Inside Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s $500 Million-Plus Property Portfolio

Nestled on four lush acres in Montecito, the Schmidts’ Mediterranean-style estate is pure Southern California charm. Originally built in 1926 by famed architect George Washington Smith, this Spanish Colonial Revival home features five bedrooms and six bathrooms across nearly 6,000 square feet. The property sports sprawling gardens, winding walking paths, and private meditation spots, plus a guest house, studio, tennis court, and a pool with a pool house complete with a dressing room and outdoor fireplace.

Schmidt bought the home in September 2006 for $20 million from Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, who had purchased it a year earlier and used it as the launchpad for their house-flipping ventures in Montecito. The estate also gained pop-culture fame as the site of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries’s 2011 wedding.

Schmidt owns a sprawling 9,040-square-foot home within Montana’s ultra-private Yellowstone Club, the world’s only fully private ski and golf community. With just 864 members (think Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett), the locale offers 2,700 acres of ski terrain, 18 lifts, and over 100 trails—all without needing a ski pass. Getting in isn’t easy: You’ve got to own a home here, with condos starting around $6 million and hitting $30 million-plus, plus steep initiation and annual fees that keep climbing. Schmidt even hosts a summit at the club every summer.

His sprawling 9,182-square-foot French château–style home in Holmby Hills has serious Hollywood pedigree—it was once owned by the family of legendary actor Gregory Peck. Built back in 1932, it features seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, an elevator, and stunning landscaped grounds with a pool. Schmidt bought it in February 2014 for $23.25 million. The place is steeped in history, having welcomed guests like Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Michael Jackson, and George Clooney.

Schmidt purchased his Rhinebeck estate in early 2016, paying $9.4 million for Astor Courts—a sprawling, 40,000-square-foot Beaux-Arts mansion designed by the famed architect Stanford White in 1902. Originally conceived as a guesthouse and indoor sports pavilion for the Astor family’s legendary Ferncliff estate, the property sits on 50 acres and is considered a Gilded Age architectural gem. Over the years, it has passed through several notable owners, including Robert Duffy, cofounder of Marc Jacobs, and famously served as the venue for Chelsea Clinton’s wedding in 2010.

Once America’s richest family, the Astors built their fortune on fur trading and Manhattan real estate. In the early 20th century, Vincent Astor—who inherited the family’s wealth after his father died on the Titanic—oversaw the Ferncliff estate and added several structures, including the tea house overlooking the Hudson. After Vincent’s death in 1959, the 2,800-acre property was gradually subdivided by his widow.

Since acquiring Astor Courts, Schmidt has overseen an extensive and thoughtful restoration of the property, updating systems with features like geothermal heating while preserving original details. In late 2018, Schmidt expanded his footprint with the $6.75 million purchase of a 55-acre neighboring parcel—once part of the original Ferncliff estate—which includes the historic tea house and a swimming pool. According to The Daily Catch, he plans to bring back a miniature pleasure train, inspired by the original Astor-era railway, to ferry guests around his vast Rhinebeck compound.

Schmidt has been on a serious shopping spree in Miami Beach—quietly snapping up a jaw-dropping $114 million worth of real estate on the city’s ultra-exclusive Sunset Islands, according to the Real Deal. Since 2020, the former Google CEO has picked off at least seven properties, mostly on Sunset Island II, including a pair of waterfront estates he bought one day apart in September 2023 for a combined $63 million.

One belonged to Dacra CEO Craig Robins and Turnberry’s Jackie Soffer and sold for $36 million; the house next door went for $27 million. That’s just the tip of it. Schmidt is also tied to a $17.4 million buy from a Venezuelan oil magnate, a $25.5 million off-market deal brokered by the Jills Zeder Group, and even an $8 million teardown where he got approval to build from scratch.

His name isn’t always on the paperwork, but the legal breadcrumbs all point back to Schmidt—including two more homes on Sunset Island I totaling another $25.3 million. And it’s not just houses: He’s also backing a new five-story office building going up in South Beach.

In May 2021, Schmidt made a major power move in Holmby Hills, dropping $61.5 million on the storied Brooklawn Drive estate long owned by the Hilton family. Architect Paul R. Williams originally designed the 15,000-square-foot mansion, known as the Jay Paley Residence, in the 1930s; the abode later became home to hotel heir Barron Hilton, who lived there until his death in 2019. One of California’s priciest deals that year, the 2.6-acre estate is pure old-Hollywood glam, with 13 bedrooms, ornate moldings, a paneled dining room, and an 80-seat screening room. Out back, the sprawling lawn leads to a Williams-designed showstopper of a pool—lined with hand-painted zodiac tiles—and a tennis court to top it all off.

