Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder, has bought the most expensive property in Los Angeles for $165 million-a home worth an eighth of a percent of his $131.9 billion net worth.
The mansion, which he bought in February 2020, is located in Beverly Hills and was owned by billionaire and media mogul David Geffen, the co-founder of DreamWorks. It marked the most expensive home sale in the state's history.
Who Built the Estate?
The Beverly Hills estate, also called the Warner estate, was designed in the 1930s by co-founder and former Warner Bros. president Jack Warner. The mansion, which took about a decade to build, began with three acres of farmland and was later expanded with the purchase of adjacent land. At the time, there were three mansions standing on the land. Warner had all three houses demolished when he bought the land.
The estate came into Geffen's possession in 1990 after Ann Warner, Jack's second wife, died. Geffen bought the estate for $47.5 million, which set a record at the time, per Forbes.
It is unclear why Geffen sold the property to Bezos. However, the sale reportedly did not involve any brokers, according to The Wall Street Journal.
What's Inside the Estate?
The Beverly Hills estate is known for its Georgian-style architecture with a Greek Revival portico. The mansion is also known for its grand front doors, which open into a two-story entrance hall notable for its parquetry floors and sweeping staircase.
The estate is surrounded by tall hedges and features a large gate that keeps it completely hidden from view from the street. The estate also features two guesthouses and a 13,600-square-foot mansion with eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms. The Journal also noted that the mansion includes a floor once owned by Napoleon.
Other unique features of the mansion include a screening room, an expansive bar, and a dining room that could fit up to 14 guests. Outside the mansion are a tennis court, manicured gardens, a large pool, and an adjacent hot tub.
At one point, the property had a nine-course golf course, two ponds, and a "motor court," per Architectural Digest. It is presently unclear if these amenities are still on the property.
