Have you ever daydreamed about a lifestyle where money was no object? If you were already wealthy enough to own a private jet, dozens of exotic cars, and luxurious villas in cities around the globe, you might still want to find somewhere to get away from it all — a place to live off the grid. But, as a billionaire, you'd still want all the comforts of home.
A company from Dubai called the Kleindienst Group has developed a floating structure that claims to accomplish these goals. It's called the Floating Seahorse, and it's essentially a luxury yacht without propulsion. This 240-ton buoyant structure can be anchored independently on the ocean, with two floors above the water, and one submerged below the surface.
Sound too outlandish to be real? According to the Kleindienst Group, the original Floating Seahorse production run of at least 60 units is already sold out, after being unveiled at the Dubai International Boat Show in March 2015. These “standard” models were apparently offered for a mere $3.2 million each.
If you're interested in the Floating Seahorse and have a few million bucks collecting dust in a vault somewhere, there's still hope. The Kleindienst Group has started creating special editions of these structures, which will be even more exclusive than the original (and surely more expensive, too). The Signature Edition, seen here, is “fully customized and personalized to suit your individual style and taste.” There's also a Tzar Edition, which should give you a better idea of the kind of wealth you'd need to buy one of these.
As you can tell from these heavily-Photoshopped promotional images, these floating homes are quite large. The three-story design occupies 4,000 square feet, with four “flexi living/sleeping areas”, two upper decks, and a lower deck.
All indoor areas are climate-controlled (a must, since the structures are built in sweltering Dubai). To make underwater views more interesting, the structures attract sea life with transplanted coral reefs outside the submerged windows. There's even a hot tub on the top floor.
There's no publicly-listed price for the Signature Edition Floating Seahorse, but you know what they say — if you have to ask, you probably can't afford it. If you're lucky enough to have the cash, these floating mansions could make a pretty nice bug-out destination. For more information and photos, check out the Floating Seahorse Project Page.