Monday, September 28, 2009

Anyone Got $250,000,000 for a House?

SELLER: Adnan Khashoggi
LOCATION: Boulevard Leader, La Bocca, Cannes, France
PRICE: €180,000,005
SIZE: 1,000 square meters, 16 bedrooms
DESCRIPTION: Magnificent Florentine-style villa enjoying a fabulous landscaped parkland of about 11 hectares with winter garden sculptures, waterfalls, water-jets, a superb swimming pool with poolhouse, and breathtaking views of the sea. Personalities from all over the world have enjoyed a stay in the property.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Several days ago, while sitting on the beach soaking up sunshine and sweating out the booze toxins with our visiting friend Suzee! Q., Your Mama received a missive from Madame Mobilé on our portable email machine regarding a lavish estate just outside of Cannes, France that recently hit the market with the butt clenching asking price of €180,000,005. No chickens, Your Mama's nubbins did not mistakenly add another zero to that number, the estate is actually listed at one hundred eighty million Euros. A quick consultation with and a few flicks of the well worn beads of our beloved and bejeweled abacus reveals that sky high figure converts to a diarrhea inducing $264,528,007.

The approximately 27 acre hillside estate that overlooks the Mediterranean, dubbed La Croix-des-Gardes, is owned by notorious Saudi Arabian arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. Actually, while Your Mama knows the property was most certainly owned by Mister Khashoggi at one time, it's a bit unclear to Your Mama whether Mister Khashoggi still owns and maintains the vast estate or if it was sold in the late 1980 or early 1990s when the billionaire had some cash flow problems.

The controversial businessman and shameless publicity seeker–who once touted himself as being the richest man in the world–is (in)famous for his alleged involvements in a slew international scandals and conspiracies. He has cavorted with Muammar al-Qaddafi, was famously accused (and acquitted) of alleged involvement as a key facilitator in the Iran-Contra arms deals and was later accused (and acquitted) of assisting friends Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos loot the Philippines of hundreds of millions of dollars as well as secretly stashing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of paintings that shoe fiend Imelda allegedly swiped from the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. And that's just the tip of Mister Khashoggi's international incident iceberg.

At the apex of his fame and wealth in the 1970s and 80s Mister Khashoggi was a big baller with a high flying lifestyle. He reportedly owned a dozen or more posh properties around the world including an 18,000 square foot condo doo-plex condo that sprawled across the 47th and 48th floors at the Olympic Tower in New York City and contained 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, a ballroom, indoor gardens and an indoor swimming pool. Mister Khashoggi also flaunted his riches with at least two jet planes (a DC-8 and a DC-9) as well as a 281-foot boat he called the Nabila which was seized by the Sultan of Brunei in 1987 for non-payment of a $50,000,000 loan. The sick rich Sultan sold the 12-state room, helipad-equipped floating mansion to Donald Trump who in turn sold it in 1991 to Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud who re-dubbed it the Kingdom 5KR.

Your Mama has no idea when Mister Khashoggi purchased the Florentine style villa surrounded by extensive terraced gardens that surely require a flotilla of minimum wage men to clip, water and mow. According to listing information, the main house includes a reception hall, lounge, library, dining room, winter garden, guest crappers, walk in closets and kitchens, the plural being used in the listing. The main house includes at least six bedrooms. In addition to a study, there are two large suites on the second floor with private poopers that include bee-days for washing the naughty bits and 4 additional bedrooms, each with pooper and bee-day, on the third floor.

The basement is comprised of cellars, a lock-up garage for 6 cars, a staff apartment with living room, kitchen and terlit as well as two additional bedrooms that share a pooper. Other buildings on the property include a 4-bedroom guest pavilion, a 2-bedroom gardener's accommodation, and another studio flat. Listing information also reveals that underneath the swimming pool, near the "machine room," is another maid's bedroom. Oh larhd have mercy someone save Your Mama and the Dr. Cooter iffin we ever had the nerve to attempt to house our imperious house gurl Svetlana in a bedroom located next to a "machine room" and underneath the damn swimming pool. The south of France would surely see a hissy fit involving ear piercing screeching, hair pulling and extensive property destruction.

Anyhoo, oher luxuries for the sprawling estate include an elevator–because people this rich simply do not use the stairs–and security measures include a gate house, an armored door and an alarm system that probably rivals that of Fort Knox. Given Mister Kashoggi's reputation and access to arms we would not be surprised to hear that he employed snipers to prowl around on the villa's roof.

