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If you were as rich as Elon Musk or as famous as Kim Kardashian, would you still catch commercial flights? They are just two among many celebrities who travel the skies in style in their own multimillion-dollar private planes. And though many of these celebrities have found themselves in hot water because of the amount of carbon-dioxide emissions jetting around spews into the air, looming climate change isn’t about to stop them from embracing a sky-high life of luxury.
As the owner of Tesla and Twitter, the $70 million private jet that the centibillionaire owns is just a drop in the bucket. Inside Musk’s aircraft, there's room for 19 passengers to relax and enjoy the ride in four living areas. Each handmade, plush seat can also be converted into a bed. As lavish as the jet might be, Musk is going to be upgrading it soon. After laying off 10% of his salaried employees at Tesla, Musk was busy ordering the latest and greatest Gulfstream 6700 — measuring a whopping 57 feet. The interior is, of course, luxurious with a spacious, swanky set up. But Musk's headline-making private jet isn't notorious for how lavish it is. Instead, the controversial businessman found himself at the center of a Twitter account that tracked celebs' usage of their private aircrafts. Despite Musk's promise to promote free speech after he took over Twitter, he decided to suspend the account.
It’s only fitting that the actor who played Maverick in “Top Gun” has an affinity for airplanes and even owns a couple of them. Oh, and did we mention he’s a pilot too? Not only does Cruise own a 1946 World War II fighter P-51 Mustang, which he flew James Corden in during a segment for “The Late Late Show,” but the action star also owns a luxurious Gulfstream IV G4. The $20 million jet can hold up to 19 passengers and Cruise spared no expense on the amenities — the G4 has a movie-screening room and a jacuzzi, because who doesn’t love a good soak above the clouds?
Related: The Best and Worst Tom Cruise Movies
If you ever spot a jet zooming through the sky with a giant “13” on the front of it, take notice: It might be Taylor Swift. The pop star’s $40 million jet showcases her lucky number on the outside, and on the inside, the aircraft has room for 12 passengers. Swift’s jet hasn’t merely provided her a life of luxury though. The singer has recently come under fire for having the worst carbon dioxide jet emissions among celebs who travel around in private aircrafts, according to Yard, a sustainability marketing firm that took data from the aforementioned recently-banned Twitter account that tracked celebrity jet usage to find out just how much carbon dioxide each celeb is responsible for. In Swift’s case, it’s a whopping 8,294 tons of carbon emissions, racked up between 170 flights during the first 200 days of the year. A representative for Swift defended her by explaining that she often lends her jet out.
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Funny man Jim Carrey spent a staggering $59 million on his private jet, which has a reputation as one of the safest and highest performing jets money can buy. Apparently, the jet, which can seat 16 passengers, is so fast that it can achieve speeds about the speed of sound. There are only about 100 Gulfstream Vs in service, making the actor’s aircraft all the more elite.
Tom Cruise isn’t the only actor who has a pilot’s license. John Travolta earned his private pilot’s license at just 22 years old and now owns at least seven private aircraft. The movie star’s private hangar includes a Boeing 727, a Bombardier Challenger 601, a Dassault Falcon 900, an Eclipse 500, and three Gulfstream jets. Travolta’s “airport mansion” has its own airstrip, so he can take off whenever his heart desires.
Remember that endearing smile on your dad’s face when you gifted him that adorable, personalized mug for Father’s Day? We imagine Jay-Z’s grin might have been a bit bigger when Beyoncé gifted him a $40 million private jet for the holiday. The huge aircraft can fit 16 passengers, and it sleeps up to seven. The outside of the jet is customized with “S. Carter” (Jay-Z’s real name is Shawn Carter), but the inside is where things really get lavish. With two bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room complete with a TV, and a king-sized bed with padded walls, it’s obvious that Beyoncé thought of everything to ensure their family can travel comfortably — a sensible gift, indeed.
