Jeff Bezos appears to be creating a massive Beverly Hills estate worth as much as $175 million. Here's everything we know about his record-breaking Southern California compound. (2024)

Advertisem*nt

The Warner estate was built by Jack Warner, the cofounder and onetime president of Warner Bros., in 1937. Warner began with three acres of what used to be farmland, and slowly but surely, added parcels of adjacent land. He also built out the grounds of the estate, adding a golf course and two ponds.

Source: Architectural Digest

Warner liked to throw extravagant parties that were attended by stars like Olivia de Havilland and Jimmy Stewart and moguls like Howard Hughes. An invitation to a party at the estate was apparently one of the most sought-after in Hollywood in the late 1930s and early '40s.

Source: Architectural Digest

Advertisem*nt

Warner filled the estate with expensive art, including a portrait of his wife, Ann, painted by Salvador Dali.

Source: Architectural Digest

Warner died in 1978, and Ann Warner owned the house until she died in 1990. That year, the music and movie tycoon David Geffen bought the whole estate, including the art, for $47.5 million, according to Forbes. The sale set a record at the time.

Source: Forbes, The Wall Street Journal

Advertisem*nt

Geffen, who is worth an estimated $9 billion, has a multimillion-dollar real-estate portfolio that includes homes in Malibu, California, and in New York's East Hampton, and Manhattan.

Source: Forbes, Forbes

Geffen is also the owner of a $590 million superyacht called the Rising Sun, where he frequently hosts fellow moguls and celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper, Barack and Michelle Obama — and Jeff Bezos.

Source: Business Insider

Advertisem*nt

Bezos has vacationed aboard the yacht near the Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain. Last year, he was pictured on the deck of the yacht alongside former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, model Karlie Kloss, and investor Josh Kushner.

Having a great time in the Balearics

A post shared by David Geffen (@davidgeffen) on Aug 6, 2019 at 3:52am PDTAug 6, 2019 at 3:52am PDT

Source: Business Insider

In February 2020, Bezos became the new owner of the Warner estate, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Journal reported that Bezos purchased the property for $165 million, making it the most expensive home sale in California history. No brokers were involved in the sale, according to The Journal.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Advertisem*nt

Bezos and his girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, had been house hunting in Los Angeles and touring mansions throughout the area in previous weeks, the New York Post reported.

Source: New York Post

The Warner estate spans eight acres and is situated in the Benedict Canyon neighborhood of Beverly Hills.

Source: Los Angeles County

Advertisem*nt

The estate promises the utmost privacy. It's surrounded by tall hedges, blocked off by a large gate, and completely hidden from view from the street.

Source: Google Maps

The compound is home to multiple dwellings, including two guesthouses and a 13,600-square-foot mansion.

Source: Los Angeles County

Advertisem*nt

The Georgian-style home has eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms. It includes a floor that was once owned by Napoleon, according to The Journal.

Source: Los Angeles County, Architectural Digest, The Wall Street Journal

Photos shot of the interior of the estate by Architectural Digest in the early '90s show a screening room, an expansive bar, and a dining room that could easily fit 14 guests.

Source: Architectural Digest

Advertisem*nt

The grounds also include a tennis court and manicured gardens. Geffen spent $45 million renovating the property, including $20 million on landscaping alone, The Journal reported.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

There's a large pool and what appears to be an adjacent hot tub outside one of the large guesthouses.

Source: Los Angeles County

Advertisem*nt

At one point, the property also included a nine-hole golf course and a "motor court" with a garage and gas pumps, according to Architectural Digest, though it's not clear if those amenities are still on the property.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest

Advertisem*nt

That adjacent property was built in 1930 and was last sold for $5.45 million, according to Variety. It features three bedrooms and five bathrooms, six fireplaces, a rear patio, and rose and vegetable gardens.

Source: Variety, Zillow

It's not clear what Bezos would want with an adjacent property, but he has a history of snapping up homes near his larger estates. In 2017, he bought the house next door to his previous Beverly Hills mansion for $12.9 million. His ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, was granted both homes in the couple's divorce.

Source: Business Insider, Variety