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      Rick and Kathy Hilton’s $25 Million Bel Air Mansion Sells to a Chinese Billionaire

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      Way back in 2015, Rick and Kathy Hilton spent $9.3 million to buy a heavily modified 1930s house in L.A.’s prime lower Bel Air neighborhood, one located just a quick jog away from their own main residence. The long-married socialites—he a grandson of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton and the co-founder of the Hilton & Hyland real estate brokerage, she the quirky mother of Paris Hilton and former star of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”—subsequently tore down the existing structure and spent years building an all-new trophy mansion to be sold on speculation.

      That new mansion, a gleaming and all-white affair, merges Old World architecture with modern-day style and state-of-the-art technology. Completed circa 2021 and prominently showcased on “RHOBH,” the house sports glamorous architecture by Hollywood-based firm Harrison Design and sophisticated interior design courtesy of a collaboration between Nicole Gordon Studio and Kathy Hilton herself.

      The former Hilton spec-manor in early 2021, while it was still in the final stages of construction. The exteriors are a white-brick traditional throwback, but the interiors are far more contemporary.

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      The newly-complete estate first hit the market in September 2021, asking a whopping $55 million. Unfortunately, however, things didn’t quite go as planned. The house ended up languishing on the market for more than two years, suffering several big price chops during that time. By early 2023, the asking price had been slashed all the way down to $39.5 million. But by then, L.A.’s controversial new mansion tax and high interest rates had already put a big damper on the market.

      Though it was removed from the market last fall, records now reveal the house quietly sold this week—for just $25 million, a staggering 55% discount off the original list price. The all-cash, bargain-shopping buyer is an entity tied to the family of Song Qinghou, a billionaire Mainland Chinese tycoon who made his $6.1 billion fortune in the beverage industry; in 2012, he was ranked by Forbes as China’s richest man.

      Zong and his family will enjoy bespoke craftsmanship and premium finishes throughout the stately three-story home, which features a white-brick Georgian look outside, plus a total of eight bedrooms and no fewer than 16 bathrooms inside, including 12 full baths and four powder rooms.

      Though it sits quite close to the public street, the house is privately sequestered behind driveway gates and extraordinarily tall hedges.

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      Highlights include an extraordinarily long foyer with grey-and-white checkerboard stone floors, formal living and dining rooms with chevron-pattern hardwood floors, a walnut-paneled library with a black marble fireplace, and a huge kitchen dressed monochromatically in denim blue paint. Upstairs, the primary bedroom is ensconced in its own private wing, complete with dual showroom closets and dual marble-sheathed bathrooms. There’s also a basement-level entertainment space with a wet bar, a wine room and a full catering kitchen.

      While the home’s grounds are actually somewhat compact compared to those of many neighboring estates, they do include grassy lawns, a motorcourt with ample space for 10+ cars, and tall hedges for privacy. Out back, the simple rectangular swimming pool and spa are flanked by a rectangular poolside pavilion generously equipped with a lounge, a guest bedroom suite, and yet another full kitchen.

      While Zong, his wife, and the couple’s adult daughter Kelly appear to be new to Bel Air, they are very familiar with California. From 1997 until 2008, records show the family owned a spacious but relatively modest hacienda-style residence in the wealthy L.A. suburb of San Marino. As for the Hiltons, they continue to own and reside in a 1920s stone manor house elsewhere in Bel Air, complete with approximately 15,000 square feet of luxurious interior space. More

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      Chuck Lorre Gets $13 Million for His Spare Los Angeles Estate

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      The so-called Sitcom King has yet another hit on his hands, except this one’s not of the television variety. Property records reveal Chuck Lorre has raked in $13.8 million by selling one of his two Pacific Palisades homes, in an off-market transaction that closed in the final days of 2023. The nearly half-acre property happens to sit right next door to the prolific TV creator’s (Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, The Kominsky Method, Mom) main residence, a charming Country English-style estate that he’s owned for nearly 30 years.

