Thursday, July 12, 2007

Fleur De Lys This...

OWNER: Suzanne Saperstein
LOCATION: Carolwood Drive, Bel Air, CA
PRICE: $125,000,000
SIZE: 35,046 square feet, 12 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms
DESCRIPTION: Fleur De Lys - The Finest Estate in America. Available by appointment to pre-qualified clients only. The property has 12 bedrooms, 15 baths, guest house on a 5.01 acres.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: No children, that is not the summer residence of The Pope. Nor is this palace located in some backwater outside of Paris where French Royalty went to get away from the pestilence and poverty of the common people. Nor is this a government building, a posh hotel, or a school. No babies, this is a house. Known by the pompous name of Fleur De Lys, the house was built by Texas billionaire David Saperstein and his big blond Swedish wife Suzanne, who apparently wanted to world to know they have more money than an Egyptian Pharaoh. If everything is bigger in Texas, then this house proves it's even bigger when Texans relocate to the Holmby Hills.

The New York Social Diary has a nice synopsis of the Saperstein love story which has all the earmarks of a tawdry romance novel. But alas, the once happy marriage has ended in a well publicized and not so amicable dee-vorce. Suzanne, being the mother of their three children, got the big house in the Holmby Hills section of Bel Air as part of her settlement, and she promptly put on the market with a staggering $125,000,000 price tag.

Gurl isn't crazy. She knows what it costs to run that house, and she's well aware of the number of staff that need to be paid just to keep the lawn mowed and the windows washed. And she is not about to run through her dee-vorce settlement cash settling up with the hedge trimmers, house maids, and pool people. She's knows that now that she's dee-vorced, it's time to get practical. Besides, what rich man is going to want to marry a woman who comes with expenses and baggage like Fleur De Lys?

Reports have said that Miz Saperstein and the children have given up the big house for a more sensibly sized 14,800 square foot house at the family's 140 acre ranch in Simi Valley. Simi Valley?

Your Mama does not know who or what sort of person would actually buy a house like Fleur De Lys, but we have been told by someone who would know that the house has been looked at by potentates, foreign governments, a Russian oligarch or two, and even a few stupendously rich Americans. It is someone from this circle that we have to thank for the photographs you see above. No, Your Mama does not fraternize with billionaires, but we do fraternize with people who fraternize with billionaires. Wink, wink.

Although property records indicate the house at just over 35,000 square feet, most reports say the house has 45,000 square feet. The larger number likely includes the guest house and staff quarters which are contained in separate buildings. An recent article in the Wall Street Journal tells us that inside the big house there are 12 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, Italian marble walls, French limestone floors, gold-embossed leather wall coverings, gold leaf crown moldings, a vast ballroom, two kitchens, and a 50-seat screening room, natch. Also on the grounds, a pool house with kitchen, massage room, gym, a three bedroom manager's house, staff quarters for ten, a nine-care garage, and a three-quarter mile jogging track.

Please also note the trampoline that has been placed at the back of the house on the not very well tended lawn. Tacky. Seriously, Miss Suzanne Saperstein, you have 5 acres there and boo-coo bucksin your myriad of Chanel purses and pocketbooks...Have that trampoline put somewhere more discreet on the property.

One day someone will come along and buy this house. Somehow Your Mama doubts they'll pay anywhere near the $125,000,000 asking price. But whatever amount it is that gets coughed up, you can bet that number will flabbergast and amaze Your Mama. Trust us when we say the Dr. Cooter will need to be shoving smelling salts under our nose to keep us from passing out from shock the day this house transfers ownership.

Sources: Mother Jones, New York Social Diary, The Independent, Wall Street Journal

52 comments:

Anonymous said...

This house was built by Saperstein?

I was always under the impression that this used to be the house of B. Gerald & Iris Cantor. I could swear I have seen it on Forbes Most Expensive Homes in America a few years ago and for a few years in a row.

Am I thinking of another house in Bel Air?

Anonymous said...

That's a different house.

Anonymous said...

