This January The Wall Street Journal announced that a New York City apartment had been sold for $238 million, marking the single most expensive home sale in America. The 24,000-square-foot apartment went for double the price claimed by the previous NYC record holder, a neighboring penthouse that fetched $100.5 million. In L.A., home to some of the nation’s richest zip codes, a handful of luxury residences are commanding equally lavish sums.
Several current properties on the market would also set global records if they sell, including a panoramic hilltop over Beverly Hills priced at $1 billion. Obscenely high price tags often serve as publicity stunts to attract status-seeking buyers, but that doesn’t always work. Take the 42,000-square-foot Bel-Air behemoth featuring Dom Pérignon-filled fire extinguishers, a “candy wall,” and $30 million in exotic cars. Originally listed at $250 million, it’s now available for a discounted $150 million. These five L.A. manses met their asking price—and more.
25040 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu
$85,000,000
Built: 2012
Current owner: Drugstore mogul Daryl Katz—Canada’s 13th richest man—best known for an ugly legal battle with Jane the Virgin actress Greice Santo (who claimed he offered her a film role in exchange for sex).
Amenities: The 15,000- square-foot glass mansion sits on six acres that feature expansive ocean views and California’s largest infinity pool.
Fun fact: The artwork and furniture in the house cost Katz $21 million over the asking price.
10236 Charing Cross Rd., Holmby Hills
$100,000,000
Built: 1927
Current owner: Daren Metropoulos, heir to the Hostess fortune. Amenities: Screening room with built-in pipe organ, massive wine cellar with a Prohibition-era secret door, a pet cemetery, and a full zoo.
VIP lineage: Hugh Hefner bought the Playboy Mansion from Louis Statham, who invented medical catheters.
Drawbacks: In 2011, 123 people contracted Legionnaires’ disease that health officials traced to a hot tub party in the grotto.
22258-22310 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu
$110,000,000 (the record for L.A.)
Built: 2005
Current owner: Natural gas billionaire Michael Smith.
Neighbors: Larry Ellison. On both sides.
Stats: The main residence and guesthouse overlook a vast swath of Billionaire’s Beach.
Amenities: Infinity swimming pool, mammoth media room, and wraparound teak shutters that require upkeep by a full-time “oiler.”
Drawbacks: Larry Ellison. On both sides.
350 N. Carolwood Dr., aka Fleur de Lys, Beverly Hills
$102,000,000
Built: 2002
Current Owner: Junk bond billionaire Michael Milken denies ownership even though property taxes were mailed to the Milken Institute in Santa Monica.
Amenities: Twelve bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, a 3,000-square-foot wine cellar, a 50-seat theater, and a ballroom that can host 500 people.
Drawback: A 500-person ballroom is surprisingly hard to fill.
141 S. Carolwood Dr., aka Owlwood, Beverly Crest
$90,000,000
Built: 1936
Current Owner: Sturmer Pippin
VIP lineage: 20th Century Fox cofounder Joseph Schenck, musical duo Sonny & Cher.
Notorious on-site romance: Marilyn Monroe lived in the guesthouse during her brief fling with the studio chief.
Notorious on-site divorce: Estranged at the time, Sonny and Cher lived in separate wings for a year. CBS vowed to ax their show if either moved out.
RELATED: Hey, Good News: This Outrageous Bel-Air Mansion Is Only $150 Million Now
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