Kanye West has finally found a buyer for his Malibu beachfront home, which is a property he put on the market in December 2023 after messing it up. The contract is ready, confirmed by Selling Sunset star Jason Oppenheim, whose brokerage handled the sale of this architecturally significant gem.
Back in 2021, Kanye splashed out $57 million (R1 billion) for the mansion, only to strip it of all its interior fixtures and fittings. Originally listed for $53 million (R965 million), the price dropped to $39 million by April 2024, reflecting the cost of re-installing new finishes after the rapper’s dramatic renovation.
By December, Oppenheim revealed that Kanye had removed the house’s interiors, and the asking price was adjusted accordingly. Recent photos and videos published by the New Yorker in July show the ocean-facing facade with windows removed and rusting railings.
The saga of Kanye’s Malibu property took another twist when a former employee, Tony Saxon, sued him in September 2023 over alleged dangerous working conditions and unpaid wages. Saxon, hired in September 2021 as a project manager, also served as a full-time security guard and live-in caretaker. He claimed he worked 16-hour days, managing everything from cleaning to 24/7 security, often sleeping in makeshift conditions on the ground.
Saxon reported constant safety hazards, including workers demolishing parts of the house without safety gear. Despite a severe back injury, his pleas for rest were ignored, and he was fired in November 2021 after refusing to remove all the windows and electricity from the home. Saxon’s lawsuit alleges Kanye retorted, “If you don’t do what I say, you’re not going to work for me, I’m not gonna be your friend anymore and you’ll just see me on TV.”
Promised a pay rate of $20,000 per week, Saxon only received $20,000 for his services and another $100,000 as the project’s weekly budget. His attorney, Ron Zambrano, filed a mechanics lien on the property in January, aiming to secure over $1 million in owed wages. According to Zambrano, “If someone wants to buy Kanye’s Malibu home, they’ll have to deal with us first. That sale cannot happen without Tony being paid.”
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Tadao Ando, the home boasts 4,000 square feet of interior space and 1,500 square feet of outdoor living areas. Ando, who also designed Jay-Z and Beyonce’s $200 million Malibu property, has created fewer than 20 homes in the U.S., making this listing exceptionally prestigious.
Oppenheim expressed his excitement to People Magazine about selling a home from such a renowned architect. “I wanted to have a listing with such architectural pedigree,” he said, noting the property’s prime Malibu Road location as “one of the most desirable areas in the world.”
Despite its stripped interior, Oppenheim highlighted that the property’s value lies in its structure, constructed with approximately 1,200 tons of concrete, 200 tons of steel reinforcement, and 12 massive pylons driven more than 60 feet into the sand. He called it “a unique home for a unique and discerning buyer.”
Main Image: Realtor.com
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