Philanthropists are known for raising and donating money to charitable causes. The title “philanthropist” automatically clues the world in on your giving, good-hearted ways. By this standard, it's of little surprise that billionaire philanthropist Elena Franchuk has recently bore the brunt of verbal lashings for her $160-million USD (80 million pounds) Victorian Villa purchase in south west London, England.

Most of Elena's goodwill was aimed at the prevention and treatment of the HIV/AIDS virus. Since purchasing the Victorian Villa, Elena continues to serve as a charitable donor for the cause.

The home is a completely refurbished former girl's prep school (until 1997), so when it comes to sheer size, the Victorian Villa is gigantic. It stands five-stories and contains 10 very large bedrooms. In order to complete the transformation from prep school to billionaire-worthy mansion, over $20-million was spent, upgrading bathrooms, kitchens, and installing many new features like an underground swimming pool, movie theater, and even a panic room in case the worst happens.

Elena, a personal friend of Sir Elton John, crushed the previous UK record of 67-million (pounds) with her recent purchase. The estate features many bells and whistles as you take a tour through the five floors. Apart from the 10 bedrooms, you will also find features like a full gym, sauna, a large gourmet kitchen, and other unique features yet to be named - but rumored to be a “first.” From the outside, the home doesn't look overly spectacular. It's the proverbial Victorian Era English home - only much larger - with a white, grey and black exterior, plenty of windows, and steep, sloping rooftops.

The inside of the house is another story entirely. Even when the former Chinese owners had the Victorian Villa in 1997, right after it made its transformation from preparatory school to luxury villa, the inside of the residence was utterly breathtaking, featuring marble, hardwood, brass and gold, and priceless artwork and Old World furnishings. The installation of the underground swimming pool is one of the home's main upgrades, and it occupies an entire floor's worth of space, featuring changing rooms, bathrooms, lighted floors and ceilings, and pricy white marble pillars.

This Victorian Villa easily makes the list of the world's most expensive properties. Its lavish interior and humble exterior is a unique blend that works to give the house a warm and inviting appeal. Upper Phillimore Gardens, Kensington boasts many upscale estates that the well-to-do flock to in droves, but this Victorian Villa shatters them all with elegance, space, and price. It's unclear as of yet when Elena will finally move into her house, as the construction on certain aspects is still underway, but when she does, she'll officially have the title of owning the UK's most expensive home.