Mark Zuckerberg, wife Priscilla’s Irish castle cost €51 million—And the price is nearly double initial estimate

The €51.17 million purchase of Strancally Castle adds to Zuckerberg's property holdings and provides a family base in Ireland, where Meta maintains its European headquarters.

Meta CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, paid more than €51 million for Strancally Castle in County Waterford, Ireland, in August, according to new property records.

An entry in Ireland’s Residential Property Price Register shows that the sale of the castle, located at Knockanore in County Waterford, was completed on August 17 for €51,171,155, reported RTÉ and The Journal.

The amount is nearly double the €20 million to €30 million estimated price reported when the acquisition first emerged in August. The purchase is also reportedly the highest price paid for a single residential property in Ireland this year.

The three-storey Gothic-style mansion and its 178-hectare (440-acre) estate overlook the River Blackwater. It is understood that Zuckerberg and his family will use the property as a base when he visits Ireland for Meta-related business.

Inside Strancally Castle

Strancally Castle is located near Knockanore, around a 30-minute drive from Youghal in County Cork. The approximately 16,000-square-foot property was built around 1830 for John Keily, a former Conservative MP.

The castle was designed by architects James and George Richard Pain and features a Gothic-style design.

The property was previously owned by Michael Alen Buckley, co-founder of London-based private investment firm RAB Capital, and his wife, Giancarla, whose father was the late hotelier Charles Forte.

The couple acquired the estate around 25 years ago and undertook an extensive restoration of the mansion, according to the reports.

Ireland is home to Meta's European headquarters, making the country an important base for the company's operations in the region.

Zuckerberg, Chan donate €150,000 to local GAA clubs

The castle purchase comes after Zuckerberg and Chan donated a total of €150,000 to three Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) clubs located near the estate in County Waterford.

The clubs — Shamrocks GAA in Knockanore, Tallow GAA in Tallow, and Lismore GAA in Lismore — will each receive €50,000.

The donations will be distributed over two years, with each club receiving €25,000 annually.

Mark Zuckerberg's net worth

Forbes estimates Zuckerberg's fortune at approximately $255.1 billion.

His wealth has fluctuated alongside Meta's share price. In the last week of September, he lost nearly $20 billion over two trading sessions as Meta shares fell following a Goldman Sachs warning about the costs associated with the company's artificial intelligence spending.

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has been investing heavily in AI infrastructure and technology as it competes with other major technology companies in the sector.