Rumors spoke of a bidding war that Beyoncé and Jay Z were winning, over a 23,000-square-foot spec home in Beverly Hills. Now, it would seem that they have taken our advice, and held out for something classier. Curbed LA reports that the most vulgar mansion in L.A. has actually gone for $70M to Markus "Notch" Persson, the Swedish video game developer who created the block-building game Minecraft, and became stupefyingly rich when he sold it to Microsoft in September for $2.5B.
It would seem he is already enjoying the candy room:
— Markus Persson (@notch) December 18, 2014
The home was listed in September for $85M. Beyoncé and Jay Z reportedly visited it six times, and had an offer of $70M on the table. If they did indeed put forward an offer, it was probably a bit lower; according to a breathless press release, Persson's closing bid of $70M "is the highest price ever paid for a home in Beverly Hills," and was finalized in a "lightning fast six days."
"Marcus fell in love with the house, its sleek contemporary design and its spectacular panoramic views that sweep from downtown LA to the Pacific Ocean," notes Katia De Los Reyes, who was part of the team that represented Persson. "The fact that the house also was completely furnished in such great style was another major selling point for him."
The furnishings, which are so beyond the realm of great style as to be laughable, included a replica of James Dean's motorcycle, "place settings by Roberto Cavalli at a cost of $3,700 each," Bentley pillows, a "chromed Ma Deuce machine gun" and some "Yves Saint Laurent fire extinguishers" in a glass case. (Aspiring developers take note: this kind of decoration is a great way to attract the "international buyer," the golden goose of the current L.A. real estate climate, to spend $70M on a home you built on a one-acre plot of land you purchased for just $12M.)
The Bugatti pictured in the listing photos parked in the home's 16-car garage was not part of the sale. Oddly enough, the press release notes that "Cases of Dom Perignon were part of the deal."
If Beyoncé and Jay Z were wiling to wake up to stylistic sense, then there is still hope for Persson. In keeping with his game, he should tear it down and build a new one from scratch.
· BREAKING: Minecraft Creator Snatches Bonkers Bev Hills Megamansion From Beyoncé and Jay-Z For $70MM [Curbed LA]
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