The Truth About Beyonce And Jay-Z's Insanely Glamorous Life

Beyoncé and Jay-Z are the closest thing to royalty the United States has. Unparalleled in their success, Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z (real name Shawn Carter) are pop culture juggernauts who inspire awe in the rest of us mere mortals. They are pioneers in every sense of the word, from their style to their music to their seemingly effortless way of just looking so darn good all the time. All hail the queen and her king!

Jay and Bey aren't exactly known for keeping the lowest of profiles, or living a super humble lifestyle, either. Hey, no judgment here — if you've got it, flaunt it. Plus, it's a well-known fact that Jay-Z grew up in the notorious Marcy Projects in Brooklyn and transformed himself into quite the business-savvy investor, according to Billboard. And, as noted by W magazine, Beyoncé was born into a comfortable middle-class family in Texas, her mother a salon owner and her father a sales executive for Xerox. Translation: there were no silver spoons for either of them as kids.

But now that they're on top of the world, they are living their best lives. Here's an inside look at Beyoncé and Jay-Z's insanely glamorous life together.

In order to contextualize Beyoncé and Jay-Z's super lavish lifestyle, it first helps to understand how much cash they have and how they keep the green coming in. According to Forbes, the Carters are worth... wait for it... $1.255 billion dollars, as of July of 2018.

Interestingly enough, Beyoncé is only valued at $355 million compared to her husband's $900 million, but that doesn't tell the full story. Beyoncé's income comes mostly from her album sales and concert earnings, which tend to be larger than her husband's. Conversely, Jay-Z's income comes mostly as a result of his investments, such as his significant ownership of the streaming company Tidal. Obviously, both celebs have their strengths and both play to them well.

So now you know what Beyoncé means when she says, "My great-great-grandchildren already rich," as she did on "Boss" from her and Jay-Z's joint album Everything Is Love. Indeed, they are.

According to the Observer, the Tribeca neighborhood in New York City is one of the most desirable parts of the entire area. It makes sense, then, that that's where Jay-Z would want to purchase a home. With no shortage of restaurants and plenty of neighborhood charm, it's an ideal place for the Carters to nest when they're in the Big Apple.

Jay-Z bought his seventh-floor penthouse in 2004 for a cool $6.85 million, according to another article in the Observer. That was before he and his now-wife got married, so, conceivably, this was his final bachelor pad, likely one with a heck of a view. The 8,000-square foot apartment is comprised of 5,000 indoor square feet and 3,000 square feet of terrace space. Talk about living the city dream.

The celebs officially tied the knot there in an intimate ceremony in April 2008, according to People magazine. Lest you think the ceremony was informal, the apartment was decorated with 70,000 dendrobium orchids that Beyoncé and Jay-Z flew in from Thailand. That's the definition of extra.

Having a swanky New York City pad isn't going to cut it on its own for Beyoncé and Jay-Z. To that end, the couple has quite a diverse real estate portfolio, including a mansion in Bel-Air that's the stuff of dreams. They purchased the estate in 2017, according to W magazine, for approximately $90 million. Among the amenities, it boasts a helipad, four pools (really!), a tennis court, wellness facilities and a spa, and an entire complex for entertainment, according to another article in W magazine. That's some serious opulence right there.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the Carters' Los Angeles digs was developed by Dean McKillen, who is the son of Paddy McKillen, an Irish property investor who also happens to be a billionaire. Plus, in addition to the other amenities, the 30,000-square foot, six-structure compound has a basketball court, a 15-car garage, and separate staff residences. And just to be sure, the glass in the external doors and windows is bullet-proof. You never know, right?

Music's first couple couldn't possibly be content with only one home in New York. To that end, they picked up a second Empire State residence not long after acquiring their Bel-Air abode, and this one is the epitome of deluxe. According to Behind the Hedges, the Carters plunked down $26 million on a waterfront residence in East Hampton (Of course, it's in The Hamptons — where else do wealthy NYCers spend their summers?). That's significantly less than Beyoncé and Jay-Z's Cali pad, but still!

Known as the Pond House, the 12,000-square foot mansion sits on two acres of lush greenery adjacent to Georgica Pond. Inside, the estate boasts seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, hand-carved marble tubs that are heated, white oak paneling, and parquet de Versailles floors that were hand-pegged, according to Zillow. Outside there's an infinity pool and an grilling area for those warm summer evenings.

To top it all off, there's a 1,800-square foot guesthouse with all of the fixings, in case seven bedrooms just wasn't cutting it. Like we said, it's deluxe.

