For $5.5 billion (approximately R89b), billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson can take a high-risk flight around the Earth.
Image: Instagram.
If you thought a last-minute business class ticket to Paris was a splurge, think again.
For the world’s billionaire elite, adventure means more than just a luxury safari or a private villa. It means leaving the atmosphere entirely or sinking to the crushing depths of the ocean floor.
A recent report by Foresight Sports has pulled back the curtain on the playground of the super-rich, analysing the top 10 high-end adventures to find the priciest thrills money can buy.
From the edge of space to the heart of the Antarctic, here is how the world's 1% are spending their fortunes, and their weekends.
1. Flight around the Earth
At the absolute top of the list is a flight around the Earth. This isn't your standard commercial orbit; we’re talking about the development of custom, one-of-a-kind spacecraft.
With a price tag of $5.5 billion (approximately R101 billion), it is officially the most expensive and riskiest extreme activity on the planet.
Because you can’t exactly book this on a travel app, it remains exclusive to titans like Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Elon Musk.
2. Trip to the International Space Station
If you don't have millions, you will need to settle for a "budget" alternative, as a trip to the International Space Station costs $55 million (approximately R900 million).
Reserved for the likes of William Shatner and entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa, this trip is significantly cheaper than a global flight but carries a very high risk rating due to the dangers of rocket launches.
3. Blue Origin Space Flight
At $28 million (approximately R450m) per seat, stars like Katy Perry and Gayle King have hopped on a Blue Origin flight to see the Earth from the edge of space.
Image: Instagram.
For the price of a Hollywood mansion, $28 million (approximately R493 million), celebrities like Katy Perry and Gayle King have hopped on Jeff Bezos’s rockets for a few minutes at the edge of space before returning to Earth.
4. Scuba diving in the Mariana Trench
When the super-rich aren't looking up, they’re looking down. A high-stakes journey to the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on Earth, will cost you $750,000 (approximately R12m) per expedition. James Cameron, Kathryn D. Sullivan and Don Walsh are among those who made the 36,000 feet leap.
5. Private Superyachting
Whether they’re cruising the Amalfi Coast or tucking away in a private cove, the Carters have turned super-yachting into a high-art form.
Image: Facebook.
Stars like Bill Gates, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Leonardo DiCaprio are all big fans of escaping on a private superyacht.
While these ultra-luxury trips often spark debate about their impact on the environment, this elite group doesn't mind the cost. For them, paying $1 million (approximately R16m) a week is a small price for total privacy and their own quiet slice of the ocean.
6. Hunting rhinoceros
For the world’s most controversial collectors, hunting a rhinoceros is the ultimate high-stakes pursuit. This elite activity carries a staggering price tag of $275,000 (approximately R4.9 million), covering specialised permits and expert tracking teams.
While figures like Theodore Roosevelt historicalized the practice, modern participants like Corey Knowlton and Jimmy John Liautaud have faced intense public scrutiny for their involvement. Despite the high risk and global debate over conservation, the super-rich continue to pay for these exclusive expeditions.
7. Deep-sea diving to shipwrecks
For those who find the surface too crowded, the silent world of deep-sea shipwreck diving offers the ultimate haunting thrill.
At $250,000 (approximately R4.5m) per expedition, this high-risk activity isn't for the faint of heart. It requires elite training and nerves of steel to navigate the skeletal remains of history resting deep under water.
Legendary explorers like Jacques Cousteau and Sylvia Earle pioneered these depths, while action star Tom Cruise has also been drawn to the challenge. Despite the danger of equipment failure or entanglement, the chance to touch a sunken past makes the massive price tag worth it for these underwater adventurers.
8. Private Antarctic expedition
A private Antarctic expedition comes with a price tag of $98,500, which is roughly R1.6 million.
Image: Instagram.
Stars like Lewis Hamilton, Shaun White, Nina Dobrev, and Jared Leto prefer the freezing edge of the world over a standard beach holiday. These celebrities trade red carpets for ice glaciers on private Antarctic expeditions.
At $98,500 (approximately R1.6m), this moderate risk adventure lets them trek across untouched snow or watch penguins from luxury camps.
For the ultra-rich, the ultimate treat is finding total silence in one of the quietest places on Earth.
9. Climb to Mount Everest
For the ultimate test of human endurance, many look to Mount Everest. For $55,000 (approximately R870k), adventurers can follow in the footsteps of legends like Kami Rita Sherpa, Lhakpa Sherpa and Yuichiro Miura.
While it is more affordable than a rocket launch, the high risk rating is no exaggeration. Climbers face extreme altitudes and unpredictable weather to reach the world's highest peak.
For this elite group, the gruelling physical challenge is worth every cent to stand on top of the world.
10. Private jet flight to Antarctica
At $14,500 (roughly R235k), stars like Nina Dobrev take high-risk private jet flights to the heart of Antarctica.
Image: Instagram.
Actresses like Zoey Deutch and Nina Dobrev skip the usual beach trips for a private jet flight to Antarctica. At $14,500 (approximately R235,000), this adventure is considered high risk because the plane has to land on a runway made of solid ice.
It isn't for the faint of heart, but for these celebrities, the thrill of reaching the world’s most remote continent is an escape that is worth every cent.