California

Subterms

    More stories

    • 188 Shares179 Views

      in Luxury

      Facebook’s Former CFO Drops a Record $52 Million for a Mansion on Malibu’s Point Dume

      by

      Three years ago, after many years of living in California‘s Silicon Valley, Gideon Yu traded his Atherton mansion for the bright lights of Los Angeles. The veteran technology executive and his longtime wife Susie dropped $9.5 million on a large house in the suburban neighborhood of Sherman Oaks, where the couple has quietly resided ever since.

      But with the heat of summer approaching, the Yus have done what countless other wealthy L.A. families before them already did—they’ve bought an expensive vacation home in the seaside town of Malibu. Records indicate the Yus were the buyers who recently shelled out $52 million—in cash—for a blufftop estate on Malibu’s Point Dume.

      Never on the market, the $52 million house recently underwent a major contemporary remodel.

      Google Earth

      That sale price ranks as the most ever paid for a single-family house on Point Dume, a neighborhood known for its many famous faces. Current residents include Bob Dylan, Sean Penn, Chris Martin, Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson; also in the area are high-profile businesspeople and political figures—Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Jordan’s King Abdullah, billionaire hedge fund manager Chase Coleman and Jeff Bezos, who rents a compound owned by Kenny G.

      Because Yu’s new house was never on the market, photos are scant and current details few. But the 0.76-acre property last sold in summer 2020 for $22 million to Stuart and Stephanie Liner, the married real estate developers who have bought and flipped dozens of other luxury estates in the Los Angeles area.

      At the time of the Liners’ acquisition, the blufftop compound was an extravagant fixer, supremely well-located but saddled with dated interiors and amenities. The couple subsequently embarked on a multi-year, multimillion-dollar remodel that transformed the 1980s modern-style structure into a chicly contemporary home that happens to feature unobstructed ocean views.

      The house sits behind gates and a full-size, lighted tennis court.

      James McClain

      Robb Report is not sure if these figures are still accurate, but tax records say the house offers five bedrooms and seven bathrooms in about 6,000 square feet of living space. There’s also a full-size tennis court and a backyard swimming pool overlooking the Malibu coastline. Naturally, the residence also transferred with a coveted key to Little Dume Beach, the semi-private and difficult-to-access beach that lies just below the cliffs of Point Dume.

      The clifftop property happens to sit right next door to Johnny Carson’s former compound, which was sold in 2019 for $40 million to billionaire Juul investor Riaz Valani. The previous Point Dume sales record was held by another blufftop mansion that transferred for $49 million in early 2022.

      Yu, 52, has held multiple high-level tech executive positions over his career, including at both Yahoo and YouTube. However, he’s perhaps best-known for serving as CFO of Facebook from July 2007 until March 2009. Despite Yu’s relatively short stint as CFO, unconfirmed reports say he may have left the social media giant with as much as $500 million in stock.

      Today, Yu is a private investor and a member of the ownership group that controls the San Francisco 49ers football team. In 2012, he became the first president of color in NFL history. More

    • 175 Shares189 Views

      in Luxury

      A Baby Formula Billionaire Just Dropped $27 Million on This Massive Beverly Hills Estate

      by

      In a prime pocket of Beverly Hills, just a literal stone’s throw from the longtime 90210 estate of Taylor Swift, this grand Spanish-meets-Mediterranean-influenced house was on the market for nearly a year, originally listed with an asking price of $33 million. The exceedingly lavish spread just sold for nearly $27 million—or $26.8 million, to be exact. Despite the discount, the deal still ranks among the priciest real estate transfers recorded in Los Angeles so far this year.

      Records indicate the all-cash buyer is an entity tied to billionaire “Roger” Hua Liu, the vice chairman and CFO of Feihe International Inc. Headquartered in Beijing, Feihe is the largest and most famous supplier of infant formula milk in China, with approximately 20% of the country’s market share. Per Forbes, Liu’s personal net worth tops $1.4 billion.

      The 15,000-square-foot house was completed in 2000 and lies just a short walk from Taylor Swift’s home.

      Google Earth

      According to records, the sizable 90210 property last sold back in 2011 for $17.5 million. The buyer then was Russian oligarch Sergey Sarkisov, who amassed a fortune in Russia’s insurance industry and later dabbled in film production.