      The just-sold house hasn’t been offered on the public market in many years, so photos and details are unfortunately scant. But tax records say the two-story traditional was built in the 1930s and is large but not quite mansion-sized, with four bedrooms and five bathrooms in about 5,400 square feet of living space. The hillside property has no pool but does offer a broad backyard patio, well-tended gardens, manicured lawns front and rear, and over-the-treetops views of the Pacific Ocean. Out front, a large sycamore obscures most of the house from public view.

      Originally built in the 1930s, the East Coast traditional-style house has been extensively modified over the years.

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      Lorre acquired the property back in the fall of 2020 for $9.5 million, so he’s walking with a hefty profit for three years of ownership and maintenance. According to reports from the time of his purchase, the 71-year-old initially bought the house because he needed a place to live while his main residence next door underwent a major, multi-year renovation and expansion, rendering it uninhabitable for some time. But that construction is now completed, and so Lorre no longer has any need of his “spare” house.

      The new owner of Lorre’s secondary Palisades home, records reveal, is Dean McKillen—a widely known developer in L.A.’s high-end property circuit, and a son of Irish business tycoon Paddy McKillen.

      And as one might expect from a man with a net worth reported to exceed $500 million, Lorre and his third wife Arielle Lorre have no shortage of places to live. In addition to their main Palisades estate, the TV titan and the Instagram influencer 33 years his junior currently maintain a multimillion-dollar luxury condo in New York City and an $8 million oceanfront home in Malibu, the latter property acquired by Lorre way back in 2011 from Tony Danza. More

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      Rams Quarterback Matt Stafford Throws Down a Record $28 Million on an L.A. Estate

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      Out in the famously affluent Southern California community of Hidden Hills, the sales price record has been broken once again. An all-new spec mansion set atop a high ridge has quietly transferred for $28.2 million, making it the priciest area home ever sold and comfortably besting a $26 million Hidden Hills deal recorded earlier this year.

      Records reveal the buyers are Matthew and Kelly Stafford, he the $160 million man who led the Los Angeles Rams to Super Bowl LVI victory. As it turns out, the couple’s new mansion on the hill happens to sit right next door to a 1980s red-brick house and vineyard that the Staffords have owned since March 2022, when they bought it for $10.5 million. With the acquisition of the more modern estate next door, they now preside over a 3-acre compound with two extravagant homes and two swimming pools, all of it collectively valued at nearly $40 million.

      An aerial view shows Stafford’s new $28 million house (right) next door to the $10.5 million vineyard estate he bought last year. Combined, the two estates give him more than 3 acres of prime hilltop land.

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      The Staffords really love Hidden Hills—they’ve now owned at least five houses in the guard-gated neighborhood within the past three years alone. Last year, they sold a glassy mansion elsewhere in the enclave for $21 million to private aviation CEO Bill Papariella.

      And while it was just built this year, the new Stafford homestead lies atop hallowed celebrity ground. After all, the hilltop lot represents one-half of a giant property once owned by Jennifer Lopez, who lived there from 2010-2017. During Lopez’s ownership, the estate sported a huge house that she extensively redecorated. But in 2021, that older mansion was demolished, and the estate was broken up into two separate parcels. Stafford’s $28 million house sits on one of those parcels, while the other parcel is occupied by another brand-new spec mansion that’s currently listed for sale on then open market, saddled with a whopping $40 million asking price.

      Stafford’s new house and the house next door replaced Jennifer Lopez’s former Hidden Hills mansion, which was demolished in 2021 by developers.

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      Since construction was only recently completed on Stafford’s new home, and the property sold entirely off-market, we were unable to dig up any interior photos. But online resources reveal confirm the place is huge—sporting at least 15,000 square feet of living space—and is a striking glassy contemporary-meets-modern farmhouse sort of structure, with a dash of Napa Valley retreat style thrown in for good measure. The many-gabled roofline is juxtaposed against broad expanses of glass and a wood- and stone-sided exterior.

