As we all know, the wealthy and rich generally like to party. Often, they also intend to make a statement by throwing some of the most opulent parties this world has ever seen. These events range from your everyday birthday celebrations to the private parties that inspire conspiracy theories. Yes, you heard right. Sometimes these parties enfold secret conferences and decision-making ceremonies. For instance, the Manhattan Project took place at such an event called the Bohemian Grove.
So let’s take a look at some of the extravagant parties that were astonishingly expensive and invited controversies.
Surrealist Ball Thrown By The Rothschild Family.
Another gathering of the super-rich that has inspired several theories was the surrealist ball thrown by the Rothschild family. They are an international banking and finance dynasty with operations all across Europe dating back to the mid-18th century with centuries of enormous wealth and political power. So the conspiracy theories just naturally follow. It certainly didn’t help that in 1972 they decided to throw the most bizarre ball ever recorded.
Baroness Marie-Hélène de Rothschild had their entire venue transformed into an interactive maze. The rooms were filled with gutted and stuffed animals, taxidermied and displayed. They even covered the plates with animal furs. Salvador Dali probably figured out there would be leaked pictures of the event. So he went ahead and designed some of the freakiest fashion costumes for the guests that’ll haunt your nightmares.
Malaysian Money Man’s $1 billion Birthday Party
Birthdays are everyone’s excuse to party at least once a year. After all, you have to celebrate surviving another 365 days. And if there’s any group that’s perfected the art of the birthday bash, it’s the uber-wealthy. They get the best entertainment company in their circle and shed loads of cash to celebrate that one special day every year.
A great example here would be that of the mysterious Malaysian money man Jho Low. Before he was accused of alleged international money laundering, Jho Low used his up to one billion dollars in siphon funds to throw a pretty sick 31st birthday party.
He had his venue turned into a place that looked like an aircraft hangar on remote and empty land for hosting an A-list level party. He invited Korean pop sensation PSY to perform Gangnam style and Britney Spears to sing happy birthday. His guests also included celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Jamie Foxx, and Kanye West.
Sean Parker’s $10 Million Wedding Theme
If there’s another thing the rich and famous love to do, it’s throwing extraordinary wedding parties. Billionaire Napster author Sean Parker’s wedding in the Redwoods of Big Sur, California, reportedly cost a billion dollars.
For months, construction crews built artificial ponds, a wooden bridge, rock staircases, and miniature castle ruins made out of fake stone. All for the few magical hours Sean Parker would spend getting married to actor Alexandre Lanas. As part of the fantasy-themed wedding, costumes were designed for all 364 guests. Bunnies were handed out to guests as welcome gifts, and animal furs were draped on the chairs and beds.
However, many people weren’t into the whole ecological disregard theme of the wedding. This attracted heavy criticism towards the newlyweds that prompted Sean Parker to write an incredibly sincere apology for his ultra-expensive three-day wedding extravaganza.
To Summarize
That’s a wrap for some of the wildest and most extravagant parties history has ever seen. Interestingly, several more party categories can fit the bill here, such as the party hosted by Saudi’s famous prince named Faisal.
Many such billionaire parties put up extravagant decor and luxury yet held secretly. Despite the rumors, conspiracy theories and negative aspects, we must acknowledge that the people behind the design and venues of such events do amazing jobs that are no less than art.
Photo by Alexander Popov on Unsplash