 1954-built four-bedroom, three-bath dwelling spanned 2,430 square feet. In February 2026, he listed another, a four-bedroom home, for $4.8 million. Gates paid $1 million for that 2,780-square-foot residence in 1995. While he’s been slightly lightening his real estate footprint in the area in recent years, he maintains multiple homes and vacant lots surrounding his expansive compound.
The billionaire still keeps Xanadu 2.0, valued at an estimated $130 million, as his main home.
Indian Wells, California
Gates bought a $12.5 million six-bedroom, nine-bathroom home in Indian Wells, California, in 1999. The 13,000-square-foot manse is on the grounds of Vintage Club, a private community boasting Tom Fazio–designed golf courses. Membership reportedly costs $300,000 in initiation fees, plus $45,000 in annual dues. Gates was spotted at the club following his divorce from French Gates, hinting that he may now be the sole owner of this property.
Rancho Santa Fe properties
In 2008, the Gateses began amassing property in Rancho Santa Fe, California. That year, they paid $3.1 million for a 4,300-square-foot home at Del Mar Country Club, featuring a 500-bottle wine cellar, a saltwater pool, and an outdoor bar.
In 2014, they bought Rancho Paseana, an $18 million horse ranch in the same area from weight-loss entrepreneur Jenny Craig. The estate spans 228 acres, complete with stables, a veterinarian’s office, a racetrack, an olive orchard, and a guesthouse. A few weeks later, Gates bought another $3.2 million property located about 10 minutes away. That home, nestled on the grounds of Santaluz Country Club, spans 5,780 square feet and boasts ocean views.
It’s unclear whether Gates or French Gates maintains these properties following their 2021 divorce, though the Santaluz Club home is partly owned by the French Family Trust, hinting that perhaps French Gates is the current owner.
Montana golf escape
Gates has reportedly been a longtime member of the Yellowstone Club, a ski and golf community in Big Sky, Montana. Details of his property there were unknown until a 2009 county resolution confirmed that he owns a plot at the exclusive club. In 2024, the 2.76-acre property, with a roughly 7,000-square-foot, eight-bedroom home, was valued at $29.4 million.