Home & Garden
Jay Belson on Bel Air Mansion Crowned as Most Expensive Listing
Jay Belson gives us the latest details on the Bel Air mansion that's now the most expensive listing in the U.S.
The crown for the most expensive home listed in the United States now belongs to a stunning mansion in Bel Air, Los Angeles. With an asking price of $245 million, The Chartwell Estate is a French neoclassical megamansion made famous by the television show The Beverly Hillbillies and billionaire Univision chairman, Jerry Perenchio. You’ll be surprised to find out that the listing was originally announced last August at $350 million, but, it’s unclear whether it was ever initially on the market at that time.
An Interesting Past
Built in the 1930’s, property developer Lynn Atkinson commissioned architect Summer Spaulding to design the house as a present for his wife. Unfortunately for the property developer, his wife hated the megamansion and never moved in. To the surprise of many, the Chartwell sat vacant until Arnold Kirkeby, the Beverly Wilshire hotelier, purchased the estate in the 1940’s. Kirkeby rented the home out to the producers of the nine-season hit show The Beverly Hillbillies to the tune of $500 per day.
Jerry Perenchio purchased the home from Kirkeby in 1986 and named the mansion Chartwell. It wasn’t too long before Perenchio decided to renovate the house to its now known 18th-century French neoclassical style with the help of French designer Henri Samuel. Over the years, Perenchio also bought several pieces of land surrounding the estate before his passing last year, bringing the total acreage of Chartwell to 10.4.
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The Specs
Featuring stunning views of downtown LA and the Pacific Ocean, this 25,000 square foot home is built for leisure. The limestone facade of the 11-bedroom and 18-bathroom house is just the first layer of luxury and elegance. An exquisite ballroom, formal salon, paneled dining room, and 40-car garage makes Chartwell perfect for entertaining numerous guests.
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There is also a five-bedroom guesthouse on the land, a 75-foot pool, and pool house. Vanity fair also reveals that “The property also features manicured gardens designed by Henri Samuel, the landscape artist who worked at Versailles, and an underground tunnel system which is reachable by elevator and connects the main house to the pool house and the gardens.” Needless to say, the Chartwell has numerous features warranting its title of most expensive listing in the U.S.