When we mentioned Uber co-founder Garrett Camp and his partner Eliza Nguyen’s latest purchase, a tidy $72,5 million mansion in Beverly Hills, there was a byline about the other sizeable sale in the same week.

Given that we’re talking about the $120 million (around R1,68 billion) sale of the titanic estate known as Spelling Manor, perhaps that is worth revisiting.

56,500 square feet, 14 beds, 27 baths – that will do. Still, they didn’t get asking price for it.

Although the buyer was rumoured to be Canadian multi-billionaire Daryl Katz, a rep has denied that he forked over the cash. What we do know is that it’s the most ever paid for a home in the entire state of California, surpassing the $117,5 million Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son spent on a Woodside estate in 2012.

Sorry for you, Masayoshi. Over to Variety with some background, including the Ecclestone connection:

Custom built over a period of several years in the late 1980s, the faux-French mega-chateau was dreamt up by television titan Aaron Spelling and his wife Candy. Located on what is arguably L.A.’s most prestigious street, the colossal structure spans 56,500 square feet of living space, dwarfing the neighboring mansions and securing its status as one of the city’s most instantly recognizable homes. It remains the largest private house in Los Angeles County, according to property records.

In summer 2011, several years after her husband’s death, Candy Spelling famously sold the 123-room behemoth for $85 million in cash to 22-year-old Petra Ecclestone [below], the younger daughter of Formula One racing baron Bernie Ecclestone. At the time of sale, the mansion sported various idiosyncrasies such as a flower-cutting room, a temperature-controlled silver storage closet, a barbershop, doll museum, and several gift-wrapping rooms.

Immediately upon taking possession of the property, Ecclestone hired designer Gavin Brodin to update the rather matronly interiors in less than three months. According to reports, there were up to 500 workers on the property at a time, and the total redo costs exceeded $20 million.

Dwarfs the few million pounds that Meghan and Harry spent on Frogmore Cottage, but then Petra was spending daddy’s money, not that of the British taxpayers.

More tales the incredibly opulent estate? Sure, why not:

The double-gated megamansion opens to an aircraft hanger-scaled foyer with a Subaru-sized chandelier hanging over a black-and-white striped marble floor. In addition to all the usual public spaces — living room, family room, dining room, gourmet kitchen — the residential beast also includes a catering kitchen for major events and a mansion-sized basement with a screening room, a two-lane bowling alley, plus a wine cellar and tasting room. And this being L.A., the house naturally includes a massive gym and full spa facilities with a beauty salon, plus massage and tanning rooms.

Photo time:

A decent place to rest your head at the end of a long, hard day.

Somewhere out there, the realtors –  Jade Mills of Coldwell Banker, Kurt Rappaport and Daniel Dill of Westside Estate Agency, and David Parnes and James Harris of The Agency all shared the listing – are feeling pretty chuffed with themselves.

[source:variety]