A mansion that had a starring role in the classic American sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies” has become the most expensive property in California after being sold for $150 million.
This state is famous for its appearance in the opening credits of the American sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies”. The Chartwell estate is located in the exclusive Bel-Air neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Story of Beverly Hillbillies Mansion
It’s a high-end property, and a French neoclassical style chateau house spread on 10 acres of land, according to Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal, it is bought by media baron Rupert Murdoch’s son Lachlan.
Chartwell Estate featured in the American sitcom, The Beverly Hillbillies, which ran from 1962 to 71. In the sitcom, the house was owned by the Clampett Family, who moved to Bel-Air after getting rich.
The sale has beaten the previous Los Angeles County record of $110 million, set in April 2018. It was bought by Peter Morton (Hard Rock cafe, co-founder).
The luxury Bel Air estate is now the second most expensive home ever sold in the states. The first position is held by a $238 million condominium in New York city bought by Ken Griffin.
Since 2016, there are around six homes in LA that have been sold for $100 million or more. Chartwell estate was previously owned by another media mogul, Andrew Jerrold Perenchio. This 25,000- square-foot mansion was designed in 1930 with a limestone exterior by designer Summer Spaulding. It was renovated in the 1980s by French designer Henri Samuel.
A UK property website named castles and celebrity mansions revealed that this was one of the most viewed homes in 2019. This estate features 18 bedrooms, 24 bathrooms, a five-bedroom guesthouse designed by Wallace Neff and a ballroom. The mansion has a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and the LA city. It also has a tennis court, a 75-foot pool with a spacious pool house, a car gallery for nearly 40 vehicles, manicured gardens with a spectacular fountain, and a 12,000 bottle wine cellar.
This house stood empty until hotelier Arnold Kirkeby bought it for $200,000 in the year 1945. Then another media mogul, Andrew Jerrold Perenchiom bought this estate in 1987 for £13.5 million and hired designer Samuel to renovate this estate, he spent nearly five years renovating the home.
It’s reported that it also has a secret tunnel that runs from the basement to the swimming pool. This estate was first listed in 2017 for a mouth-watering $350 million according to Forbes, and was the most expensive house on sale in the US. The estate has one of the highest annual tax bills in Los Angeles at around $1.3 million.