Just next door, Schmidt added a second property to the compound in December 2021, shelling out another $5.15 million for a sleek, 3,700-square-foot modern home perched above the street. Originally built in 1972 and fully reimagined, the four-bedroom residence features vaulted ceilings, floor-to-ceiling glass, a gourmet kitchen, and tiered landscaping that makes it equally suited for entertaining or quiet retreat. With upgraded security, sweeping terraces, and separate service quarters, the stylish annex could be used for guests, staff, and family—or simply as an extension of Schmidt’s growing Beverly Hills stronghold.

Tucked behind gates in West Hollywood, this 4,000-square-foot contemporary Spanish-style home is one of the quieter additions to Schmidt’s real estate portfolio. Purchased in May 2021 for just over $3.2 million, the five-bedroom, five-bath residence was built in 2014 and designed for laid-back indoor-outdoor living, with a step-down living room that opens directly to a poolside patio, complete with a fire pit, BBQ, and private garden. Inside, there’s a sleek designer kitchen, a formal dining area, and a grand staircase leading to a massive primary suite with its own balcony, spa bath, and walk-in closet. While it’s unclear how Schmidt uses the property, it’s ideally suited for family, staff, or guests needing a stylish Westside base.

Tucked inside the guard-gated Malibu Colony, this beachfront retreat is Schmidt’s sun-drenched slice of coastal paradise. He scored the property in July 2021 for $22.6 million—well below its original $29 million price tag. Originally built in 1969 and updated over the years, the midcentury gem spans nearly 3,500 square feet with three bedrooms, five bathrooms, and breezy indoor-outdoor living throughout. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls frame sweeping views of the Pacific, while a classic tea house extends toward the sandbar for a front-row seat to the surf. Inside, there’s a wood-beamed fireside family room, a crisp all-white kitchen, a formal dining area, and a spiral staircase that leads to an oversized primary suite with its own balcony, spa bath, and cedar-lined closet. A separate guesthouse with a full kitchen sits above the garage, rounding out the place.

In December 2021, Schmidt quietly picked up Enchanted Hill, a storied 120-acre parcel in Beverly Hills, for $64.9 million. The late Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen previously owned the undeveloped property perched above Benedict Canyon, which he bought for $20 million in 1997. Allen demolished the original Wallace Neff–designed Spanish-style mansion—once home to screenwriter Frances Marion and silent film cowboy Fred Thomson—with plans to build a sprawling private compound, a vision that never came to fruition.

After Allen’s death in 2018, the land hit the market with an ambitious $150 million price tag. It was later reduced to $110 million, and for a moment in 2020, it appeared Amazon’s Jeff Bezos would be the buyer at $90 million, though the deal ultimately fell through. Schmidt’s purchase secured one of the largest undeveloped sites in Beverly Hills, with sweeping views and development potential across five contiguous parcels.

In November 2023, the Schmidts paid $15.1 million at auction for one of Georgetown’s most historic residences—the home Jacqueline Kennedy briefly lived in following JFK’s assassination. Known as the Newton B. Baker House, the Federal-style estate dates back to the 1790s and spans three combined buildings with 13 bedrooms and 18 bathrooms across more than 16,000 square feet. Previous owners included Secretary of War Newton D. Baker, Miss America 1951 Yolande Betbeze, and, most recently, developer David Hudgens, who restored and connected the trio of homes.

Tucked behind a portico entry, the grand interiors include secret passageways, a gold-leafed living room, and a second-floor primary suite with its own garden-view balcony. The historic home is now a fitting addition to the Schmidts’ global portfolio growing presence in Washington, D.C.

In April 2025, Schmidt added a Grade II–listed mansion on London’s prestigious Holland Park to his global real estate portfolio, paying nearly £42 million ($56 million) for the stately Victorian Italianate residence. A spokesperson confirmed the purchase at the time, noting, “Eric invests in high-end real estate properties around the world,” The Times reported.

Designed by William and Frances Radford in 1862, the 14,777-square-foot home includes a private garden, a four-car garage with additional off-street parking, and three attached mews houses. Schmidt reportedly plans to rent out the home, tapping into London’s growing super-prime rental market.

Schmidt added another high-profile property to his real estate portfolio with the $24 million purchase of a 5,700-square-foot penthouse on Washington Street in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights in June 2025. The full-floor residence features three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and four powder rooms, along with multiple wraparound terraces offering panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, and city skyline.

Previously owned by retired shipping executive Chris Redlich Jr., the apartment underwent a meticulous, multi-year renovation led by architect Andrew Skurman and designer Suzanne Tucker. The interiors were reimagined with European influences, including a marble foyer inspired by England’s Kedleston Hall, intricate Georgian detailing, and light-filled living spaces throughout. The penthouse was first listed in March 2024 for $35 million before Schmidt acquired it at a significant discount. That same year, Redlich purchased a sprawling 50-acre estate outside Nashville, Tennessee, for $32 million.