Wealthy Americans living in luxe California mansions and New York penthouses are now snatching up historic homes abroad. Mark Zuckerberg, the billionaire CEO of Meta, just added a 196-year-old gothic castle in Ireland to his growing property portfolio.
Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, recently bought the Strancally castle in Waterford, Ireland: a 19th-century, gothic-style mansion overlooking the River Blackwater in the southeast.
The three-story home was built in 1830 and later extensively renovated in 2003, reportedly featuring 11 main bedrooms, a cut-stone Gothic Revival facade, 16,000 square feet of living, and sprawling green lawns across its 440 acres. While the transaction was not listed on the Irish state property price register, The Irish Times estimates that the billionaire couple’s new home could be worth between €20 million (around $23.3 million) and €30 million (roughly $35 million).
Beyond luxury and historic appeal, there could also be a practical purpose behind Zuckerberg’s purchase. Meta’s international headquarters are nestled in Dublin, Ireland, about 125 miles from Strancally castle. The family won’t reside in The Emerald Isle full-time, but the estate will serve as a European home-base for the highly influential family. The Waterford City and County Council also emphasized the area’s rugged coastlines and picturesque towns when asked about the billionaire’s castle purchase.