      Hidden Hills, a guard-gated community deep in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley, has become the unofficial hangout spot for the Rams. In addition to Stafford, other residents include Cooper Kupp, Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Donald and Sean McVay. More

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      Restoration Hardware’s CEO Pays $28 Million for His Second Malibu Beach House

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      Move over Larry Ellison, there’s a new mogul cutting into your longtime Malibu turf. On exclusive Carbon Beach, where Ellison owns no fewer than 13 houses, two eye-catching contemporary homes recently sold. Back in August, a 5,600-square-foot 1990s build went for $26.7 million, and now a 4,000-square-foot stunner about 12 doors away just closed for $28.5 million.

      Records reveal both lavish beach houses were bought by the same man: Gary Friedman, the billionaire chief executive of the high-end furnishings juggernaut formerly known as Restoration Hardware.

      It’s not clear why Friedman wants or needs two spacious and vaguely similar-looking houses on the same stretch of sand, but it’s entirely possible that one will serve as his temporary “crash pad” while the other is undergoing renovations, or perhaps one is intended to be guesthouse for friends and family.

      Friedman’s second Carbon Beach house is a 1950s structure that’s been radically reimagined in recent years.

      Whatever the case, Friedman’s latest acquisition has a bit of a interesting ownership history. From 2018 until 2021, the house was owned by billionaire Robert F. Smith, who used the place as a high-end income property, frequently renting the place out to short-term tenants. In late 2021, Smith sold the house for $21.8 million to noted property developer Saffron Case and her husband Timothy. The Cases held onto the place for two years, giving it a thorough remodel, before flipping it to Friedman for the aforementioned $28.5 million.

      Guarded by an electronic driveway gate, the redwood-sided structure includes an expansive great room adorned with custom rift cabinetry and plaster walls, plus a separate bar area. Fully remodeled, the kitchen includes stone countertops and white oak cabinetry. Three of the home’s bedrooms are located on the main floor, while the lavish primary suite rungs the full length of the house and includes a private office, a spa-style bathroom and boutique-style closet.

      Out back, a 60-foot wooden deck fronts the beach. Ideal for entertaining, the backyard area also includes a built-in barbecue center, a fire-pit and an outdoor shower for hosing off the sand.

      With just one brief interruption, Friedman has been CEO of RH, the company formerly known as Restoration Hardware since 2001, and has overseen multiple reinventions of the luxury home furnishings retailer. Today, the San Francisco native sports a net worth that tops $1.6 billion, per Forbes. In addition to his two new Carbon Beach retreats, he also maintains a Beverly Hills mansion, that recently popped up for sale with a $44 million asking price. Last year, the San Francisco native sold a half-built Los Angeles estate for $24 million to an anonymous buyer. More

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      Television Super-Producer Marcy Carsey Drops Millions on Her 13th California House

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      She already owns at least 12 multimillion-dollar homes scattered across Southern California, including four extravagant Malibu properties collectively worth upwards of $150 million, but Marcy Carsey is still flush with syndication cash. And so it’s no surprise that the real estate fanatic and retired TV super-producer (“That ’70s Show,” “Roseanne,” “The Cosby Show,” “3rd Rock From the Sun”) was the buyer who recently shoveled out $5 million for a Brentwood home that’s right next door to another house she already owns.

      Because Carsey’s latest acquisition was never on the market, photos and details are scant. But tax records indicate the modern-style home last sold in 1987, going for about $1.4 million to a non-famous medical doctor. Sited a few blocks south of Sunset Boulevard and originally built in the 1950s, the house offers four bedrooms and three bathrooms in 2,100 square feet of living space. There’s also a detached building of some sort on the 0.32-acre premises, likely a garage but possibly a converted guesthouse. The place is unusually private, set at the end of a tiny cul-de-sac and obscured from public view by multiple palm trees.

      Carsey has owned the house next door since 2007, when she bought it for $4.4 million. But it’s not clear if the legendary TV producer has ever actually spent a night at that 1930s Tudor-style stucture—the property is or was reportedly occupied by her adult daughter Rebecca, while Carsey’s main residence has long been a far larger and more extravagant estate in the nearby Brentwood Park neighborhood.

      Carsey’s latest acquisition gives her a two-house, two-pool compound at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac.

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      Whatever the case, Carsey’s new $10 million compound gives her about two-thirds of an acre on a posh Brentwood cul-de-sac, plus two swimming pools and two houses with a combined 5,600 square feet of living space. The property is just a short drive to the popular Brentwood Country Mart, and a very short walk to Marilyn Monroe’s final residence.

