Billionaire gets a closer shave
An extravagant Bel-Air megamansion doubling as a monument to opulence just got a whole lot cheaper. The spec house, which listed for a quarter of a billion in 2017, is back on the market for $150 million.
Once the nation’s priciest listing, the estate’s towering price tag has now been shaved twice. Developer Bruce Makowsky trimmed it last year to $188 million. With the latest price cut of $38 million, he’s just trying to be realistic.
“I don’t think anybody’s ready to spend $250 million on a house,” Makowsky said. “At $150 million, it gets opened up to a much wider audience.”
Dubbed Billionaire, the home has just about everything but a buyer.
Within the four stories and 38,000 square feet are 12 bedrooms, 21 bathrooms, five bars, three kitchens, a candy room, a 40-seat movie theater and a four-lane Louis Vuitton-appointed bowling alley.
Two wine cellars are stocked with Champagne, and an auto gallery is filled with a $30-million fleet of exotic cars and motorcycles — including a Bugatti, a vintage Allard and a custom Rolls-Royce. A Hobie Cat sailboat sits on a deck outside. A helicopter tops the roof.
The backyard is anchored by an 85-foot-long infinity-edge pool with a swim-up bar. In addition, there are 17,000 square feet of entertainment decks that take in 270-degree views from downtown to the ocean.
Should the mansion sell for $150 million, it would be the most expensive home ever sold in Los Angeles County — by far.
The current record belongs to an oceanfront property in Malibu’s Carbon Beach that hotelier Peter Morton sold last year for $110 million.
Makowsky said his offering is much nicer, but if the market dictates the most someone will pay, he wants to bring Billionaire down to a range where it can reasonably sell. That level of wealth exists, he said.
“People are spending $70 million on a private jet or $250 million on a yacht like it’s nothing,” Makowsky said. “Those aren’t their primary homes.”
Branden Williams and Rayni Williams with Hilton & Hyland and Shawn Elliott of Nest Seekers are the listing agents.