WHO’S WHO IN THE JET-BUYING SET
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns a Gulfstream G650ER. So does his Silicon Valley peer Elon Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla and SpaceX, who upgraded to this model of Gulfstream two years ago, having previously owned a Dassault Falcon 900B. Golfer Tiger Woods’ G550 is slightly smaller but it’s still capable of 12 hours’ nonstop flight, while soccer star. Cristiano Ronaldo’s G200 is, relatively speaking, a handy runabout but is capable of ferrying between eight and 19 passengers in comfort.
In 2012 Beyoncé bought her husband, Jay-Z, a Bombardier Challenger 850, a 27m-long “supermidsize” jet that sells for about $40 million (R500 million). It has a kitchen, living room and two bathrooms. Other fans of the Canadian aerospace company include Oprah Winfrey, who travels in a Bombardier Global Express XRS worth $42 million (R525 million). “Anyone who tells you that having your own private jet isn’t great is lying to you,” she says.
Before he became president Donald Trump reportedly paid about $100 million (R1,25 billion) for his Boeing 757. He had it converted and refurbished to accommodate 43 people. The bathroom has 24-carat gold fixtures and fittings. Even larger is Roman Abramovich’s Boeing 767-300. Nicknamed the Bandit, it’s more than 60m long and was bought by the Russian oligarch and Chelsea FC owner after Hawaiian Airlines cancelled an order in 2004. It’s estimated the plane could’ve cost Abramovich up to £215 million (R3,6 billion). Other owners include Steven Spielberg, whose Boeing 737 is registered to the director’s production company Amblin Entertainment.