SIT-DOWN: David Siegel and his wife, Jackie, in their 90,000-square-foot mansion in Orlando, Fla. (above): an aerial view of the spread.
SIT-DOWN: David Siegel and his wife, Jackie, in their 90,000-square-foot mansion in Orlando, Fla. Inset: an aerial view of the spread. (
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The last time we saw Jackie Siegel and her husband, David — at the end of last summer’s critically acclaimed documentary “Queen of Versailles” — they appeared headed for financial ruin.
After setting out to build the biggest house in America — modeled after the French palace of Versailles — the billionaire Siegels were hit by the recession.
Halfway through construction of the 90,000-square-foot house in Orlando, Fla., David’s time-share business took a hit — causing the couple to stop construction on the house and put it on the market for $75 million.
But David’s business has improved of late, construction has begun anew and Bravo will revisit “Queen of Versailles” by airing the documentary April 29.
And, a year after the less-than-flattering peek into their lives, the Siegels are back to living large. “I never see a bill. My husband gives me credit cards and I think they’re like magic, they just keep working,” Jackie says.
Earlier this year, they resumed construction on Versailles — with a new layout. Instead of sandboxes and playrooms, there are man caves and yoga studios for their now-older children. There are also three pools, three hot tubs, two bowling alleys, two game rooms, a disco, a roller rink, 30-car underground carport, a wine cellar and two movie theaters. And while Jackie’s 12-year-old son, Daniel, speeds around a racetrack at 80 miles per hour in his $7,000 go-kart, his mom says she’ll give him the equipment he needs: a mechanic, a trainer and a coach. “I’ve heard that it’s a rich man’s sport,” Siegel says.
And, not surprisingly, she also wants to become a reality star. “I don’t have time to watch a lot of TV but I probably need to start educating myself on the ‘Housewives’ and what’s out there,” she says. Some of her children are less enthusiastic about their new fame.
When she shows up at school in their Bentley, her kids walk around the corner so their friends won’t see her.
Although she is reveling in the attention now, Jackie, 47, says she didn’t realize that “Queen’s” director, Lauren Greenfield, was making a film when she moved in with the family. “I thought it was going to be an episode on, like, a home makeover show,” she says. Her husband hated the film and sued Greenfield, saying he was also unaware she was making a movie. The case will go to arbitration in California. And Siegel has added another lawsuit against her asking for $5 million in damages.
The Siegels may be back on top now, but what if they lost it all?
“We would still be a happy family if all of the money went away,” Jackie says.