Your Mama eagerly waits to hear who, if anyone, buys this property at a time when Russian billionaires and wildly rich Asian potentates have lost vast amounts of their wealth during the latest global economic tail spin. Even still there are many who made billions off the losses of others so surely there are 10 or 12 people out there who still possess the means and desire to purchase this property and spend millions each ear on taxes, maintenance and staffing. We just don't know who they are.

42 comments:

Anonymous said...

Reminds me a bit of Leopolda...what happened with that sale anyway?Did new Mr NY Njets buy it in the end?Or he kept that money for Njets?:-)

Anonymous said...

I'll take two ! :-)

Anonymous said...

Re: the "well worn beads of our beloved and bejeweled abacus..." Me thinks the beads need replacing. The 184 Mil euros, as of 28 Sept, converts to: =/- $268.621 Million.
Which, of course, makes the price even more other worldly.

See:http://www.reuters.com/finance/currencies/quote?srcAmt=184&srcCurr=EUR&destAmt=&destCurr=USD&historicalDate=

Your Mama said...

We checked our bejeweled abacus again...it comes to $264,528,007.

My guess is that everyone's abacus has a slight variation in the exchange rate.

Anonymous said...

How lovely. The house that death and destruction built.

Anonymous said...

"Gentlemen" like Mr.Khashoggi make me recoil in horror. There is a special place in Hell for arms dealers/hangers-on of corrupt leaders/thieves like the Marcoses. It's a beautiful estate, but if this really is Khashoggi's home, it has worse juju then the Madoff homes.

Anonymous said...

This place is breathtaking. $268 mil though.......no way.

Anonymous said...

This guy is one of the biggest pieces of garbage in human history.
This price is inane and insane.

He also had a couple of gorgeous properties in Tahoe that were about $50 million each. I don't know if he ever sold them.

StPaulSnowman said...

With chilly winds gusting to 35 mph here, your post was like a mug of hot cocoa! The photos look very interesting and I bet the landscaping is magnificent from the ground level. I hope that the motorcourt is crushed marble and not class 5 aggregate or wonky pavers. I am still wondering what a guest "pavillion" is. It must be agent speak for something more grand than a guest house. I suspect the difference between the abacus printouts stems from whether or not ownership of the slaves is considered a part of the property. Any chance of seeing some interior shots?..........no I didn't think so.

Mama Crass Spelling said...

All this place needs is a mean bald guy in a white suit stroking a persian cat. I am not sure that that pool extension isn't camouflage for the missile launcher.

Anonymous said...

"These people could order China as a takeaway." -Absolutely Fabulous

Anonymous said...

This looks like something Oprah should buy.

DCM said...

I wonder if some of the movie "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" was filmed here...

dolly said...

"Shahpari Khashoggi? All that money and she's still got a moustache." - Patsy Stone

Anonymous said...

so this place is 107,600 square feet...wow, or is that the land?

chris said...

Google Earth shows a lot of construction going on just below the villa. Of course when that picture was taken I can't say. There is another similar villa just to the West of this one. Quite a few in that category above Cannes, I suspect. But none quite equal to Villa Leopolda near Villefranch sur Mer that was abortively sold for 500 million euros. That sale still in limbo?

Anonymous said...

I'd rather read about celebrity homes...not the devil's.

NewYorkQueer said...

"beginning to be housed like a human being"

shelbylynn said...

Wow, that's all I can say is Wow. If I had that much, I don't think I would spend it all on one place, haha, would need 2 or 3.
shelbylynn
http://www.shopshelbylynn.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

$250mm...and it's not even oceanfront (or should I say seafront)!

Anonymous said...

This post brings back memories. I actually went to a party during the 80s at his Olympic Towers condo. I even have some photos of the event somewhere in a box in my closet.I remember his wife was decked out in $1M worth of jewelry that night. I also traveled on one of his jets to Europe. I remember he claimed to have three at that time. It was quite the lifestyle he was living. I had no idea who he was at the time other than being insanely rich. If I had known what I do now I would have been afraid to be around him. Nevertheless, it was an interesting experience.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:32 were you a lady (or man) of pleasure?

Tori Spelling dog's personal assistant said...

Hummm...i think Mariah Carey should buy it and, after that, people would be really 'obsessed with me' (her) !!
And like Oprah, i think she has the money...

Anonymous said...

Who owns the massive house next door to this property? It's nearly twice the size of Kashoggi's manse! ! !

Anonymous said...

Someone mentioned the huge property to the North West ... It's beyond disgusting but it's available for £25M which is approx $40M ...

It's new & awful ... looks like something you'd find in Beverly park.

Anonymous said...

