By Carolyn Manrique
08 Oct 2023, 09:34 AM EDT
A couple of days ago it was reported that magnate and philanthropist Bill Gates had invested $60 million dollars in a castle located in Liguria, northern Italy, and intended to convert it into a luxury hotel.
However, Gates has denied this information through a spokesperson. “Bill Gates did not buy Villa San Giorgio, the building overlooking the sea in Portofino and nicknamed the ‘Castle,’” the person told the ANSA news agency.
At the time it was said that the purchase of the property had been made through his real estate company, which also has a majority stake in the Four Seasons hotel chain since 2021.
Gates’ recent relationship with the Four Seasons chain is what led many to assume that the castle would become a hotel, which would undoubtedly attract many stars and billionaires.
The same spokesperson clarified: “Portofino Castle is for ‘residential’ use and to change its use requires double authorization, from the Municipality and the Portofino Park Authority.”
It seems that Gates’ work team, known mainly for being the co-founder of Microsoft, has no intention of fighting for the relevant permits for the remodeling of the castle.
The alleged property purchased by the magnate is known as Castello di San Giorgio and Portofino Castle. Originally the place served as a fortress and several years later it was abandoned.
There is little information about the interior of the old fortress. It is known to have an area of 12,917 square feet and is also said to be divided into several separate apartments.
Some media outlets claim that each apartment is currently inhabited and would be forced to leave if Gates’ purchase turned out to be true.
At the time the news was quite convincing because shortly after the purchase of a majority stake in Four Seasons, it was learned that the hotel chain had signed a contract to operate a resort in a 17th century palace in Rome, Italy.
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