New York City? Check. Los Angeles? Check. East Hampton? Check. But those aren't the only cities that the Carters can call home, as both Curbed and Zillow reported that Beyoncé and Jay-Z likely purchased a stunning residence in the Big Easy in 2015. Specifically, it looks like they are the proud owners of a $2.6 million home in the Garden District that used to be both a Presbyterian Church and a ballet school. Talk about a unique diamond in the rough!

At 13,292 square feet, the NOLA estate is a sprawling beauty, with soaring 26-foot ceilings — so there's plenty of light-filled space in every room. Plus it has elegant touches throughout, including floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in the library, polished hardwood floors, and a master suite worthy of royalty, claw foot bathtub included. There's even a large roof-top garden with city views, so farm-to-table dinners could easily be a reality. 

Given that Beyoncé's sister, Solange, co-owns a shop in the French Quarter, perhaps that's where they stay when they visit her.

Just as Beyoncé Knowles and Shawn Carter have a fabulous collection of homes, so too do they have an equally enviable collection of automobiles, according to the Fabulous Life special on Beyoncé and Jay-Z. For one, Queen Bey's vehicle of choice is a black Mercedes van that reportedly cost $1 million with a full bathroom inside. It's also equipped with a $150,000 sound system and is upholstered with "cream-colored Italian leather." If she's not feeling like piloting the mom van for the day, she can always jump behind the wheel of her $500,000 Mercedes McLaren SLR —  that's a super swanky sports car.

But it's Jay-Z who's especially well-known for his car collection, which includes a $107,000 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, a Ferrari F430 worth up to $275,000, and a Pagani Zonda F reportedly worth $2.5 million, to name a few. Could you imagine what it's like to drive those?

Not to be outdone by her parents, daughter Blue Ivy also has some custom-made vehicles to bumble around in, like a mini-Bugatti and a mini-Ferrari. Think she'll share them with Sir and Rumi now that she's no longer an only child?

What's the best part of childhood for most regular American kids? Why, birthdays, of course! Is there anything better than having cake, balloons, and presents, and maybe the company of best friends? We don't think so. But remember, Beyoncé and Jay-Z's kids are anything but regular, and the birthday presents they give show it — you know how the Carters like to go all out!

For example, the total bill for Blue Ivy's first birthday (princess-themed, natch) was $200,000, according to the Carters' Fabulous Life special. That included costumes, oodles of pink and white flowers, toys, and, of course, gifts for the princess. Then, on her second birthday, mom and dad rented out an entire amusement park so she could explore it without interruption, according to Hello! magazine. Blue Ivy was treated to her very own ice sculpture on her third birthday, according to Bey's Instagram. What a lucky girl!

It's not just the kids who get lavish gifts for birthdays and holidays at Chez Carter either, as Beyoncé and Jay-Z have been rumored to spoil each other on special occasions as well. It's only fair, given that they have tons of money to spend, and what better way to spend it than on each other?

But arguably the most luxurious, over-the-top, and billionaire-appropriate gift they ever exchanged was the private jet Bey gifted Jay for Father's Day. According to Architectural Digest, the plane is a thing of beauty and was very expensive — the Bombardier Challenger 850 Learjet comes with a price tag of $40 million. Happy Father's Day, indeed!

The personal jet can seat up to 15 passengers, so the kids can each bring a friend with plenty of room left over. Additionally, there's a kitchen, two bathrooms, a bedroom, and a living room on board. It doesn't sound like Blue Ivy, Rumi, and Sir will ever have to suffer the purgatory that is coach class a day in their lives, huh?

It's only natural that Jay-Z would be a bling aficionado. After all, you don't drop a song like "Big Pimpin'" without a well-curated collection of in-your-face jewelry in your arsenal, which, of course, he has, according to the couple's VH1 Fabulous Life special. Among some of the most stand-out pieces are his $14,000 gold, onyx, and peridot encrusted ring from Cartier; a $30,000 Rolex watch; and his 11-pound, solid gold chain-link necklace — one of the heaviest of its kind in the world — that's worth a whopping $250,000. But those pale in comparison to his Richard Mille Tourbillon watch that reportedly costs an estimated $500,000. Hey, go big or go home, right? 

But the rapper doesn't have the monopoly on bling in the family. For example, Queen Bey wore a dress covered in $10 million worth of diamonds to the 2014 Grammy Awards, according to Us Weekly. Plus famed jewelry designer to the stars Lorraine Schwartz calls the singer her muse on Instagram, and Beyoncé wears blinged-out pieces on the reg. It doesn't get any more glitzy than that!