      If Sarkisov’s name sounds familiar, it’s probably because he also owned the smaller tennis court estate next door to this $27 million compound. Sarkisov’s smaller “spare” property was sold last year for $15 million, and the buyer was prominent Hollywood actress Mindy Kaling, who reportedly intends to radically redesign and refurbish the house.

      Set high above the street, the giant house is mostly obscured from public view by a sea of trees and hedges.

      Google Earth

      As for Liu’s larger house next door, photos are scant and details remain sparse. But tax records confirm the mansion was built circa 2000 and is sited on a knoll-top lot of nearly 1.5 acres. Spanning more than 15,000 square feet of living space, the house is large even for this affluent neighborhood, and includes some 10 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms. Despite its size, the place is mostly invisible from the public roadway out front, carefully cloaked behind big gates, a very long driveway, and a forest-like canopy of mature trees and other shrubbery.

      In addition to the main house, there’s a backyard swimming pool and a full-size tennis court on the south side of the There’s also a detached guesthouse or staff building of some sort on the premises, which itself stands some two or even three stories tall. In addition to garaging for four cars, the property features off-street parking for up to 15 more vehicles. The entire property is ringed by a collection of specimen trees, and there are also rose gardens and several patches of grassy lawn. More

    • 163 Shares169 Views

      in Luxury

      Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger Just Tore Down This Stunning Midcentury Modern Home

      by

      Last year, preservation-minded fans of midcentury modern architecture were devastated when another one of L.A.’s historic gems was surreptitiously demolished with little warning. Located on one of Brentwood’s most prestigious streets, the so-called Zimmerman House by modernist architect Craig Ellwood was razed in a matter of days. In its place, a new and much larger mansion is currently rising.

      According to the USModernist nonprofit, the Zimmerman house was commissioned in 1949 by Martin and Eva Zimmerman, and completed in 1950. Once featured in Progressive Architecture magazine, the 0.83-acre estate featured gardens and mature trees carefully placed by esteemed landscape designer Garrett Eckbo. Inside, the blocky modernist structure offered five bedrooms and three bathrooms in 2,770 square feet of single-story living space.

      Completed in 1950, the Zimmerman House was one of pioneering modernist architect Craig Ellwood’s earliest projects.

      Julius Schulman/The J. Paul Getty Trust/Getty Research Institute

      The house changed hands in 1968 and again in 1975, when it sold for the paltry sum of $205,000 to Sam and Hilda Rolfe, he the co-creator of the classic 1960s spy series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and the CBS series Have Gun — Will Travel. Sam Rolfe died in 1993, but his widow Hilda continued to own and reside at the property until her own death nearly 30 years later.

      Although the Zimmerman house was never listed on the open market, the property was quietly sold last January, just months after Hilda’s death, for $12.5 million. The off-market buyers were Hollywood actor Chris Pratt and author Katherine Schwarzenegger, who wasted little time in demolishing the midcentury structure to make way for their own new Brentwood dream home—which is currently still in the early stages of construction.

      After buying the property for $12.5 million, Pratt and Schwarzenegger quickly razed the house.

      Google Earth

      Permit records indicate the upcoming new house, which stands two stories tall and includes a full basement, was designed by prolific L.A. architect Ken Ungar, perhaps one of the Westside’s most prolific and successful designers of large modern farmhouse-style mansions.

      The property will also contain a backyard swimming pool, plus a pool house or poolside cabana of some sort. No word about whether it will feature a full-size tennis court, however, as the original Zimmerman property did.

      The Zimmerman House (right) sits almost directly across the street from two Brentwood homes owned by Maria Shriver.

      Google Earth

      It’s probably little wonder that Pratt and Schwarzenegger selected the Zimmerman house as the lot they wanted, because the tree-shaded property happens to sit almost directly across the street from a two-house compound owned by Schwarzenegger’s mother Maria Shriver. Other nearby neighbors include Arianna Huffington and Sofia Richie.