The Olympic Tower digs were more lavish than you let on. This was also the place he was under house arrest and one of the first to wear the ankle bracelet. Not sure who the current owner is, but having been in the place a few times when Mr. Khashoggi lived there, here is what I saw: The indoor swimming pool overlooked St. Patrick's cathedral, there was an incredible art gallery on the NW corner of the apt which looked up 5th Ave. Huge central circular staircase. The central hallway on the main floor (top floor) ran the length of the apartment which was spectacular.

Also in residence at The Olympic Tower at that time: Laura Branigan, assorted Gucci's, a few Ferragamo's, David Jone's offices and Tommy Mattola. Quite the elevator rides.

Anonymous said...

Where are you, Mama?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for a wonderful blog! :) Regarding this house, are you sure about the square meters? 10,000 is almost a hundred thousand square feet! Can´t be that big.

Anonymous said...

I don't know what it's actually worth, but unless about 80,000 square feet of it is underground, there is no way this house is 10,000 square meters, which, as was said above, is over 100,000 square feet. This house isn't even a fifth of that. The huge house to the east of it is probably around 25,000 or 30,000. I would guess AK's house is about 17,000 to 20,000sf. Probably worth about 60 million...dollars, not euros.

Insanely Rich said...

I have $250,000,000 for this house...Let me go get it right now. BRB

Anonymous said...

Has something happened to the Mama?

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:56 AM

Actually no, but I can see why you would think that is a possibility based on my comment and his history. He is rumored to always have had paid escorts around for himself and others. When I flew to Europe, both he and his wife were on board--all was kosher. She was a really beautiful lady. Strangely enough, I met him through an Indian Swami who was traveling with him at the time. It’s a very long and crazy story.

OldTimeReligion said...

Is it just me or does this site seem like it has cement shoes since comment monitoring became necessary?

Anonymous said...

The larger chateau next door looks like it's connected to this estate by paths. Could they be on the same property? Maybe that is why it is so pricy. 2 for 1 chateaus! The one pictured with the pool might be the guest house and the other is the main house.

Anonymous said...

Where are you, Mama? I'm very worried that you got drunk and are laying in a gutter somewhere!!

Mike said...

The house next to it is for sale also! Been on sale a loooong time, no buyer so far. Empty inside, so you can create your own dream home :)

Anonymous said...

This is Pierre from South of France: first of all, I must say to Mama that this blog is just amazing! I wanted to thank you and I wish you all the best!
This villa is one of the greatest estate of Cannes and a real piece of French Riviera lifestyle: built in 1917 as a Florentine house by a french industrialist, with "à la française" gardens (where is now the pool). Sold to the "Bijoux Burma" owner in the 20's, it was used by Hitchcock for "To Catch a Thief" in the scenes where Grace Kelly and Cary Grant were visiting a villa to buy. Charlie Chaplin, the Duke of Edimbourgh etc. were among guests of the estate.
In the 60's, it was sold to someone related to the "Perrier" mineral water company and completely transformed as the Palladian villa we are seeing now. Each bedroom is more like a small flat and the basement has a summer drawing room.
There are different gardens with "orangerie" and "folie" houses etc.
On the villa North-East is a water garden with ponds and cascades, not connected to the ugly "Palladio meet Dubai" neighbouring villa... that nobody seems to want to buy!!!!

Anonymous said...

This Pierre again!
The house has lot of underground space by the way...
And for the price, on the Frech Riviera, there is a smaller estate in Cap Martin, Villa Maria Irina, 3,2 hectares and 5000 square meter for sale at 130 000 000€... The same price than Villa Joya in Cap Ferrat, 1,6 hectare and 1000 square meter.
In the previous years, many estates, especially in Cap Ferrat were bought by Eastern Europeans and Russians for "secret" prices but above 100 000 000€ like ex-Preminger-Villa-Sorrentina or Villa Serena...
The market here is very discreet and the price doesn't seem to go down as these villages or Cap are very fashionnable and international must-have!
But surrely there are negociations...

Anonymous said...

Is this the house in the French movie "Priceless"?

Anonymous said...

I think this house is no longer belong to Khashoggi as he is sick and lives in Saudi Arabia in Riyadh in his own house. His Iranian wife
Shahpari , 30 years younger, lives in Jeddah , but I do not know if it is her own house or rentedm house.

shahpari is a nice lady, but she has a boy friend now of her age or younger and awating to collect the remaining money of Khashoggi . shahpari took a lot of money from Khashoggi for 20 years of virtual marriage.

Lisa with VA Refinance said...

Wow that guy made lots of money. I want to make that kind of money! All the things I can do with $250 mill.

Anonymous said...

Who Shall I contact to Buy this house ? Adnan Khashoggi or His third wife Shapari ? Or Shall I Contact Shapari's boy friend ?

I can only pay 99million US$ 1