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A Boeing 747-8i. — A Boeing 747-8i, the world's largest private jet model.
Stephen Brashear/Stringer via Getty Images

Cabinet Alberto Pinto is the design firm behind the interior of one of the world's largest private jets.
Owned by a Middle Eastern businessman, this BBJ 747-8i likely costs hundreds of millions of dollars.
Designing and implementing the interior of the ultra-luxurious Boeing jet took the firm four years to finish.

The 747-8i Boeing Business Jet, which is a VIP-configured variant of the civilian jumbo plane, is the world's largest private aircraft in active operation.

The dual-level jumbo takes private flying to the next level as a flying palace capable of traversing time zones in the absolute pinnacle of luxury air travel.

Marketed to governments and the world's elite, these giant jumbo planes cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

For example, the US government paid about $325 million each for its two specially modified presidential Boeing 747-200B aircraft, more commonly known as Air Force One.

Famed French interior design firm Cabinet Alberto Pinto was tasked with creating the interior of one multi-million BBJ 747-8i, which was purchased for private use by a Middle Eastern businessman. The list price of the -8i model went for about $400 million, according to the Business Jet Traveler, but the sale cost was undisclosed.

Take a look inside the flying mansion.

While owning any private jet is an indicator of wealth, the 747-8i BBJ is an unmistakable status symbol typically reserved for use by the world's governments and a handful of the highest level of the elite.

The aircraft has seen success in the Middle East with countries including Qatar, Kuwait, Turkey, and the UAE using the 747-8i for executive transport for their respective heads of state.

State of Kuwait 747. — Brendan Swalovski/AFP/Getty Images

However, one 747-8i struggled to find a home and was subsequently scrapped at Arizona's aircraft graveyard in 2022.

Exterior shot of Boeing 747-8, which has reportedly been dismantled — The 747-8i, which couldn't sell even though it only had 30 hours of flight time and its $95 list price was a fifth of the cost of a new 747-8i BBJ at the time.
dreamcatcher-68/Flickr

Source: Insider, AIN Online

The Boeing 747-8 was initially planned to be a private aircraft by a Saudi prince, but it sat dormant in Switzerland for 10 years after the prince's unexpected death in 2011.

Qatar Amiri Flight Boeing 747-8 BBJ. — An Qatar Amiri Flight Boeing 747-8 BBJ (not the prince's).
Jetlinerimages/Getty Images

Royals and heads of state are not the only ones lucky enough to use an -8i BBJ, with one rich Middle Eastern businessman asking Cabinet Alberto Pinto to create a lavish interior for his mammoth private jet.

BOEING 747-8i BBJ — The 747-8i plane stretches over 250 feet from nose to tail and has two levels, with a passenger capacity for over 400 in an airline configuration.
Cabinet Alberto Pinto

Source: Boeing

And, the plane is the height of luxury — it's hard to tell that you're onboard an airliner and not inside a palatial estate.

The aircraft's interior is divided into ornate suites, staterooms, lounges, dining rooms, passenger seating areas, and bathrooms, a home away from home for a wealthy road warrior.

The master bedroom is found in the nose of the aircraft, located directly under the cockpit. Situated at the very front of the fuselage, the nose is the most private section of the aircraft and quietest since it's away from the engines.

The bedroom features a normal-size bed with the sidewalls lined with counter space with drawers for storage underneath.

The nose of the aircraft is often reserved for the first-class cabin with seats 1A and 1B being the most sought after. On this 747, those seats take the form of a two-person loveseat.

The suite features minor touches such as personal reading lamps, bedside tables, and walled cupholders for when turbulence hits. Lights throughout the aircraft can also be controlled by small touchscreens embedded in various surfaces.

The master bathroom features a walk-in shower as well as a single vanity complete with a full mirror and sink.

Ideal for long-haul flights, the shower allows the aircraft's owner to fly across the world and still be able to head straight from the plane to meetings. Very few commercial aircraft feature a shower, with the amenity being a key marketing point for Boeing and Airbus' private jets.

According to designer Yves Pickardt in an interview with Altitudes Magazine, the idea was to give the aircraft a "soft modern style."

Source: Altitudes Magazine

Pickardt was given "carte blanche" by the owner, who wasn't interested in gaudy materials and preferred a simple style more like a family home.

Source: Altitudes Magazine

"[The owner] wasn't looking for anything outrageously luxurious, with gold and diamonds," said Pickardt in the interview. "On the contrary, he called for some simplicity, which in the end is indeed the true luxury."

Source: Altitudes Magazine

The entire process, from design to implementation, took four years to complete, with the aircraft being serviced at AMAC Aerospace in Basel, Switzerland. Pickardt reports that the project was completed on time and under budget.

Source: Galarie Magazine

Moving back in the aircraft, another guest bedroom can be found on the jumbo jet with no shortage of space thanks to its long and wide fuselage designed for airlines to carry as many passengers as possible.

Even the smaller bedrooms have their own perfectly appointed bathrooms with full vanities.

The main foyer of the aircraft divides the master bedroom from the rest of the aircraft and is home to the staircase leading to the upper deck.

Inside the 747's iconic hump on this BBJ is a living room complete with bookshelves and a high-definition flat-screen television. Behind the space is a children's play area and crew quarters, with the -8i featuring the largest upper deck of any 747.

Source: Galarie Magazine

Directly ahead of the lounging space is the business end of the 747, the cockpit.

Boeing 747-8i Cockpit — The cockpit of a Boeing 747-8i.
Fasttailwind / Shutterstock.com

Back downstairs, couches also line the sidewalls of the aircraft offering additional seating capacity for extra passengers whether it be support staff, security details, etc.

Private office spaces and dining areas complemented by recliner leather chairs and entertainment systems can be found in pockets throughout the cavernous aircraft.

The centerpiece of the jet is the salon on the main floor with three couches, a coffee table, and vaulted ceilings.

The space is ideal for hosting meetings, working, having after-dinner drinks or just relaxing on a long-haul flight.

Opposite the seating area is a circular table ideal for dining or even a game of high-stakes poker.

Each leather seat is also adjustable via electronic switches embedded in the armrests of each chair.

The aircraft even has a smaller seating section for additional passengers or staff complete with tables and large in-flight entertainment systems. According to Pinto, the owner has a large family that flies extensively.

With a range of around 7,700 nautical miles, the BBJ 747-8i can cover long distances with ease and service city pairs, including New York-Hong Kong, Cape Town-Chicago, and Los Angeles-Melbourne.

Source: Boeing

The towering aircraft, with all of its features, is the clear flagship of the aircraft portfolio of Cabinet Alberto Pinto — but it's not the only designer to have made VIP 747 interiors.

Competitors like American VIP cabin maker Greenpoint Technologies and Germany-based Lufthansa Technik also created luxe interiors for 747 private planes.