Of course, no expense is to be spared when it comes to clothing and accessories for Beyoncé and Jay-Z. You don't earn the moniker of music's first family without some seriously impressive style game, as well as the confidence to wear attire and accouterments fit for a king and queen. 

There's the endless swag that was Beychella. There's the shimmering costumes of the On the Run Tour II. And if you really want to go down the rabbit hole of Bey's fresh-off-the-runway looks, you're in luck: There's an entire Instagram account that posts the details of everything she wears, often with the costs of her designer outfits and accessories when they're known. Breaking news: They're not cheap.

But don't leave Jay-Z out of it, as GQ proclaimed that his style has been better than ever, regularly suiting up in offerings from Givenchy, Tom Ford, and Dries Van Noten. So you know he's only wearing the finest in menswear.

If you could give birth anywhere in the world, where would you go? Chances are you'd pick the place that Beyoncé Knowles selected to bring Blue Ivy into the world: Lenox Hill Hospital, according to the New York Daily News. Located on the Upper East Side, the hospital has a birthing suite which is the crème de la crème of delivery rooms. Boasting four flat screen televisions, gourmet room service, a kitchenette, and mahogany walls, the entire suite costs approximately $800 per room per night when the singer stayed there. Jay-Z even had his own space, so he wasn't stuck sleeping on a cot like most dads-to-be. Talk about fancy, you guys!

As for how Rumi and Sir came into the world, Beyoncé was candid that it wasn't easy in her Netflix documentary, Homecoming. She had a lot of health struggles, but it's likely that she received only the best care and accommodations.

Just as Blue Ivy came into the world in total luxury, so too has her upbringing been exceedingly lavish, according to Beyoncé and Jay-Z's VH1 Fabulous Life special. It started with the baby swag that Blue Ivy came home to after her birth to the tune of $1.5 million. Yes, you read that right: $1.5 million for a newborn baby!

Among the gifts waiting for Blue Ivy from mom and dad were a $50,000 baby carriage adorned with diamonds, a $15,000 studded highchair from Swarovski, and — get this — a $600,000 solid gold rocking horse. She also got gifts from family friends, such as custom-made sneakers from Ruthie Davis valued at $800, a chest full of children's books from Oprah Winfrey, and a $5,200 crystal-encrusted bathtub from Kelly Rowland. That's one very lucky little lady.

Princess Blue is still getting the royal treatment, as she stunned in an $11,000 dress at the 2016 MTV VMAs, according to E! News. You can bet that Blue's siblings, Sir and Rumi, will enjoy only the finest of treatment as they grow up as well.

If you're lucky enough to party with the Carters, you're in for the experience of a lifetime. That's because they've become famous for the soirées they throw for themselves, for their children, and for their friends.

Take, for example, the 2013 celebration Beyoncé and Jay-Z hosted at Club Rain in Atlanta, commemorating Beyoncé's surprise album and Jay-Z's impressive nine Grammy Award nominations. According to their VH1 Fabulous Life special, tons of celebs were present at the event, which, at the end of the night, cost nearly $100,000. But that's nothing compared to the all-out bash of a listening party that Jay-Z hosted at Club Liv in Miami for his album Watch the Throne. By the time the party ended, Jay-Z's bar tab alone ran him an estimated $250,000. Bottoms up!

Years later, the Carters are still at it, throwing parties for their good friends in Hollywood. For example, in 2018, they commandeered Chateau Marmont to celebrate Mary J. Blige's Oscar nominations for Mudbound, according to Us Weekly. Then in 2019, they booked another Oscar party, this time just a general celebration, according to another article in Us Weekly. Can we get an invite?

It's obvious that the Carters are one seriously busy family, from Beyoncé Knowles' unprecedented 2018 Coachella performance to the two celebs becoming parents to three children. And that's not to mention Jay-Z's busy investing life and Beyoncé and Jay-Z's tour schedule. Phew! You know they need a good break every once in a while. And take a break they do!

Take, for example, their 2011 getaway to Paris, wherein they stayed at Hotel Le Meurice, according to their VH1 Fabulous Life special. And, of course, they booked the penthouse, which comes with a price tag of $20,000 per night. Then, on Queen Bey's 32nd birthday, they chartered a yacht from Spain to Italy, which cost them $350,000, not counting the cost of champagne. Talk about fancy.

In 2018, the Carters showed the world that they still enjoy a good getaway when Queen Bey posted photos from her birthday vacation on her Instagram page. Clearly, these two know how to unwind.