During these safer at-home times, we see this as an opportunity for you to hone in on your big dreams and get the wheels turning.
Necessity is the mother of invention as the saying goes, so tap into your creativity and think big. History has a habit of reminding us of the amazing things that came from nothing more than a spark in our brain and a little boredom.
Remember Orville and Wilbur Wright? Guess that printing press gig and fixing bicycles just wasn’t doing it for them.
Now we’ve defeated gravity and are flying all over the world. Soon in flying taxis. Henry Ford? To heck with those horses, we just need horsepower!
Big dreams need a clear end-game and this is where your focus should be. Ultimately, no matter where you are, that locale should be your own slice of heaven.
Here are our top 5 who have done just that – circumstances have them holed up, but life is still pretty good. That’s the Jetsetty life we want you to have, filled with fun experiences and inspiration.
Tom Brady
Tom Brady recently inked 2 deals, one signing a US$50 million dollar contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the second, leasing a home near the stadium.
The six-time Super Bowl champ, his model wife Gisele Bundchen, and their three kids are self-isolating at baseball Hall Of Famer Derek Jeter’s rental mansion on Davis Islands, Florida.
Being safer at home for the Brady family translates to this 30,000-square-foot mansion. It has seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, an entertainment room, and a billiards room. There is also a pool, dock, and two boat lifts for easy access to Tampa Bay.
Derek, the baseball great, who was voted into the Hall of Fame in a one-short-of-unanimous decision earlier this year, now spends his days working with the Florida Marlins organization.
So how much scratch is Derek asking to hole up in “St. Jetersburg” ? Insiders that work for celebrity athletes say it’s not uncommon to cost around US$75,000.00 a month.
Oprah Winfrey
With 7 homes to choose from, Oprah and longtime partner Stedman Graham are staying safer at home in their home in Montecito, California home.
Called “The Promised Land,” this home has 6 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, a gourmet kitchen, and 10 fireplaces.
There are also two home theaters (one inside and one outside), a large guesthouse with a private pool, a wine cellar, and tennis courts.
No doubt Oprah is still doing what she does best – giving back to the world, this time from the comfort of her home.
Traveling during the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, Stedman has been temporarily banished to the doghouse, aka the guest house.
Reading, binge-watching, and making pancakes, Oprah makes sure Stedman gets a piece of that action. Breakfast and dinner are delivered by Thando and Sadé — two graduates from her school in South Africa whom she considers daughters.
So how bad can the guest house be for Stedman?
Just outside Oprah’s 23,000-square-foot home (which is located about 6 miles from downtown Santa Barbara), lies Stedman’s retreat.
With the decor’s main theme being a faded patina filled with all the comforts of home, we’d say Stedman’s doing just fine.
To summarize, hot off-the-grill pancakes delivered as the sun rises over the Pacific Ocean ain’t a bad way to hang even if it feels like you’ve been sent to the doghouse. Well played, Stedman!
Jeff Bezos
Having recently added another home to his Manhattan portfolio, Jeff Bezos is most likely getting familiar and comfy with this new acquisition.
Of course, now that he has a complete set of homes adjacent to each other, he’s got plenty of room to roam and get some fresh air. And of course, there’s always a welcome mat in Beverly Hills for Jeff if he really wants to stroll the grounds.
The Amazon chief has closed on a $16 million, three-bedroom unit on the 20th floor of 212 Fifth Ave., according to city property records.
Jeff already owns $80 million worth of real estate in the building and now he’s filled in the missing piece, adding to the previous 4 floors with this new addition.
via Sotheby’s
The penthouse alone has five bedrooms and 5 ½ bathrooms over 10,079 square feet. It first hit the market in 2017 for $73.8 million. Bezos paid around $58 million for it and about $22 million for the two adjacent units on the floor below.
Still being able to enjoy sunsets over the Manhattan skyline is almost reassuring in itself of how resilient we are, overcoming the worst that gets tossed our way. And keep in mind Jeff started Amazon from his garage.
Ellen DeGeneres
We find Ellen and her wife Portia de Rossi staying safer at home in their stunning Montecito, California mansion. Ellen has been spending time calling (bugging?) her celebrity friends and posting lots of videos on Instagram.
“I, like everybody, am feeling stir crazy and anxious and wondering what’s going to happen and how long this is going to last, so I just wanted to say stay safe, pay attention to what they’re telling us to do and this will pass much faster if we all listen to what our smart people are telling us to do.”
The couple’s home has an orange grove, and five fireplaces, and even contains English Tudor buildings from the mid-1700s.
The three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom home is decorated with a soft, neutral aesthetic. Accented with beautiful exposed wood beams lining the ceilings, the large bay windows expose the 1.3 acres of impressive views.
via Instagram
Ellen is also leading by example while staying safer at home. She raised over US$150,000. for the America Food Fund. This a great example of finding something empowering to do when life gives you lemons. We already know Ellen is no stranger to giving.
David Geffen
There’s been a lot of chatter about billionaire David Geffen posting about his self-isolation on Instagram from his super-yacht called the “Rising Sun”, so we know where he is.
Considering he did launch the careers of super rock stars like the Eagles, Guns ‘n Roses, and Aerosmith, we’re cutting him some slack. All of the above hold coveted positions in our iTunes library.
Apparently floating atop the gentle waves along the Grenadines islands in the Caribbean is his cup of tea. And that is one helluva boat to be sipping from.
The 77-year-old founder of Geffen Records and co-founder of DreamWorks Pictures finds his solitude on the Rising Sun was constructed by the German shipbuilder Lurssen.
Once Geffen became owner, he had the yacht refitted over a six-month period. The top deck is dedicated entirely to the owner and includes a double-height cinema.
The main deck also doubles as a helicopter pad. Finally, the luxury yacht is equipped with a full gym, a wine cellar, and a sauna and spa. Only Oprah can tell us more as she’s a frequent visitor along with other A-listers.
David is also a noteworthy philanthropist. He generously supports medical research, educational institutes, and the arts.
The medical wing of the University of California was renamed to the David Geffen School of Medicine after Geffen generously bequeathed US$200 million in 2002. That’s some serious kindness.
In 2015 he donated US$100 million to the Lincoln Centre, a cultural institution in New York. If this is how Mr. Geffen rolls, then please, keep rolling along those waves in the Grenadines.
Steve Martin
Gotta give a shout-out to Steve Martin, who wins an honorable mention from us, hiding out in a forest playing his banjo. Safer at home means an undisclosed wooded area for Steve. If you find him, he’s most likely by a tree strumming his mellow tunes. You can listen to it here.
What most people don’t know about the comedian is that he’s also a talented musician with some serious credentials.
Martin’s album The Crow: New Songs For The Five-String Banjo won Best Bluegrass Album at the 2009 Grammy Awards; he also received awards for 2001 Best Country Instrumental Performance and the 2013 Best American Roots Song. We’d say his 10 million views say it all. The guy’s got a game.
