With Hefner gone, here’s the future for the infamous Playboy Mansion
The passing of Hugh Hefner leaves the future of the famed Playboy Mansion to a member of the business family that revived iconic consumerbrands fromtheHostess Twinkie to Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.
J. Daren Metropoulos closed a $100 million deal in August 2016 for the ultraluxury Los Angeles property and often X-rated adult playgroundwhereHefnerandPlayboy Bunnies mingled with the rich and famous.
The announcement of the sale, for half the listing price, confirmed that Hefner would be allowed to live the rest of his days in the mansion. PlayboyEnterprises agreedto pay $1 million annually to lease the property, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Hefner’s death means the 34-year-old Metropoulos, who lives next door, may now realize his own dreams for the property.
Metropoulos declined to discuss specifics of the mansion’s future after Hefner’s death, saying in a statement issued through spokeswoman Hannah Arnold that his thoughts were with the grieving family of an American icon.
However, Metropoulos dropped a potential hint at the time of the sale. He said then that he might eventually combine the mansion and its estate with the nine-bedroom, seven-bathroom adjoining home property. Records showhe bought thatproperty fromHefner and then-wife Kimberly Conrad Hefner for $18 million in 2009.
“I look forward to eventually rejoining the twoestatesandenjoyingthisbeautifulpropertyasmyprivate residence for years to come,” Metropoulos said at the time.
An online listing for the Playboy Mansion property by Beverly Hills real estate firm Hilton & Hyland says Metropoulos will be getting “the crown jewel of L.A.’s Platinum Triangle,” located on 5 picturesque acres in the Holmby Hills area.
The nearly 20,000-square-foot mansionwas designed by Arthur R. Kelly in 1927 for Arthur Letts Jr., son of the British businessman who founded Broadway Department Stores in the early 20th century. Playboy Enterprises acquired the home from Louis Statham, an engineer, inventor and chess aficionado, in 1971 for MOREFROMUSATODAY
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$1.1 million, according to the real estate listing.
During Hefner’s life, the listing said the mansion featured 12 bedrooms, 21 full or partial bathroomsand amenities that included a home theater, a wine cellar, a separate game house and a “freeform swimming pool with a large, cave-like grotto.”
Hefner famously used thehome to host costume parties and other gatherings featuring a wide range of celebrities.
Metropoulos and older brother Evanare sons ofC. DeanMetropoulos, aGreekimmigrantandbusiness turnaround specialist who partnered withApollo Global Management to buy Hostess out of bankruptcy in 2013 for $410 million.
Metropoulos & Co. also revived PabstBrewing, sellingthebeercompany in 2014 for an estimated $750 million. Under Dean Metropoulos’ leadership, the company also bought, spiffedupandresold other famous brands ranging fromChef Boyardee, Bumble Bee Tuna and Perrier-Jouet champagne.