I couldn't see the trampoline. Can you believe the 600+ feet trek to the staff quarters house? Maybe they'll get a golf cart. Ha!

Scott said...

This home was featured in Robb Report a few years back, around '02 or '03, soon after it was built.

Anonymous said...

Ah...the house I was thinking of was "La Belle Vie", which I would have sworn was this house. Here's a link: http://www.forbes.com/2000/12/22/1222how.html

Can you tell me what street "La Belle Vie" is on in Bel Air?

The estate we are talking about in this post is 350 N. Carolwood, correct?

Anonymous said...

The B.Gerald & Iris Cantor
house is located on St Cloud Road
in Bel Air (2nd house on right as you turn in form Bel Air road)

Fleur de lys was designed by
Robertson Partners - there are some more photo's on their web site, but I'm still looking out for interior shots.... any luck Mama?

Anonymous said...

On the realtors site, there's only the exterior photos. More photos if you're a serious buyer.

Anonymous said...

I channel surf alot when watching TV, and happened to catch an interior tour of this house in just the past week, but I'll be darned if I can remember the name of the show or network now. The rooms are gargantuan, have very high ceilings, and are covered wall to wall and head to toe in real gold leafing and white French antiques. Think a white and gold version of the Rod Stewart home's interiors, and you have a glimpse of an idea, the visual equivalent of a 7 tier wedding cake, and every bit as toothache inducing.

Anonymous said...

The whole place is beyong tacky ... I'm quite surprised that she's swedish - most swedes have great taste & rarely ostentatious ... but this place does scream Texas as opposed to Stockholm!

Anonymous said...

Sitting here thinking, it MAY have been HGTV's "What's With That Really Expensive House", but I can't swear to it.

Anonymous said...

This is the kind of over-the-top estate that I wish we could pick up and move to DC and make the New White House. That would be a more fitting use for such a monstrosity!

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 9:47 AM, oh no you wouldn't, trust me. I've been to and inside the White House and it's really quite something.. speaking from a historical perspective. Fleur De Lys' exterior is boring by comparison, and as someone suggested here, the interior is beyond tacky, although admittedly very expensive tacky.

Anonymous said...

je la veux

Anonymous said...

Ok, each to their own :)

Anonymous said...

it makes me feel money is wasted on the rich.

this kind of vulgarity makes me re-think my stance on the death sentence.

think of it, they would be outfitted in chic clothes by stylists whose work is beyond reproach and then hung from cheap brown rope in the middle of beverly hills while Nina Simone sings Pirate Jenny from a nearby boombox

Anonymous said...

I appreciate the info about the B. Gerald and Iris Cantor estate. I found it! Now I have my properties straight. Thanks for clearing things up.

Anonymous said...

looks like something trump or sadam hussein would live in.

Anonymous said...

This house looks like Versailles took a dump and it landed in Beverly Hills.

Anonymous said...

there is a ad for this house in the current robb report also.

:)

Anonymous said...

simi Valley is where the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is located.

Anonymous said...

their farm in simi valley is amazing!! It is http://www.hummingbirdnestranch.com/ Supposedly it is for sale as well.

Anonymous said...

Staggering.

Anonymous said...

wow. shg

Anonymous said...

This is the Simi Valley ranch

http://www.hummingbirdnestranch.com/

Anonymous said...

Correction, there are only 7 bedrooms in the main house and 3 kitchens including the one in the pool house. Oh, and it has a cold storage locker for furs!

Anonymous said...

don't forget about the two "safe rooms" that lead you to a lower level outside exit.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the tennis court still leaks when it rains.

Anonymous said...

Me and my husband worked for them some 9 years ago when this monstrosity was being built. The 2 of them are nuts. There is not a domestic agency in LA that will work with them. They use to go thru help like one goes to the bathroom. They live in a fantasy world, We are glad to be back in New York where people keep it real!!

Anonymous said...

Lady Vulgar of Vulgaria - aka Mrs Saperstein - had the equestrian community in stitches when we had to watch her wallet-waving show in action.