      Carsey, 79, sports a personal net worth widely believed to top $500 million. In addition to her many properties in Malibu and Brentwood, the Massachusetts native also owns homes in the California neighborhoods of Montecito, Pacific Palisades and Westwood, plus a ski chalet in Park City, Utah.

      Carsey’s longtime Malibu estate served as Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston’s extravagant July 2000 wedding venue.

      Getty Images

      Perhaps Carsey’s most impressive—and certainly her most valuable—house is her clifftop mansion on Malibu’s Encinal Bluffs, which happens to sit right next door to Kim Kardashian’s smaller $70 million vacation house. Astute celebrity followers may recall that way back in 2000, Carsey’s Encinal Bluffs estate served as Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston’s heavily publicized wedding venue. More

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      Kanye West Is Asking $53 Million for His Tadao Ando-Designed Malibu Home

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      Just two years ago, Kanye West was still flying high on the success of his billion-dollar Yeezy sneaker brand. He bought two separate Wyoming ranches, including one that spanned more than 3,000 acres. The money seemed endless; he also shelled out $57 million, in cash, for an oceanfront Malibu house designed by famed Japanese architect Tadao Ando. And in the midst of his acrimonious divorce from Kim Kardashian, he bought a house directly across the street from her Hidden Hills residence, just because.

      Both California properties are gone and going, respectively — that Hidden Hills house was recently sold at a six-figure loss, while the Malibu manor is now up for grabs at $53 million. Even in the unlikely event of a full-price offer, West stands to lose many millions of dollars on the property, once realtor fees and closing costs have been factored into the equation. And it’s not even clear if he ever spent a night at the house, which was completely gutted during his ownership.

      The current listing, held by Selling Sunset star Jason Oppenheim of the Oppenheim Group, includes a few years-old photos of the place. But it doesn’t look anything like that today—aerial imagery shows most all of the walls and doors are now gone, and the interior finishes have likely made their way to a landfill. Oppenheim told the Wall Street Journal that a buyer will need to spend “several million dollars” just to make the house livable.

      In its current state, the Malibu home will require millions of dollars in renovation costs alone.

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      West had intended to redesign and update the 4,000-square-foot structure, but that was shortly before Adidas parted ways with the 46-year-old rapper due to his numerous antisemitic remarks, allegedly leaving his finances in disarray. As it stands now, the building is a concrete shell exposed to the elements. Railings and metal trim pieces around the house have visibly rusted, likely beyond salvageability.

      It will be interesting to see what sale price the oceanfront property eventually commands—particularly because it sits cheek-to-jowl next to other homes, nearly all of which are worth a mere fraction of West’s $53 million sticker. But this home does benefit from its unique pedigree; it’s one of the few stateside residences ever designed by Ando, who has become one of the billionaire elite’s most sought-after architects.

      West, who remains one of the world’s most successful record producers and one of the best-selling artists of all time, is likely nowhere near poor. But he seems to be shifting away from real estate ownership—when he’s not out traveling the globe with “wife” Bianca Censori, he frequently bunks up for months at a time in some of L.A.’s most expensive hotels, including the oceanfront Nobu Ryokan. More

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      Dodgers Star Mookie Betts Scores a $15 Million Estate in the L.A. Hills

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      Mookie Betts is once again up to bat in Los Angeles, and his legendary swing just connected with a home-run worthy real estate deal. Records reveal the Dodgers outfielder and all-around MLB superstar has dropped $15 million on an huge estate tucked into the Encino hills, overlooking L.A.’s San Fernando Valley.

      It’s among the biggest deals ever recorded in Encino, a once-sleepy SoCal suburb that is now über-affluent and swarmed with celebrities of all sorts, from Oscar-nominated actors and famed musicians to YouTubers and Real Housewives. And it’s perhaps the biggest area deal ever for a home that’s not all-new construction—built in 1986, the roughly 9,300 square foot structure began life as a Mediterranean villa-style mansion.