Dubbed Air Kim, Kim Kardashian’s private jet has a $150 million price tag and comes with an interior that Kardashian customized herself. Debuted on an episode of “The Kardashians,” the star gave viewers a tour of her new sky digs, pointing out the light wood used for the interior, and cashmere covering just about every nook and cranny. The 16-passenger jet features a phone charger at every seat, bathrooms located at the front and back of the plane, and a king-sized bed.
As a brand ambassador for the Brazilian airplane manufacturer Embraer, action-star Jackie Chan received his $20 million jet in 2012. And the “Rush Hour” actor flies in style — each one of the jet’s seats come with heating and massage capabilities and some of them can convert into beds if passengers feel like taking a nap. Plus, Chan’s jet has a fully stocked wet galley and a sleek, stylish bathroom.
When Drake partnered with Cargojet, he received his commercial airliner to commemorate the deal, affectionately naming the plane Air Drake. But the inside of the plane looks anything but commercial since the rapper completely redesigned the interior. The plane comes complete with multiple bedrooms, a living room, an office, and leather reclining seats and couches. Recently, Drake received widespread criticism when the same Musk-banned Twitter account that outed T-Swift for her excessive flying revealed that the rapper continuously uses his plane for short private flights, unnecessarily putting 4 tons of carbon emissions into the air, which he explained was due to moving the aircraft to a storage location with no passengers on board.
Kylie Jenner isn’t exactly known for living modestly, so it’s no surprise that the Kylie Cosmetics owner has her own private jet. The jet has KylieSkin, the name of one of her product lines, written in huge pink letters on the exterior, with matching pink lines across the side of the aircraft. The interior is filled with plush white seats that each have pink Hermes blankets draped over them along with custom pillows and along the walls, Jenner has custom color-changing lighting. Beyond the main cabin, the $72 million plane includes two bathrooms, a galley, a master suite, an entertainment suite, plenty of room for baggage, and even a crew rest area.
As one of the biggest and highest paid movie stars in the world, it’s far from alarming that Dwayne Johnson owns a $53 million private jet. Of course, his particular jet is one of the fastest private planes available, not to mention it has four separate living areas and can seat and sleep up to 10 passengers.
The former president’s private plane hasn’t been flown very much since he first took office, but Trump and his son Eric have recently revealed that the plane has been renovated and will be taking to the sky again this fall. The plane was famously used during Trump’s 2016 campaign rallies and has Trump written on the side in huge letters. With a new paint job, the aircraft now features an American flag on its tail. Inside, there’s a private bedroom, a living room with huge couches, and a dining area.
When you’re as rich and famous as Mark Cuban, you obviously need more than one private jet. The billionaire first purchased a $40 million Gulfstream G550, securing a Guinness World Record for the largest single e-commerce transaction. A year after buying the Gulfstream, Cuban dropped another $30 million, as one does, on a Boeing 757. But the Boeing wasn’t purchased for Cuban’s own personal use, he actually bought it to cart around his basketball team, the Dallas Mavericks. The billionaire also purchased another wide-body Boeing 757, this one meant for renting out to other high-end companies.
Ms. “You get a car!” herself obviously has her own private jet to get her from A-to-B. And her $75 million ride is no slouch, either — as a billionaire talkshow host, it only makes sense that her jet has its own conference room. And the bathroom isn’t your standard aircraft lavatory, it comes complete with a bathtub and shower. It’s estimated that Winfrey spent about $10 million in extra amenities to fly in style.
As one of the loudest celebrities speaking out about the importance of climate change, it’s just a tad contradictory that Bill Gates gets around in a private jet. In his own personal fleet, the billionaire has two Gulfstream G650s, two Bombardier Challenger 350s, a Cessna 208 Seaplane, and a Eurocopter EC 135 chopper — a collection that’s estimated to have cost him about $200 million.
With a slew of cars and a multimillion dollar yacht, it only makes sense that Jeff Bezos has a couple of ways to get around in the sky too. The Amazon founder owns not one but two Gulfstream G650ERs — which cost him $150 million. The jets can seat 13 passengers and are divided into three living areas: a lounge space for the crew, a seating area, and an aft galley. The seats on the plane were crafted by hand and convert into beds for maximum comfort.