It’s no secret that rich and famous people like to own gold. Some of them buy it as an investment. Others wear it as jewelry or even makeup. Still others like to decorate their homes, cars and boats with the metal.

How much gold do ultra-rich people own? And how much gold did famous people who are no longer living own? We did some research. Here’s a summary of what we learned.

Photo of the Sultan of Brunei's gold-plated Rolls Royce. Image courtesy of Royalista(dot)com.

Donald Trump

The real estate mogul and presidential candidate actually owns a relatively small amount of gold. According to financial statements released by Mr. Trump to the Federal Elections Commission, he owns between $100,001 and $200,000 in gold.

Source: “How Much Gold Does Donald Trump Own?”, Kitco News, July 24, 2015

Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett, the respected investor and investing guru, owns hardly any gold, which he has called “an unproductive asset.” However, he has invested heavily in silver in the past.

Source: “Why Warren Buffett Hates Gold,” The Motley Fool, September 13, 2014

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

Now this is fun. We have not been able to find any information on how much investment-quality gold is owned by this power couple. However, they did spend$750,000 to buy gold-plated toilets that were installed in a mansion they renovated.

Source: “Gild the Throne! Kanye West and Kim Kardashian flush nearly $1 million
on gold plated toilets for their new Bel Air mansion,” The Daily Mail, July 24, 2014

Elizabeth Taylor

It is not certain just how much gold Elizabeth Taylor owned. However, the late movie star’s jewelry – much of which contained precious gems - sold for about $115 million at Christie’s auctions in New York in 2011.

Source: “Liz Taylor’s Jewels Fetch $115 Million,” Daily Mail, December 15, 2011

The Sultan of Brunei

The Sultan, often called the world’s richest man, obviously owns a lot of gold. However, just one of his gold items – a gold-plated Rolls Royce limo – has an estimated worth of about $13 million.

Source: “The World’s Richest Royals,” Royalista.com, May 19, 2014

Floyd Mayweather

The boxer’s net worth has now reached about $.5 billion. It is unclear how much gold he owns. However, he does sign autographs with a limited edition Cross Peerless 125 fountain pen that retails for a cool $4,000.

Source: “Floyd Mayweather’s Net Worth Is Crazy,” Inquistr.com, May 20, 2015

What about other Rappers?

Rap artists like to wear big gold chains and other “bling” items, most often decorated with precious stones. The rapper Young Joc, for example, owns a gold chain that is estimated to be worth $50,000.

Source: “The 10 Most Expensive Rapper Jewelry,” BornRich.com, October 15, 2014

And How Much Gold Do You Own?

Remember, even small gold items like chains and pens can be worth a lot more than you expect. Recycling them might not catapult you into the ranks of the super-rich, but their value could surprise you. Please call our qualified gold recycling experts at 800-426-2344 for advice and information about how to send your items to us for testing. Please mention this blog post and ask about reduced cost or free shipping costs.

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How Much Gold Does Donald Trump Own?