Anonymous said...

You people are a bunch of sick hypocrites. The Saperstein's are all amazing and deeply caring people. Mrs. Saperstein is a well-known philanthropist who has dedicated her time and money to several charities. She has supported the gay community enormously and holds an annual equestrian event to raise money for children in need. Mr. Saperstein is an honest self-made man who should be admired for his accomplishments. How dare any of you ridicule these people who have given back so much to their community. They've worked hard and honest to make their money and as far as I am concerned they can spend it however they wish. Mr. and Mrs. Saperstein grew up with the same means as many of you and made something of their lives - you people on the other hand sit at your computers and bicker in your jealous rants. Get over yourselves.

Anonymous said...

The Saperstein's are not all amazing and deeply caring people. They have blinders on. They only see the world that they have created. Not the real world!

Anonymous said...

I worked on their house(it's more of an equestrian resort) in Simi Valley. Mrs. Sapperstein pulled up in her giant black hummer and demanded a 30% discount because of the amount of work I had done. WHAT?! Let's see who needs the money more, small business owner barely scraping, or billionaire "philanthropists?"
Also donated half a million to the Bush campaign.

Anonymous said...

I worked for these people for two years and I agree, they have blinders on. Their kids are amazing though. Very level and bright. I actually feel sorry for them. What a world to grow up in. The ex Mrs Saperstien is an alchololic and thinks she is the Queen of England. Mr Saperstien is self involved and doesn't really care about the world around him, unless he is bribing the police department so he can land his private helicopter on their decks. To bad for these people. If only the money didn't corrupt them. Ultimate power corrupts ultimately. With great power comes great responsibility.

Anonymous said...

Worked security for the "Family", He is kinda of ok when he is on his own. But hell throw that bitch into the mix LOOKOUT. They are not good peoplethey woul make their staff work 12 hour shifts with no overtime and the County was looking into them breaking labor laws. They did not care about their staff just themselves.

Anonymous said...

12 or 14 hours or more. Yep, where was their money then? It is so good that we all are past this in our lives. I feel very sorry for the future employees of Mr or Mrs-Ex Saperstien though. Hopefully they won't have to suffer long and get the boot just like all of us.

Anonymous said...

No way I would live there. I don't like it. Buy as an investment and lease it out.

Anonymous said...

I would Live There if it was redecorated on the inside

Anonymous said...

I only lasted 2 months with Suzanne!!! BAAA!!!!! Geez, what a trip down memory lane reading all this stuff!

I was at the Bev Hills house on Delferin Dr.(?)off Sunset, BEFORE Fleur de Lys, when it was just an architectual concept, and when we just finished the Malibu house (Mar De Amor - I still have my robe!) and had that grand party with the Pointer Sisters!! Those b*tches wouldn't get out of the limo until I gave them a check for $10K. Hilarious!! Later on around 11pm, I got an insane BJ from a drunk 52 yr old woman (friend of Suz) in the back of her Jaguar, and she then gave me $427 out of her pocket, and I let her drive away from the party totally wasted!! Hilarious!

David was a cool guy. Suzanne was difficult to say the least!!!!

Coolest guy on the planet was house manager Marc Lenoir!!! Where is he now??

Glen the security guy was a nice guy. The fireman kid (other security guy) was an A-hole.

Cripes, how many times did Marc Lenoir give me his Amex card and send me down to Rodeo to buy $1000 worth of light bulbs or buy suits at Mens Wearhouse?!!!

How about the hot a.s.s Swedish blonde chick (David's PA)from the office that totaled the Mercedes??

How many F You letters did they get every time someone quit??!! The next day there would be one in the mailbox!! hahaha!!

Did Dave really marry that nanny from Sweden with the f-cked up teeth??? From when the kids were little??? Wow!! She was NOT hot.

I took Alexis shopping once. We spent $675 on crap over by UCLA. Whatever she wanted! Of course I bought a kick azz LV wallet for myself. Hilarious.

