The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Merv Griffin’s former La Quinta equestrian estate lists for $36 million
A sprawling La Quinta estate formerly owned by late media mogul Merv Griffin is on the market for $36 million.
The 39-acre horse ranch, secured by gates and a 12foot perimeter wall, features a Moroccan-themed primary residence accented by an artificial, 2.5-acre lagoon, an infinity pool and four round guesthouses.
Two additional buildings provide living space for the staff, bringing the compoundwide total accommodations to 13 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms.
Griffin built the estate in the late 1980s. While it was still under construction, a fire heavily damaged the main house. So he rebuilt it.
Today the 5,409-squarefoot main house boasts high ceilings, ceramic tile and marble floors, and French doors that open onto the covered terrace. Moroccan elements such as lanterns and screened doors lend a Marrakech vibe.
Other highlights include a great room with a retractable skylight dome, a large gourmet kitchen and a wet bar.
There’s an outdoor barbecue center near the pool patio and spa. Four onebedroom, one-bathroom, 500-square-foot circular guesthouses sit east of the main house. And across the lush grounds are equestrian facilities, including a racetrack, multiple paddocks and a stable where, in the book “Merv: Making the Good Life Last,” Griffin said he housed more than 50 horses at any given time.
A potable well sustains the property, which comes with water rights.
Records show a private investment group managed by Newport Beach-based investor Mark Majerovic paid $7 million for the desert compound in June 2013. Under that entity, the Merv Griffin Estate became a rental venue for star-studded Coachella Music and Arts Festival parties, weddings and corporate events.
The Desert Sun reported in late March that Majerovic had city council approval to develop 78 short-term rental homes on a portion of the property, but he withdrew the application citing power supply issues.
According to the article, Majerovic planned to revisit the project.
The property has since hit the market.
Mauricio Umansky and Zach Goldsmith of The Agency share the listing. The team highlights the Merv Griffin Estate for its location and rich history as the one-time home of the television entertainer and entrepreneur.
Griffin launched his career in showbiz as a big bandera crooner. He hosted “The Merv Griffin Show” for more than two decades and created the hit TV game shows “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune” in the 1960s and 1970s.
Around the time that he built the house, Griffin had sold off his production company and began investing in real estate — and later, casinos.
He died in 2007 at 82.