Sassy, sharp-tongued, super-rich and famously moobish Mister Cowell—Ouch! Did we say that out loud?—acquired the Hal Leavitt-designed mid-century modern mini-mansion in October 2011 from AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips** for $15,500,000. A few quick clicks and clacks on Your Mama's beloved bejeweled abacus reveals Mister Cowell is angling for a hefty, multi-million dollar windfall—minus any improvement expenses and carrying costs, of course—should some deep pocketed buyer step up and cough up anywhere near the (alleged) asking price.
Listing details and other reports from the time of Mister Cowell's much-discussed-by-property-gossips addition to his residential real estate portfolio show the U-shaped multi-level mansion was built in 1966 and sits on a mostly flat, .65 acre parcel with head-spinning views that sweep across a large swathe of the mostly flat L.A. basin. In addition to Misters Cowell and Phillips, the home's Hollywood-y pedigree includes long-time lovers and life partners Ross Hunter and Jacques Mapes, the former an Oscar-nominated movie producer (Airport, Pillow Talk) and the latter an accomplished set director turned producer.
We're not sure what, if any, improvements and/or alterations Mister Cowell made to the double-gated property but listing details from the time of his purchase show the 7,265 square foot residential edifice had two bedroom suites plus two additional bedrooms and a total of six bathrooms. Other features noted in online marketing materials from the time of the sale include a digital screening room, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, a built-in outdoor barbecue, and a plunge-sized swimming pool set beneath a muscular concrete superstructure and a delicate satellite-style chandelier.
*If Mister Cowell's (alleged) asking price seems a mite high to any of the upper end real estate cynics out there, remember, puppies, that in December 2009, Oakley sunglasses tycoon Jim Jannard shelled out $19,900,000 for an iconic, crab-shaped mid-century modern located just a few doors down from Mister Cowell's plance that he razed to make way for a bigger and more newly fangled abode. And let's not forget that just a few months ago Burt Sugarman and Mary Hart sold their dated but well-maintained 11,000 square foot spread—also just a couple doors down from Mister Cowell's house—for $27,000,000 to a well-connected and (obviously) sick-rich Saudi sheikh. A twenty million clam hang tag for a whisper listing in a much-coveted and proven pricey locale doesn't sound so high now, does it, children?
**Property records show Randy Phillips purchased the property in February 2004 for $4.63 million. A quick bit of rudimentary arithmetic reveals the sometimes temperamental and real estate gods favored the music industry mogul who—the lucky duck—well more than tripled his money in seven years.
listing photos (Beverly Hills, Trousdale Estates): Sotheby's International Realty
street photo (Beverly Hills, Flats): Wikimapia
street photo (London, Holland Park): Google