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Aspen is the only American ski destination on the list.
- Real estate consultancy Knight Frank's report on global ultra-prime destinations includes four ski destinations.
- Three of those are in the Alps, including St. Moritz, the hidden gem beloved by the 1%.
- Aspen is the only American market represented in the list of ultra-prime real estate markets.
The world's wealthiest people are buying homes in four main ski destinations globally, and they're focused mostly in the Alps. The only exception to the European dominance in this field - and it comes as no major surprise, given its reputation and prices - can be found in Aspen, Colorado.
That's according to a recent Knight Frank report on the global ultra-prime market, which looks at destinations that have seen at least three home sales over $25 million every year for the past three years running.
Those four ski destinations fit into a larger scheme of 17 total ultra-prime destinations, including cities like London, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
While the town is home to a year-round population of only about 7,400, Aspen has for years been recognized as a hot spot for the rich and famous, attracting the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Elton John, and Jack Nicholson.
Media mogul Lachlan Murdoch numbers amongst the high net-worth individuals who have contributed to Aspen's ultra-prime standing; in 2017, he bought a $29 million mansion that includes a horse stable and a 300-bottle wine cellar.
The three European ski destinations can be found in St. Moritz, Courchevel, and Gstaad. The first two, in particular, are familiar names amongst celebrities and business moguls looking to kick back in style on and off the slopes, and both are host to resorts that have historically been listed amongst the most expensive in the world.
St. Moritz is, as Business Insider's Hillary Hoffower previously reported, a Swiss resort "... with world-class skiing, the birthplace of Alpine winter tourism, twice a home to the Winter Olympics, and a hidden gem for the one percent."
Gstaad, meanwhile, also in Switzerland, is home to the winter campus of the world's most expensive school, Switzerland's Institut Le Rosey.