      While they wait for their new Brentwood digs to be completed, Pratt and Schwarzenegger continue to own their “old” house, a heavily renovated mansion in the hills of Pacific Palisades. The contemporary Mediterranean-style manor, given an extensive refresh during the couple’s tenure, remains on the open market, asking $30 million. More

    • 138 Shares99 Views

      in Luxury

      Justin Bieber Quietly Spent $16 Million on a California Desert Retreat

      by

      Although records reveal the transaction was actually inked last year, it’s only now become public knowledge that it was Justin Bieber and his wife, prominent model and socialite Hailey Rhode Bieber, were the buyers who shelled out $16.6 million for an extravagant estate behind the guarded gates of The Madison Club, arguably the most celebrity-beloved enclave in California‘s desert resort-themed Coachella Valley.

      Sited on one of the most desirable streets in the community, Bieber’s west-facing new vacation home is surrounded by homes containing other very famous faces. Directly next door is an ultra-contemporary mansion owned by Kris Jenner, and just two doors away is an even larger house that was custom-built for Kylie Jenner. Other high-profile Madison Club residents include Tim Cook, Adele, Kourtney Kardashian, Scooter Braun and Nike’s Phil Knight. With HOA dues of $1,652 per month, residents have full access to the golf community’s exclusive amenities—a clubhouse, five-star dining, spa facilities, a Tom Fazio-designed golf course, and much more.

      Originally constructed in the late 2000s, the French-influenced mansion was given a multimillion-dollar contemporary remodel in recent years.

      Google Earth

      Built in 2009, the house last sold in April 2019 for $6.3 million to Beverly Hills-based investor Alon Abady, who very lucratively flipped the place to Bieber just four years later for well over double what he had paid.

      Because the house was never listed on the open market, details are scant and photos few. But it’s clear from aerial views that Abady gave the originally French-influenced manor a glossy, contemporary renovation during his four years of ownership. Perhaps most notably, he replaced the original outdoor swimming pool with a giant, practically Olympic-length infinity pool that runs nearly the the entire width of the backyard. There’s also a sports court, AstroTurf lawns, a backyard fire-pit, a detached guesthouse, a four-car garage and two separate motorcourts with parking for well over a dozen cars.

      Perhaps the property’s most striking amenity is the backyard infinity pool, which frames views of the San Jacinto Mountains.

      Google Earth

      According to tax records, the sprawling single-story residence encompasses seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms in nearly 10,000 square feet of living space. The 1.02-acre lot is gated and hedged for privacy, naturally, and features a driveway flanked by mature Italian cypresses.

      Bieber continues to maintain his primary residence, a $25.8 million mansion in the mountains high above Beverly Hills, in the guard-gated Beverly Park community. Now 30, the former teen pop phenom sold the rights to his pre-2022 music last year for a reported $200 million. More

    • 150 Shares119 Views

      in Luxury

      Former Talk Show Host Jenny Jones Sells $8 Million Beverly Hills Mansion

      by

      Three years ago, Jenny Jones—who long lived in L.A.’s exclusive Mulholland Estates community—bought a $3.7 million house in the far-flung L.A. suburb of Westlake Village, within the posh Sherwood Country Club guard-gated enclave. The house, which sits on a particularly pretty 0.67-acre lot with views of golf greens and the surrounding hills, offers four bedrooms and 4.5 baths in nearly 5,000 square feet of luxe living space. So it’s not entirely surprising that records reveal Jones has now sold her old L.A. house, in an $8 million deal inked last month.

      Though she may no longer sport a high-profile name recognizable to most young people, Jenny Jones was a talk show titan of her day, right up there with veterans that included Geraldo Rivera, Phil Donahue, Leeza Gibbons, Arsenio Hall and Rosie O’Donnell. Originally introduced in 1991, The Jenny Jones Show lasted until 2003, and during its run the series helped usher in a new wave of internet-fueled, more intimate pop culture.

      Jones, now 77 and born in Palestine but raised in Canada, enjoyed 12 lucrative years of TV syndication through her Warner Bros. distributor. In its first two seasons, her show had a traditional, Oprah-style talk show bent, but later seasons moved toward Maury Povitch and Jerry Springer territory with themes that included paternity tests and makeovers for strippers. Unfortunately, The Jenny Jones Show is probably best-remembered today for its part in a 1995 murder; in March, a Michigan man named Scott Amedure and his neighbor Jonathan Schmitz were featured on a taped episode in which Amedure confessed his love to an unsuspecting Schmitz. Three days later, Schmitz shot and killed Amedure. (Though Amedure’s family later sued Jones’ show for $25 million and initially won, the case was ultimately overturned.)

