the expensive book in the world :Leonardo da Vinci’s “Codex Leicester”

$30.8 million

 

The Codex is comprised of a collection of Leonardo da Vinci’s scientific writings and drawings and is arguably the most famous of all of da Vinci’s scientific journals. This most important of scientific and cultural treasures was previously owned by a wealthy collector by the name of Armand Hammer (when the Codex was named the Codex Hammer). However, in 1994, Microsoft founder Bill Gates bought it at a record price when it went to auction (I wonder if someone like more than home insurance would even insure it?), making it the most expensive book/collection in the history of everything, ever, and well out of reach of the post office credit cards and lloyds credit cards of mere mortals. He then renamed it the Codex Leicester (presumably in honor of Thomas Coke, the later Earl of Leicester that purchased the Codex in 1717).