Cryptocurrency: How fast can billionaires spend their wealth?

Following the exponential rise in the value of Bitcoin and rival cryptocurrencies, those shrewd enough to invest at the right time have found themselves catapulted into the elite 1% club reserved for millionaires, billionaires, politicians and royalty.

In case you weren't already aware, if you'd decided to invest $1,000 in the cryptocurrency when it was worth just six cents in July 2010, you'd now have a wealth of over $170 million! And that's following the recent crash in value, too.

Based on the current market cap of Bitcoin, it is estimated that there are as many as 200 Bitcoin billionaires, the most famous of whom being Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss - the twins who famously sued Mark Zuckerberg for stealing the idea of Facebook.

Such a rise in Bitcoin value has no doubt helped contribute to the rise in the total number of billionaires around the world. With 2,043 individuals worth a combined $7.71 trillion, there are now more US Dollar billionaires than in any other point in human history.

And they're getting richer, too. Year on year data comparisons reveal that the combined wealth of all known billionaires increased 18.9% from 2016 to 2017 and that trend is predicted to continue throughout 2018.

While we could go on to analyse the growing inequality of income between the rich and poor, how eight of the richest billionaires have as much wealth as the poorest 50% in the world, and the detrimental impact this is having upon society, that's already been covered before; plus it's much more fun (and less depressing) to look at the rare, exotic and luxury items these billionaires could acquire to drain their bank account faster than, well, a correction in the value of Bitcoin.

Property

The general consensus among investors is that property remains a safe investment even during tumultuous times, which is probably why so many billionaires have extensive property portfolios. For a billionaire looking to relieve themselves of a third of their wealth in one go, The One in Bel air could be the property to call home.

Due to be completed in Spring 2018, The One in Bel Air will become the world's most expensive house valued at a staggering £369 million. Standing at 100,000 square-feet, complete with 20 bedrooms and panoramic floor-to-ceiling views over Los Angeles and Century City, it's easy to see why.

However, if America is not desirable due to the current administration, Villa Les Cèdres might be more appropriate. Located on the Riviera, the world's current most expensive house is valued at a slightly cheaper price of £311 million. Formerly owned by King Leopold of Belgium, the property covers 18,000-square-foot and boasts next door neighbours of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

Art

Like property, art is held in high regard for holding its value as an investment. But for a billionaire, laying claim to an art collection that could rival the Louvre will also do wonders for the ego.

For the very reasonable price of £342 million, you could own Salvator Mundi, the last painting ever created by Leonardo Da Vinci. For an extra £77 million, you would be the proud owner of the Nude, Green Leaves and Bust, painted by none other than Pablo Picasso. This abstract piece was painted in a single day in 1932 and was inspired by his mistress Marie-Thérèse Walther. It took just eight minutes and six seconds to sell, back in 2010.

Super Yachts and Super Cars

With the property and art collection taken care of, it's now time to travel in style, and no billionaire is complete until they own a 100 metre plus luxury superyacht to host exclusive parties while sailing the seven seas.

For £390 million, you could purchase the Azzam, meaning "dedication" in Arabic. Azzam is officially the longest superyacht in the world at 590 feet (179 metres).

Owned by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nayan, President of the United Arab Emirates, it took over 3 years to build, carries its own onboard submarine and is also the world's fastest at 30 knots. After all, when your vessel possesses an engine that produces over 94,000 horsepower, you can expect to move quite fast.

If that wasn't enough, Azzam also has its own missile defence system so you can rest assured your fellow ocean travellers won't suffer a hostile takeover, unlike the businesses they own.

To greet you when you dock, there can be no better way to cruise around the coastline than in the twin-turbo, V12 Mercedes-Benz Maybach Exelero. With only one ever made, this £5.8 million concept car holds the land speed record for a luxury limousine reaching a top speed of 218.3 miles per hour.

However, if pure speed is all you're after, the 1,500-horsepower quad-turbo Bugatti Chiron is the pinnacle of automotive engineering. Priced at £2.1 million, the successor to the Veyron was built from the ground up to reach a top speed of 261 mph and claim the title of the fastest production car of the world.

Settling the Bill

If you hadn't already been keeping count, if you'd purchased property one, the two famous artworks, the superyacht and the first supercar, you'd have burned through a total of £1.183 billion. And we never made it to the expensive jewellery, gadgets and private jets!

It goes to show that billionaire status doesn't guarantee every luxury in life and that billionaire or on the breadline, we all have to manage our finances carefully in these austerity times.

To see if you can spend exactly £1 billion and to check out even more luxurious, rare and exotic items from the world of fashion, technology and aviation, be sure to check out Born to be a Billionaire.