      Located in an exclusive gated community, the 90210 estate was owned by Jones for nearly 20 years.

      As for Jones’s old Mulholland Estates house, the large clapboard-sided, Cape Cod-inspired traditional mansion sits high in the mountains between Beverly Hills and Sherman Oaks. Though the $8 million deal was inked off-market, thus rendering photos and details scant, tax records indicate the 7,600-square-foot residence features five bedrooms and seven bathrooms. While the home’s new owners are not famous the ex-Jones property sits right next door to the longtime home of reality TV superstar Kendall Jenner. Other celebrity homeowners in the same neighborhood include Christina Aguilera, Rob Dyrdek, Vanna White and Paris Hilton.

      Built in 1991, Jones acquired the property in 2005 for $6.4 million. Other features and amenities include a lagoon-style pool and spa surrounded by a flagstone patio and white picket fence, a private tennis court and a three-car garage, all of it set on a nearly one-acre lot shaded by mature trees. More

    • 163 Shares169 Views

      in Luxury

      Snapchat’s Billionaire CEO Is Seeking $20 Million for Harrison Ford’s Former L.A. Estate

      by

      In June 1983, less than a month after Star Wars: Return of the Jedi debuted in movie theaters, Harrison Ford paid exactly $1 million for this genteel Los Angeles estate. Originally designed by noted architect Gerard Colcord, the Brentwood house served as Ford’s home base for nearly 30 years, until he sold it in 2012 for $8.2 million to Kevin Reilly, the former Chief Content Officer of HBO Max.

      Reilly held onto the house for just four years, flipping it in 2016 for $12 million to Evan Spiegel, the billionaire Snapchat CEO who is married to model Miranda Kerr. After about eight years in residence, Spiegel and Kerr recently packed up and moved out of the place—not really such a surprise, considering their new $120 million mega-estate in the nearby Holmby Hills neighborhood is finally nearing completion.

      Now on the market, the house and its 0.8 acres of land are available for just under $20 million. Listing information shows the main mansion, set on a knoll high above the street and just below The Getty Museum, was originally built in 1951 and encompasses 7,164 square feet with four bedrooms, all of them with ensuite bathrooms. There’s an additional poolside guesthouse, plus a detached guesthouse with two additional guest suites. There are a total of seven bathrooms on the property, according to listing information.

      The hillside property features several separate structures, plus a swimming pool and lush gardens.

      Google Earth

      The main house features a two-story foyer with custom wood paneling, a very large formal living room, a wood-paneled formal dining room, and a more intimate library and family room, nearly all of which feature extensive built-in cabinetry and beautiful moldings. There’s also an eat-in, updated kitchen with skylights, marble countertops and top-of-the-line appliances that include a glass-fronted SubZero refrigerator. Additional rooms and amenities are not limited to an office, wine cellar, and four original fireplaces.

      The gated estate has a long and gated driveway that climbs to a circular motorcourt and two-car attached garage, terraced gardens, brick terraces, tree-ringed flat lawns dappled with shade, and several upper-level balconies with treetop city views.

      Ford still splits his time between Brentwood, where he long ago moved on to a larger home in the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood pocket, and Wyoming’s Jackson Hole community, where he’s long owned a stunningly picturesque ranch just south of downtown. More

    • 238 Shares149 Views

      in Luxury

      Christina Aguilera and Liza Minnelli Once Lived in This L.A. Home. Now It Can Be Yours for $8.4 Million.

      by

      With roots in midcentury design and a celebrity pedigree, a newly listed home in Hollywood Hills is about as L.A. as it gets.  

      Nestled above the Sunset Strip, a modernist gem originally designed by late architect Harry Gesner has reemerged on the market for a cool $8.4 million with Levik Stephan and Anita Stephan with Hilton & Hyland. According to public records, the circa-1960s property has been on and off the market for roughly two-and-a-half years, initially at almost $10 million. Gesner, who died in 2022 at the age of 97, was commissioned to build the abode in 1960 by film producer-director Jack Haley Jr., who went on to marry actress and entertainer Liza Minnelli in 1974. The couple lived together at the house up until their divorce in 1979. 

      The dining room has sweeping city and ocean views.