Everyone was banging the mexican housekeeping girls that hid out in the back room ironing all day and watching Telemundo. They were our personal jizz receptacles. No english, but they could suck like you wouldn't believe! The ATTIC!!

Suzanne and that HUGE diamond ring just sitting in a drawer in her stupid closet!!! Big as a 50 cent piece! Worth hundreds of 1000's...she hated it, and could've cared less!

Surprised David put up with her for that long?!!

How about Suzanne and her smoothies before her workout, that were supposed to be fat free, but we used 100 real cream and lots of sugar. They must've been 6000 calories and 74gms of fat!! She would say, "Are these really fat free??" We'd say, "Oh yes Suzanne, all natural, totally healthy!"

I would buy 10K worth of scarves, trinkets and desk supplies from HERMES on Rodeo, have them ship it to some mail place in New Jersey, then they would Fed EX to the house in BH. All that, just to avoid paying CA tax on the goods!! Hilarious! David was a smart dude!

How about when I knocked over a huge glass sculpture out by the pool at BH house. David and Suzanne asked what just happened outside? Marc jumps in and says, "Oh, Max and Minnie got out of their cages and did that!" The dogs were in the garage and sleeping! Marc was the best! It was always the staff against David and Suzanne. Marc told me to always agree with them and always lie!!! He ruled!!

All in all, working for them for 60 days seemed like 9 years, but I still talk about my experiences there. I wish I would have stayed on to live at Fleur de Lys!!! Then again, I probably would have committed suicide within a year, if I had to endure Suzanne that long...

I bought a horse for Suzanne over the phone, sight unseen for $20K, put it on a credit card and had the beast Fed Ex'd to Malibu!! Crazy! Funny thing is, the horse turned out to be pretty good and won a bunch of Hunter Jumper trophies.

This was great. Unbelievable!

Anonymous said...

What a prick! this dude going on about his days. It is amazing to see how many people on here who have worked for them go on about how awful they were. You wouldn't near have the experiences to remember if it weren't for them and your lives are that much more eventful because of them. Jealousy is so obvious. I did 3 years myself. Its best to keep your mouth shut and respect the private lives of the people you work for. You'll be quickly out of a job and out of the circle. It pays to get out if it doesn't work and go an doing your trade with dignity. Years down the line when they google the families you worked for and spend often hours looking over web sites like this they will end up putting two and two together and you will loose credibility. Society wants stories like this. They came along to provide one.

So much about these people we don't know. Defaming them is so beyond us as professionals. I agree there are those who know how to appreciate the support of human help and those who watch too many f*&%$^ movies.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know who owns the huge house to the west of Fleur De Lys? Its the one right next door that looks even bigger.

Anonymous said...

For what its worth (and that ain't much, mama) i was once at a birthday dinner which featured those two on the guest list.(preee-deeevorce.) perhaps should i say 'those four'...meaning david, suzanne, her ring and it's bodyguard.

puhleeze.

seriously, who brings a bodyguard to a small, private birthday bash? oh wait. i think i already know the infinitely overblown, attention-junkie answer to that.

(the house is merely the palest whisp-of-a-reflection of aforementioned bottomless ego.)

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know what is happening with the Hummingbird turning into a spa? Has it passed with the city of Simi?

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shannon_lesco@yahoo.com said...

You want to talk about a waste of money? From what I have read Mariah Carey is considering purchasing this home!!! The economy is so bad but she can flaunt her $$$$$ buy purchasing this, She should really donate something to charity, CELEBRITIES MAKE ME SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

If you have the time to spend on reading this, maybe you should take a course in the English language. Go home to whereever the Fuck you came from!!!

The US does not need any more illiterate imbeciles (especially the ones who are wasting their time on the computer instead of learning the native language) to give input to something that is obviously over their heads!!!

Get back to picking strawberries or giving massages with happy endings.

There is a REASON that you did not make any money in your native country!!

David said...

http://www.cummingscurley.com/images/portfolio/Fleur%20de%20lys.jpg

Anonymous said...

STOP CONCENTRATING THE WORLD'S WEALTH.

