What next for the Playboy mansion?

W hen publishing mogul Hugh Heffner died recently aged 91, he was surrounded by family and former ‘playmates’ at his Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. The house, where Heffner lived and held many of his parties for the rich and wellconnected, was the second property from which he steered his empire. Initially headquartered in Chicago, Heffner decamped to California in 1971 and bought his second Playboy Mansion there for $1.1 million. It’s within one of the most upmarket neighbourhoods in Los Angeles called Holmby Hills, where Hollywood stars hang out. The 22,000 sq ft mansion features a pipe organ, wine cellar, secret doors, a bathhouse, pool and a zoo complete with monkeys.

Next door used to be Heffner’s ‘party compound’ including a grotto, accommodation for the women who worked for him as Bunnies and staff rooms, but this was sold in 2013 for $17.25 million. Last year as his health declined, Heffner sold the Playboy Mansion for $100m to his neighbour, food and drinks heir Daren Metropoulos who agreed to buy the property but let Heffner remain there until his death.

The deal was handled by local real estate firm The Agency in Beverley Hills. Now, Metropoulos says he plans to incorporate the site into his existing home, which he bought from Heffner’s ex-wife and former Playmate Kimberley Conrad. The interior of Heffner’s former mansion is to be stripped out, but the exterior will remain intact, Metropoulos has said. More information from TopTen RealEstateDeals.com