Jeff Bezos just paid $165 million for nine acres of property in Beverly Hills — a price that could basically solve homelessness in the city where his company is headquartered.
But instead Bezos eyed a more glamorous prize: The Warner Estate. Previously owned by media mogul David Geffen (of DreamWorks fame), and built in 1990 for former Warner Bros. president Jack Warner, according to the Wall Street Journal. The property has eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms, which we can only assume are all fabulous
The property comes with all the average trappings American families have at their disposal: Several guest houses, mazes upon mazes of gardens, and, obviously, a tennis court. If you want a peek at it, Architectural Digest did a story on the Warner Estate in 1992, which appeared on their website in 2016.
The deal shatters all other Los Angeles real estate records, as Bezos is a breaking-record kind of guy. I mean, his net worth is $131 billion, making him the wealthiest man alive. Presumably, purchasing the house might be one of the reasons why Bezos sold more than $4 billion worth of Amazon stock over the past week.
The deal is essentially chump change for Bezos, according to The Verge, because it is only an eighth of a percent of Bezos’ worth. Say that with me again: An eighth of a percent. Not even one percent! It’s impossible to imagine what Bezos can buy with one percent of his net worth.
But let’s just think out loud for a second.
Bezos can follow in the footsteps of notable conservationist Hansjörg Wyss and donate $1 billion to fight climate change. There’s over $1.5 trillion in student loan debt, so he could unburden millions of Americans by donating a measly one percent of his earnings! Or he could contribute $1 billion for seven straight years and completely wipe out world hunger.
Alright. Enough with the mockery. Let’s give credit where it’s due. Bezos hasn’t had it easy. He’s got real-life problems just like us: His phone was hacked by Saudi Arabia’s crown prince. Also, he started his trillion-dollar company in a garage! Luckily now, with his newest pad, he will likely have dozens of them. Too bad his $65 million Gulfstream Jet won’t be able to fit in them though.
Anyway, the Warner Estate is a coveted kingdom in LA — one realtors call “the most beautiful properties in the world.” It is secluded, making it perfect for a public-facing guy like Bezos, and with the nine-hole golf course, he really doesn’t have any excuse to leave it.