What a load of PR crap (The billionaire philanthropy/generosity angle.). If it weren't for the obscene concentration of wealth and capital that over-paid filth stand for, there never would have been a shrinking US middle class, consumer debt crisis, market for subprime, global credit crunch, or economic downturn. Its not brain surgery. For the mostpart, its simple math. GREED KILLS. Say that reminds me.

I challenge Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to spend the obscene reserves held by their 'Jolie-Pitt' Foundation on legitimate efficient 'humanitarian' work or turn the funds over to others who will. To date, they have taken in $22,000,000 on the sale of baby photos alone, another 6 or 7 figures from other sources, and spent or granted only a fraction of that on 'humanitarian' work or 'good will' of any kind. The rest so far, has been spent on PR campaigns, plane rides, and super-high end accomodations for Brad and Angie in exotic locations around the world. I challenge them to operate with a reasonable overhead, open their books to prove it, get over themselves, and get their 'foundation' worthy of a decent rating by an independent watchdog like Charitywatch.org. Otherwise, to stop selling baby photos for their own 'charity' and stop seeking publicity for donations made in their own name to their own foundation/travel/PR firm within a week of their latest film or DVD release. I challenge Brad Pitt to do the same with his 'Make it right' Foundation. Which to date, has not been given a decent rating by ANY independent charity watchdog. Otherwise, to stop competing with 'Habitat for Humanity' for PR, credit, and funding. Who by the way have been building homes for the less fortunate in every major city including New Orleans for decades. 'Habitat for Humanity' has been 'Top Rated' for years by charitywatch.org and others. They operate with a low overhead, volunteer workforce, and donated materials. No similar effort can match their progress hour for hour or dollar for dollar. Unlike 'Make it right', the homes built by 'Habitat' don't sit vacant. They don't exclude by cost, lower income families. They are allocated and built specifically for the less fortunate who take part in the building process and move in immediately upon completion. 'Habitat' works in every major city including New Orleans. It puts 'Make it right' to shame. In fact, hundreds of legitimate charities have been given good-excellent ratings by Charitywatch.org and other independent watchdog groups. By contrast, the vast, overwhelming majority of celebrity 'foundations' have been rated poorly, fair, or not rated at all. They are inefficient, corrupt, focus heavily on PR, and operate with shady, self-serving, misleading accounting practices. Still, they have the nerve to self-audit, self-praise, mislead the donor/fan base, seek funding from a number of sources including ordinary people, compete with legitimate charities, and cash in on maximum PR for their inefficient 'humanitarian' efforts. Its not right.

Anonymous said...

Check this article out!Fleur De Lys is dangerous!

http://flyingstarfengshui.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/fleur-de-lys-has-bad-earth-luck/

Anonymous said...

Fleur de Lys Has Bad (Earth) Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Read this article below!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://flyingstarfengshui.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/fleur-de-lys-has-bad-earth-luck/

Ragemanchoo said...

Yikes.. a lot of whiney people who can't appreciate a neo-classical mansion. Go dry-hump some tofu. Fuck.

And the feng shui people above, put a sock in it, kids.

Its been two years now -- did the house ever sell?

Anonymous said...

So many people bitching and moaning about how other people are spending THEIR money....last time I checked in the U.S. you are free to do as you please with your personal property (cash, real estate, etc).

Maybe if many of you concentrated on bettering your own situations instead of spending all day whining about what rich people are doing, you would be less pissed off all the time.

I make less than $100k per year, but when you consider the amount of jobs the planning, construction, and maintenance of this house must require...That's a good number of incremental middle class jobs as a result.

Anonymous said...

I can tell you that this property is still for sale and Suzanne still lives here, though she has several businesses running and is working hard. She was participating in a Swedish series called "Swedish Hollywood wives" earlier this year and got to follow her life for a bit, both inside and outside of this house. I've seen other shows where Suzanne has guided us through her house. It's built as a copy of Versaille and Michael Jackson has been there to party. She seems nice but very firm and hardworking. The children are lovely though!