      Noel Kleinman

      Almost 25 years later, in 2003, pop star Christina Aguilera shelled out $5 million for the digs. During her residency, the singer tapped designer and developer Steve Hermann to remodel the glass-walled spread before she eventually handed the keys over in 2011 to the current owner and seller, Beautyblender president and former Shiseido executive Carsten Fischer. Altogether, the dwelling comprises four bedrooms, five-and-a-half bathrooms, and 6,500 square feet of living space.

      Tucked behind a geometric gate and entered via an angled, slat-wood door, the home is full of architectural details, including warm walnut floors, exposed-beam ceilings, marble, and stone. in addition to the huge walls of glass, there are numerous skylights and clerestory windows galore that let in tons of natural light. Plus, you’ll have some pretty epic views of the ocean and the city, too. 

      The family room features a sunken conversation pit with a custom sofa.

      Noel Kleinman

      Some of the standout spaces include the sleek family room, complete with a sunken conversation pit with bespoke seating and a steel-faced fireplace. Nearby, the chef’s kitchen is decked out with a center island, top-of-the-line appliances, and a breakfast nook. The primary suite was designed for pampering. Measuring a whopping 1,200 square feet, the plush retreat sports two fireplaces, a sitting area, a walk-in closet, and an ensuite bathroom clad in marble. Here, you’ll find a freestanding soaking tub, a glass-enclosed shower, and, oddly enough, a three-sided aquarium.  

      The primary suite opens up to the backyard pool.

      Noel Kleinman

      The aerie abode is chock full of even more swanky perks like a discreet lower level that holds a temperature-controlled wine cellar with a wet bar as well as an 18-person screening room with plush built-in seating. Outside, the backyard is kitted out with a large swimming pool accented with azure tiles, a lagoon-style spa, a barbecue area, and an outdoor fireplace. An expansive deck serves as both an entertainment space and observation outlook so you can take full advantage of the panoramic vistas.

      Click here to see more photos of Christina Aguilera and Liza Minnelli’s former home.

      Noel Kleinman

      Authors

      Abby Montanez

      Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, entertainment, dining, travel to…

      Read More More

    • 150 Shares129 Views

      in Luxury

      Kesha Is Seeking $6 Million for This Modern Compound on L.A.’s Westside

      by

      Four years ago, in the midst of a long-running legal war with powerhouse music producer Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald, Kesha dropped an impressive $5 million on a brand-new home in the increasingly expensive Westside neighborhood of Mar Vista. The veteran singer-songwriter has occupied the bold and unapologetically blocky compound ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, though she’s now apparently ready to seek out new real estate pastures. The Mar Vista estate has popped up on the open market, asking just a hair under $6 million.

      The 37-year-old Tennessee native, who first burst onto the music scene in 2009 and has since sold 134 million records nationwide, remains perhaps best-known for her debut single and mega-hit TiK ToK, though she’s also racked up multiple other top 10 songs (Your Love Is My Drug, We R Who We R, Blow). Last year, she released her fifth studio album Gag Order, which received positive reviews from music critics.

      Built on speculation by a local developer, the nearly 6,000 sq. ft. main house was completed in 2019. Within the slick wood-and-concrete exterior, the house offers chic hardwood floors, neutral decor and a fireplace-equipped living room with high ceilings. There’s also an open kitchen with a massive island, quartz cabinetry and designer appliances, plus an adjacent formal dining area.

      The main house also packs in five bedrooms, and the upstairs master contains a private balcony, spa-style bath with soaking tub and a Rodeo Drive boutique-style dressing room. Naturally, this is also a full-fledged “smart home” with a full range of security cameras, a sophisticated home automation system and and speakers in each room.

      Out back, the landscaping is kept simple with a spacious grassy lawn, slick concrete pavers for outdoor entertaining, and a vast swimmer’s pool with inset spa. But perhaps the best recreational feature is the two-story detached guesthouse, which contains another two bedrooms, two baths and also functions as an open-air movie theater—a projector that projects onto the side of the guesthouse, so guests can watch a movie from the backyard.

      It’s not particularly surprising that Kesha would have opted to buy in Mar Vista; she’s got a documented fondness for this particular area of Los Angeles. Back in 2014, she picked up a small bungalow in the trendy nearby neighborhood of Venice, Calif., though she sold ultimately sold that $1.7 million place after barely a year of ownership. And in 2016, she sold a $1.4 million mini-compound in Nashville, Tenn. to a non-famous buyer. More