Malibu may not be everyone’s cup of often traffic-choked tea, but it has long been a favored relaxation destination of the rich and famous. And it likely will always remain as such. To wit, take today’s featured house — a chic blufftop Italianate villa in the scenic city’s remote northwestern reaches. Though originally built in 1981, the structure was heavily renovated about 10 years ago and since then has acquired a peculiar, only-in-LA sort of pedigree.
In 2007, the house (and the .61-acre lot it sits upon) was acquired by financier J. Blair Frank, who is the guy responsible for giving the place its current makeover. The property was eventually leased out to Janet Jackson, who gave reporter Robin Roberts a brief videotaped tour of the estate in 2009.
Less than one year ago, Mr. Frank sold the villa for a whopping $20,250,000 to highly-compensated Netflix CCO Ted Sarandos and his wife Nicole Avant. In the year 2017 alone, documents show that Mr. Sarandos hauled in a breathtaking $22+ million in total compensation, making him the second-highest-paid Netflix exec on the books — behind only CEO Reed Hastings. And Ms. Avant, for her part, is a former US ambassador to the Bahamas and the daughter of legendary music producer Clarence Avant.
We don’t know why, but for some reason Mr. Sarandos and Ms. Avant flipped the Malibu house only eight short months after they purchased it. Perhaps they didn’t love the area, or possibly they found the noise of the crashing waves too tiresome. Or maybe they bought the house accidentally? Whoops!
Hey, these things happen.
Anyway, whatever the case, records show that Mr. Sarandos and Ms. Avant sold the property for $21,250,000 in May (2018). That’s a million bucks more than they paid eight months earlier, but remember that y’all must factor realtor fees, taxes, and closing costs into the equation. Yolanda sort of doubts that the Avant-Sarandos couple walked with any significant profit after all those ancillary costs are considered.
But we digress. The new owners, as records show, are British crooner Robbie Williams and his American actress wife Ayda Field.
Though he never made a significant impact here in the US, Mr. Williams is one of the world’s best-selling singers of all time (75 million records sold across the globe) and holds a eye-popping tally of twelve number-one UK albums. As for Ms. Field, she is a former soap opera actress and current judge on The X Factor UK, where she co-stars with her husband. Together, the couple — married since 2010 — have two young children, one girl and one boy.
Mr. Williams may have made the bulk of his estimated $200 million fortune overseas, but he and Ms. Field have lived primarily here in LA for many years. And while $21 million is a lot of money, this is hardly their most expensive or lavish home in town — their primary residence in the 90210 hills is worth far more. More on that place a bit later.
The mini-estate, which sits right on Pacific Coast Highway, is heavily secured behind tall hedges and camera-watched gates. Beyond the fortifications lies a generous motorcourt and a three-car garage attached to a two-bedroom guesthouse. The guest structure additionally features a sitting room with views across the patio to the main residence.
Between the guesthouse and the 3,592-square-foot main house is a wee patch of green lawn and a tree-shaded pool with detached spa. A stone patio includes a BBQ and lots of space for various dining and lounging options.
The rigorously rectangular main structure features an open floor plan with a living room, a family room opening to the kitchen and dining area. A giant, dramatic wall of glass disappears to reveal the back patio and sparkling ocean views beyond. There’s also a basement level with a lounge-type area and plenty of space for kickin’ your heels up.
Upstairs there are four bedrooms, including a master suite with unvarnished hardwood floors, spectacular whitewater views, and an adjacent sitting area/office. Outdoors there are various sitting areas and a covered trellis with a built-in couch space and a firepit.
Though this part of Malibu (Encinal Bluffs) is rather remote — this house is so far northwest in the community that it’s practically in Ventura County — the good thing is that there tends to be far fewer tourists up this way. That means Mr. Williams and Ms. Field can enjoy a pristine sandy beach without worrying about the unwashed masses interrupting their sunbathing excursions. And luck, there’s even a hammock!
Some of Mr. Williams’ nearest new neighbors in Malibu include Neil Diamond, Cindy Crawford, and Michael Eisner.
Since late 2015, when they bought it for $32,670,000, Mr. Williams and Ms. Field have primarily resided in a massive compound high above Beverly Hills. The Mediterranean-style estate weighs in with nearly 25,000-square-feet of living space spread out between a massive main house and a guest residence. The numerous amenities include an 11-car garage, 22 bathrooms, a gym, an elevator, wine cellar, tennis court, and an orchard on three acres of land.
Before moving to the above 90210 estate, the Field-Williams family lived in the guard-gated Mulholland Estates community. It was here, at their former home, where they were married in 2010. In 2016, the mansion was sold for $9,900,000 to its current owner, music producer extraordinaire DJ Khaled.
