I visited the billionaire hideaway of the Pacific Northwest and clocked 5 signs of extreme wealth and luxury

"Some of the wealthiest people in the Pacific Northwest live in a 1.4-square-mile town on the shores of Lake Washington. Their multimillion-dollar estates are nestled in pocket forests. Towering Douglas firs make it impossible to see their balconies and backyards as an onlooker. But if you venture through the woods to the shoreline, their yachts are in plain sight. Medina is one of the wealthiest cities in Washington, and to me, it felt like an escape from reality."

"Bill Gates lives on a 10.5-acre estate in Medina. Gates bought the land between 1988 and 2009 and built a mansion complex with ultra-luxe features you wouldn't expect, like a pool with an underwater sound system and a trampoline room. Jeff Bezos lived in the area for over two decades before moving to Miami in 2023. He's owned several Washington properties. In 2023, his Seattle-area real estate empire was worth about $190 million."

"With fewer than 3,000 residents, the town east of Seattle is small but mighty. Business Insider previously reported that Medina's ZIP code is among the top 20 in the US for mean household income at $459,400, and nearly 96% of owner-occupied homes are worth $1 million or more. I walked from the top to the bottom of Medina in May 2025. Along the way, I found five signs of over-the-top wealth and luxury in the affluent Seattle suburb."

Medina occupies 1.4 square miles on the shores of Lake Washington and has fewer than 3,000 residents. Multimillion-dollar estates sit within pocket forests of towering Douglas firs that conceal balconies and backyards. Yachts moored along the shoreline are visible despite hidden mansions. Median wealth metrics rank the ZIP code among the top 20 in the US with mean household income of $459,400, and nearly 96% of owner-occupied homes are worth $1,000,000 or more. Bill Gates owns a 10.5-acre estate with features including an underwater-sound-system pool and a trampoline room. Jeff Bezos and Steve Ballmer have held nearby properties.

Read at Business Insider