Some people collect memories. Others spend on masterpieces. While buying a rare car might feel like a once-in-a-lifetime splurge, it’s nothing compared to what some folks have shelled out for the world’s priciest possessions. From celestial space stations to three-minute songs, here’s a curious roundup of the most outrageously expensive items ever bought, built, or recorded.
Let’s take a peek at what billions can buy.
1. A Savior Worth $450 Million
Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, Latin for “Savior of the World,” became the most expensive painting ever sold when it fetched a jaw-dropping $450 million. The buyer? Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Since its record-breaking sale, the painting has gone into hiding—last seen in 2017 and reportedly stored somewhere in Saudi Arabia. Divine art, now with an air of mystery.
2. The Gold-Plated Freeway
Hawaii’s Interstate H-3 wins the title of the world’s most expensive road per mile. This 16-mile engineering feat cost over $1.3 billion—roughly $80 million a mile. Built through lush jungle and volcanic rock, the project was delayed for years due to environmental concerns. It’s scenic, yes—but probably the costliest commute on Earth.
3. James Cameron: Director of Billion-Dollar Budgets
Some filmmakers stretch a dollar. James Cameron stretches the definition of “budget” altogether. He’s directed not one but five films that, at the time of their release, were the most expensive movies ever made: Terminator 2, True Lies, Titanic, Avatar, and Avatar: The Way of Water. Each broke records, pushed tech boundaries, and somehow turned eye-watering budgets into box office gold.
4. The Ultimate Price Tag: The International Space Station
Hovering over Earth at 17,000 mph, the International Space Station isn’t just a marvel of engineering—it’s also the most expensive thing humans have ever built. With a final bill north of $150 billion, it’s a cosmic collaboration between countries and proof that science, ambition, and a whole lot of cash can literally reach the stars.
5. A Bomber That Blew the Budget
During World War II, the B-29 Superfortress bomber program became the costliest project of the war—surpassing even the Manhattan Project by about 50%. Designed with cutting-edge features like pressurized cabins and remote-control gun turrets, it came with steep challenges. Engine overheating was so bad in the Pacific theater that more planes were lost to malfunctions than combat. Progress, it seems, doesn’t come cheap—or cool.
6. The $3.5 Million Cure
Hemgenix is currently the most expensive drug in the world. Just one dose costs $3.5 million. Used to treat hemophilia B—a rare bleeding disorder—this single-shot gene therapy promises lasting relief. For patients and scientists alike, it’s a hopeful (and costly) step forward.
7. A Song That Cost a Small Fortune
The Beach Boys’ Good Vibrations sounds like summer sunshine, but recording it was more of a storm. With 90 hours of tape across 17 studio sessions, and an all-star cast of LA session musicians, the price tag for the three-minute track ballooned to an estimated $75,000. That might not seem like much now—but in the 1960s, that was pure rock ‘n’ roll extravagance.
From billion-dollar satellites to million-dollar medicine, it turns out that value isn’t just in the eye of the beholder—it’s also in the budget. And if you’re curious to see how deep the rabbit hole goes, Wikipedia has an ever-growing list of the world’s most expensive things. Just maybe don’t look at it with your credit card in hand.