The Murdoch family has been on a serious property shopping spree of late.

Patriarch Rupert Murdoch recently bought a R215 million ‘little’ place in the country with his wife, Jerry Hall.

Not one to be outdone by his father, Lachlan Murdoch took it a step further, with a record-breaking purchase in Bel Air, California.

At a whopping $150 million (around R2,2 billion), the Chartwell compound, which went on the market in January, is officially the most expensive Californian home ever sold.

Here’s Architectural Digest:

Lachlan’s purchase includes the four-parcel main Chartwell compound as well as the neighbouring 1.3-acre vacant lot, which previously belonged to Ronald Reagan.

The main compound is anchored by a château-style mansion that spans more than 25,000 square feet and includes 11 bedrooms and eight bathrooms.

Built in the 1930s, the home was originally constructed by a wealthy real-estate developer as a gift for his wife.

She hated it, and refused to live there. The home was therefore first occupied in the 1940s when it was sold to a new owner.

Other structures on the property include a 5,700-square-foot guesthouse designed by Southern California architect Wallace Neff, a brightly lit tennis court, a subterranean garage that can easily hold dozens of cars, and, perhaps most impressive, a 75-foot-long resort-style swimming pool and poolhouse accessible from the main house via an underground tunnel and elevator.

The exterior of the home may look familiar to fans of the 1960s show The Beverly Hillbillies, as it was used frequently on the series.

Nope. Can’t say I was a fan of the show.

To get an idea of how massive this place actually is, you need a guided tour. I’ll leave you in the capable hands of Architectural Digest, who got a sneak peek at the place before it was sold:

Some people have far too much money.

[source:architecturaldigest]