      Last year, local developer Jeff Huberts of Sandlot Homes and his team acquired the property for about $6.8 million and subsequently gave the entire house a thorough and thoroughly contemporary remodel. Unfortunately, since the property was never on the market and is still in the final stages of construction, there are no public photos of the premises. What little we know about the place mostly comes via tax records and L.A. permit archives: there are eight bedrooms, 10.5 bathrooms, a three-car garage, and the tri-level structure sports big views of the valley from its perch in the hills, near the end of a secluded cul-de-sac.

      Originally built in 1986, the house underwent a dramatic contemporary renovation this year and is still in the final stages of construction.

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      Tucked securely behind gates and a very long driveway, the luxury property also offers about 2.2 acres of land, though a substantial portion of that is steeply sloped and therefore unusable. There’s also a newly remodeled rectangular swimming pool, an outdoor spa and a full-size tennis court. And at the very base of the property, immediately adjoining the driveway gate, there’s even a guardshack for a full-time armed bodyguard. Sadly, however, most of the main mansion’s interior amenities remain a mystery.

      Betts is not new to the Encino area—he still owns a slightly smaller house elsewhere in the area, which he put up for sale nearly a year ago for $10 million. That “starter” estate has not yet sold, though the price tag has since been slashed to $8.5 million; Betts bought it in fall 2020 for $7.6 million from UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly, and has since added some very custom upgrades worthy of a six-time Gold Glove winner, including an indoor basketball court branded with “MB” initials.

      Born and raised in Nashville, Betts is reportedly a distant cousin of Meghan Markle. The 31-year-old and wife Brianna Hammonds have lived primarily in Los Angeles since summer 2020, when he signed a $365 million contract extension with the Dodgers. More

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      Robert Pattinson Quietly Sells His Longtime Hollywood Hills Lair

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      It was never officially on the market, but records now reveal that Robert Pattinson has stealthily sold his longtime Los Angeles home. Squirreled away high in the Hollywood Hills and acquired by the Batman and Twilight star some nine years ago for about $2.2 million, the house transferred in an all-cash deal valued at exactly $3 million.

      Records also indicate the buyer is not a Hollywood celebrity but rather an LLC linked to Frank Buckley, a financier and executive at the $9 billion hedge fund Marlin Equity Partners, which is headquartered in California‘s Hermosa Beach neighborhood.

      Of course, it’s not exactly surprising that Pattinson would be in the mood to leave his bachelor pad. The 37-year-old Brit was recently confirmed to be expecting his first child with longtime partner Suki Waterhouse, and the couple also recently acquired a larger house elsewhere in the hills. Back in summer 2022, Pattinson forked out $5.3 million for a gated property previously owned by the Grammy-winning musician Beck.

      Because Pattinson’s just-sold L.A. home was not publicly marketed for sale, it’s not clear what changes and upgrades the actor made during his nearly decade-long ownership tenure. But aerial views reveal the property’s exterior remains remarkably unchanged from years past, with a huge driveway gate shielding the property from prying eyes.

      Built in the 1950s and set privately behind another house down a long red brick driveway, the single-story hacienda has just two bedrooms and two bathrooms and measures in at a cozy 1,940 square feet.

      Inside, rustic terracotta tile floors run throughout the interconnected living spaces, while the flooring switches to hardwood in the bedrooms. Highlights include a spacious living room with multiple French doors that open to the tree-shaded gardens, while twin arches flank a double-sided fireplace and lead into a skylit kitchen with a vaulted, wood-beam ceiling and a premium stainless appliances. Both bedrooms have custom built-in wardrobes and direct access to outdoor lounging areas; both bathrooms have arched and tiled showers, the hallway bathroom done up cobalt blue and the master bath in a cheerful celery green.

      A brick veranda runs along the inside façade of the angled residence. While the yard is somewhat small, it’s also remarkably private and includes a grassy lawn space, a kidney-shaped swimming pool and views over the rugged surrounding canyons. Courtyard areas around the side and rear of the residence include a several terraces and a secluded spa set into a brick terrace tightly girdled by tall hedges for celebrity-style privacy. There’s also an attached two-car garage. More