William Randolph Hearst’s Grand L.A. Mansion Lists For $90 Million
By: Date: June 23, 2021 Categories: Forbes Global Properties,Real Estate,Residential Real Estate,Uncategorized Tags: , ,
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The Hearst Estate, a grand Beverly Hills mansion once owned by newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst and actress Marion Davies, is back on the market for about $90 million.

entrance to william randolph hearst's estate in beverly hills

The two-house, five-acre Beverly Hills estate, the onetime residence of newspaper czar William … [+] Randolph Hearst and his girlfriend, actress Marion Davies, is now priced at $89.75 million.

Jim Bartsch

A titan of industry. A Hollywood starlet. A scandalous affair. An iconic movie. Many Los Angeles homes come with colorful backstories, but few tell a tale as legendary as the Hearst Estate in Beverly Hills.

Once listed for as much as $165 million, the iconic mansion is returning to the market at a reduced price of $89.75 million, according to listing agent Gary Gold of Hilton & Hyland. The new price reflects a transition by the property’s longtime owner, attorney-businessman Leonard Ross, who previously attempted to sell the palatial estate several times over the last two decades.

hearst estate and swimming pool in beverly hills

Originally built for local banker Milton Getz, the Gordon Kaufmann-designed mansion took a star turn … [+] decades ago when it was featured in the movie “The Godfather.”

Jim Bartsch

The pink-hued mansion on North Beverly Drive has always been an iconic property, but it gained a new level of recognition in 1919 when newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst purchased it. It was at the Hearst Estate that Hearst and actress Marion Davies lived together during their 30-plus-year affair, and the home was later bequeathed to the Ziegfeld Follies headliner following the businessman’s death in 1951.

carved details and arched ceilings hearst estate in beverly hills

A barrel-rolled ceiling decorated in elaborate stenciling draws the eyes upward inside the Hearst … [+] Estate.

Jim Bartsch

Adding another chapter to its history, the mansion is where Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy spent their honeymoon in 1953. The property later achieved Hollywood status in 1972 when it was used in the filming of The Godfather

library inside hearst estate in beverly hills

The two-story library/den features paneled walls and a massive fireplace.

Berlyn Photography

The mansion was designed by Gordon Kaufmann, the architect behind such landmarks as the Los Angeles Times building and the Hoover Damn, and completed in the 1920s. Built for local banker Milton Getz, the H-shaped mansion measures more than 50,000 square feet in size with 30 bedrooms and 40 bathrooms.

billiard's room inside the hearst estate in beverly hills

The billiard’s room features a fireplace sourced from Hearst Castle in San Simeon.

Jim Bartsch

Carved and arched ceilings, paneled walls and period details are among the features of note. A billiard room holds a massive antique fireplace that was sourced from another of Hearst’s trophy homes—Hearst Castle in San Simeon, Calif.

office inside hearst estate in beverly hills

Palladian-style French doors in the office/den look onto a large outdoor terrace.

Berlyn Photography

“There are ten legendary mansions on the Westside of Los Angeles—the most historic mansions that still exist—that are part of the same category as the Hearst Estate,” Gold said. “You rarely have the chance to buy something like this.” 

Gold, who sold the Playboy Mansion five years ago, noted that estates in this ballpark generally hit the market with aspirational prices and end up sitting on the market for years before finding a buyer.

dining room hearst estate beverly hills

Carved doors open to the dining room inside the Hearst Estate.

Berlyn Photography

In the Hearst Estate’s case, Gold noted that the estate has been on the market before and is now priced to sell.

“It’s a great opportunity for someone interested in owning one of the greatest estates in Los Angeles,” he said.

bar inside the hearst estate in beverly hills

The Art Deco-inspired speakeasy bar inside the Hearst Estate in Beverly Hills.

Berlyn Photography

The listing comes roughly four months after the sale of Owlwood, an iconic Holmby Hills estate formerly owned by actor Tony Curtis and, later, singers Sonny and Cher. The 10-acre trophy property bounced on and off the market for more than a decade, listing for as much as $180 million, before selling in late December for $88 million.

corridor inside the hearst estate in beverly hills

A row of pillars lines a corridor inside the Hearst Estate in Beverly Hills.

Berlyn Photography

“We’ve seen some recent sales over $70 million, including a couple of properties that recently sold off-market. But even those homes have been shopped for a long time,” Gold said. “[The Hearst Estate] has already been through the cycle; this is a sale that will happen.”

outdoor terrace at hearst estate in beverly hills

The 50,000-square-foot compound is one of ten legendary mansions in Los Angeles, according to … [+] listing agent Gary Gold.

Jim Bartsch

Anthony Marguleas of Amalfi Estates and Zizi Pak of Rodeo Realty share the listing.

gardens and pool at the hearst estate in beverly hills

A view of the gardens and swimming pool at the Hearst Estate in Beverly Hills.

Jim Bartsch

swimming pool at the william randolph hearst estate in beverly hills

The swimming pool and pavilion area evoke another of William Randolph Hearst’s iconic homes: Hearst … [+] Castle in San Simeon.

Jim Bartsch

aerial view of william randolph hearst's former beverly hills home

An overhead view of the Hearst Estate in Beverly Hills.

Berlyn Photography

front gates of william randolph hearst estate in beverly hills

The gates leading to the Hearst Estate in Beverly Hills.

Jim Bartsch


Hilton & Hyland is an exclusive member of Forbes Global Properties, a consumer marketplace and membership network of elite brokerages selling the world’s most luxurious homes.

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