The big shots in the tech world may don a uniform of blue shirts and chinos or hoodies and sneakers, but don't be fooled by their modest appearances: These millionaires and billionaires live large—and they have the homes to prove it.
The tech industry is booming and these entrepreneurs are buying up homes left and right.
In the past 18 months, Zynga CEO and cofounder Mark Pincus purchased a mansion in San Francisco for $16 million; Netscape cofounder Jim Clark purchased a sprawling estate in Southampton for an estimated $49 million; Russian tech investor Yuri Milner purchased a chateau-style mansion in Silicon Valley for a record $100 million; and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison purchased the entire Hawaiian island of Lanai for an estimated $600 million.
We've tracked down the most expensive homes in tech. To estimate value, we looked at recent sale records and local tax records and assessment values, and we spoke to local realtors and experts at Zillow and Blockshopper.
#25 Marissa Mayer's Palo Alto home
Estimated home value: $5.2 million
Title: CEO of Yahoo
The new CEO of Yahoo lives in a modest-looking 5,203-sq. ft., 5-bedroom, 6.5-bathroom home in Palo Alto's much-desired University South neighborhood.
In 2010, Mayer hosted a $30,000-a-plate dinner in the home to raise funds for President Barack Obama.
According to the Santa Clara County assessor's office, Mayer's home is worth about $5.2 million.
To evaluate the homes, we looked at recent sale records and local tax records and assessment values, and we spoke to local realtors and experts at Zillow and Blockshopper.
#24 Mark Zuckerberg's Silicon Valley home
Estimated home value: $7.6 million
Title: Founder and CEO of Facebook
Mark Zuckerberg lives in a relatively modest home right near the new Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, California. He purchased the five-bedroom, five-bath house for $7 million in May 2011.
Since then, home values in Menlo Park have increased about 8.5 percent, and today Zuckerberg's Menlo Park home is worth about $7.6 million.
To evaluate the homes, we looked at recent sale records and local tax records and assessment values, and we spoke to local realtors and experts at Zillow and Blockshopper.
#23 Mark Hurd's Atherton home
Estimated home value: $7.8 million
Title: Copresident, Oracle Corporation
The former CEO of Hewlett-Packard owns a beautiful, 6,410-sq. ft. home in Atherton, Calif., with 5 bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms.
According to city records, Hurd and his wife Paula purchased the home in 2005 for $7.1 million.
Today, the home is worth about $7.8 million, based on records from the San Mateo County assessor's office for the 2011 tax year.
To evaluate the homes, we looked at recent sale records and local tax records and assessment values, and we spoke to local realtors and experts at Zillow and Blockshopper.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider