autoevolution
 

Billionaire Mansion Includes $30M Car Collection, Von Krieger 1936 Mercedes-Benz

You’re out of luck if you’re still on the market for new real estate, because this mansion in Bel Air sold at the end of last year – for pennies, compared to the asking price. But it’s so unspeakably glamorous and unreal that it’s worth revisiting.
Billionaire mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce Makowsky 15 photos
Photo: nestseekers.com
Billionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce MakowskyBillionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce MakowskyBillionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce MakowskyBillionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce MakowskyBillionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce MakowskyBillionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce MakowskyBillionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce MakowskyBillionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce MakowskyBillionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce MakowskyBillionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce MakowskyBillionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce MakowskyBillionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce MakowskyBillionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce MakowskyBillionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce Makowsky
It’s called the Billionaire Mansion and it’s situated at 924 Bel Air Road, in an enclave that ensures maximum privacy and the most spectacular views of Los Angeles and the ocean. It spans 38,000 square feet across 4 stories and includes anything from a non-functional helicopter slash art display to a mind-blowing car collection with only the rarest, bespoke cars and motorcycles.

The car collection (aka the “auto gallery”) alone is worth over $30 million, with the most prized item being a very rare, one of a kind 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K, the Von Krieger roadster, worth $15 million. The gallery includes 12 such rare cars, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Bentleys, one Bugatti Veyron and one Rolls Royce, and a one-off Pagani Huayra worth over $2 million. And 10 working motorcycles, also very rare (and a handful more sprinkled around the house under the guise of art installations).

Billionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce Makowsky
Photo: nestseekers.com
Real estate developer Bruce Makowsky personally curated the car collection, making sure to offer the lucky owner of this stunning mansion only the best that money can buy. “Most of these cars are one-of-a-kind originals that you can only get with this house,” Makowsky said back in 2017, when the house went on the market for $250 million.

In addition to the “auto gallery,” the house also comes with a white Ferrari 488 and a bespoke yacht-themed Rolls Royce Dawn for the exclusive use of the 7-strong staff. With the house, Makowsky agreed to pay for the house live-in staff for 2 full years (they have separate living quarters).

The Billionaire Mansion is built like a megayacht, with the developer aiming to include every possible luxury so that the new owner would only have to move in with the clothes on their back. “Megayachts have gone from 150 feet to 300 feet or more and they can cost up to $500 million,” the developer explains. “People spend two weeks a year on a yacht, but they live in a house. I wanted this to be the ultimate megayacht, but on land.”

Billionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce Makowsky
Photo: nestseekers.com
Floor-to-ceiling glass walls offer 270-degree views, while the entire upper portion is designed as an outdoor deck. Also here is an office that comes with view to a helicopter: a replica of the bird that appeared on the TV series Airwolf. You can’t fly it, though.

And then there’s the entertainment areas, several of them, taking up most part of 2 entire levels. Everything in Billionaire Mansion is top luxury, hand-picked or customized, very expensive and possibly one of a kind. There’s a bowling arena next to a play area where you can find the world’s most expensive pool table, the world’s most expensive ping pong table and 4 of the world’s most expensive fuzzball tables. These are Makowsky’s actual words (check out the video at the bottom of the page).

A 40-seat Dolby Atmos James Bond-themed theater, with a 22-foot screen, 57 speakers, and a 4k projector with 7,000 pre-loaded movies comes with its very own candy room. Forget about popcorn, here’s your chance to get diabetes in style!

The world’s largest residential television, 4 bars, 2 wine cellars (each worth an individual fortune), several dining areas and professional kitchens, 12 bedrooms and 31 bathrooms, commercial elevators draped in alligator skin, over 100 rare art pieces and installations, and a $2 million inner staircase that must be a headache to keep spotless add to the luxury items you can find inside the Billionaire Mansion.

Billionaire Mansion in Bel Air, by real estate developer Bruce Makowsky
Photo: nestseekers.com
And if you’re not dazzled yet, know that one of the kitchens has a waterfall. There is also a massive infinity pool that comes with a luxury spa and a giant pop-up theater screen measuring 18 feet by 12 feet, so you can get pampered and entertained all day long. Oh, and in case of a fire, you can use extinguishers with Dom Perignon to put out the flames, because Makowsky thought to turn champagne bottles into working fire extinguishers fit just perfectly with the idea of the Billionaire Mansion. He wasn’t wrong.

“I wanted to redefine what super-high-end luxury homes are all about,” Makowsky explains. “I wanted to break all the molds. The level of quality and attention to detail in this house is unsurpassed. And I wanted to create the greatest feeling that you can have being at home. People spend over half their lives in their home. So when you’re home, it should be the ultimate oasis. You should have every single entertainment feature you could have in one home.”

Makowsky was able to break all the molds, indeed. When the house was first listed for sale at $250 million, it was the most expensive in the U.S. and among the priciest in the world. However, despite it’s jaw-dropping attributes, the massive cost and the many years spent working on it, it proved too much of a gamble: its price dropped to $188 million in 2018 and $150 million in early 2019.

In October 2019, Billionaire Mansion finally found its owner for “just” $94 million – pennies compared to the asking price and the treasures amassed inside.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories