14. Hearst Estate – $195 Million
Just a few paragraphs ago, dear reader, we talked about “Citizen Kane”–which you really need to watch. Seriously. Get on that. Well, the main character of Charles Foster Kane was based upon a real person—newspaper and publishing baron William Randolph Hearst. You know, the guy who started the Spanish-American War with a newspaper headline and at the time one of the wealthiest human beings who had ever lived. Hearst owned homes all over the country, with a special focus on California—turns out he had inherited some properties from his mother scattered throughout the state. And he built on them, investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the extravagant buildings that dotted his land.
The estate in question is located in Beverly Hills because of course, it is. Built-in 1947 when Hurst’s health was in decline, the home nevertheless reflects Hurst’s dedication to excess: columned walks, multiple swimming pools, a private cinema of course, and a double leveled dining room paneled in hardwoods that are likely extinct now. This estate is a living legacy; a piece of a world that no longer exists and a vision and style that are now lacking . . .