He already owns a luxury home in California’s Orange County. But for more than a year now, Michael Grzesiek — better known to his millions of YouTube and Twitch subscribers as Shroud — has been looking to upgrade his residential circumstances.
During a live stream last September, the Canadian gamer told fans “For real though … [I’ve] been looking into new houses and stuff … I’m kind of like over the place where I live now.” But when followers cautioned him against going the megamansion route, he assured them that his new house definitely “Won’t have 25 bedrooms though, don’t worry – that would be f**king stupid.”
Records now confirm Shroud wasn’t just whistling Dixie. The 27-year-old has bought a bonafide compound in Hidden Hills, an exclusive guard-gated community in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. And while the property doesn’t have 25 bedrooms — there’s only six, and eight bathrooms — it’s certainly a big step up for him, both in size and price. Some of his new neighbors include Jeffree Star, Drake, Kanye West, John Stamos, Lori Loughlin and just about every Kardashian known to mankind.
If you’re shocked that a gamer can afford a nearly $10 million home in one of L.A.’s most exclusive neighborhoods, don’t be. Shroud isn’t just your run-of-the-mill streamer. As a pro gamer for the better part of a decade, he’s amassed nearly 10 million followers on Twitch, ranking as the fifth most-followed individual on the platform, and his main YouTube channel has 6.8 million subscribers and over 900 million lifetime views.
In 2019, Shroud signed a contract to leave Twitch in favor of Microsoft’s Mixer app, which was subsequently folded into Facebook Gaming. But when Shroud refused to join Facebook, it triggered his contract buyout, and he was reportedly paid a whopping $10 million lump sum — after which he immediately returned to Twitch.
Beyond that, Forbes estimates Shroud hauled in $12 million during 2019 alone, prior to the contract buyout; his income has likely soared since then, as his views and subscriber count have continued skyrocketing. That’s partially thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, which left people across the globe quarantining at home, glued to their electronic devices.
Besides his new house, Shroud still owns a residence in Irvine, California. That significantly smaller structure was built in 2018 and is located in a planned development full of nearly-identical homes. Per tax records, that O.C. home is now valued at somewhere between $2 and $3 million.
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Image Credit: Estately Originally built in 1980, the mostly single-level pad was significantly renovated in 2018, when it was sold for $6 million to real estate developer Russell Geyser.
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Image Credit: Estately Geyser transformed the gated property into an architectural fusion perhaps best described as Hawaiian-influenced contemporary in style. There are 9,000 square feet of living space spread out between a main house and detached guesthouse.
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Image Credit: Estately The property is one of the most private in the gated community, set on a private cul-de-sac atop a knoll, and with two acres of hillside land.
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Image Credit: Estately Inside the main house, an open-plan living area meshes with the many skylights and giant windows to flood the structure with natural light. A double-sided fireplace warms the living room, and sliding glass doors allow for easy indoor/outdoor living.
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Image Credit: Estately Nearly every main room enjoys some of the best views in the area, with clear vistas overlooking a huge swath of the San Fernando Valley.
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Image Credit: Estately The chef’s kitchen includes quartz-topped island and a walk-in pantry, plus the typical collection of luxury appliances.
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Image Credit: Estately The primary suite includes floor-to-ceiling walls of glass, plus an ensuite bathroom with a soaking tub set into a big-picture window.
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Image Credit: Estately Outside, the entire lot has been expensively landscaped with lush grassy lawns and colorful begonias. Scattered around are a few mature trees, which provide some much-needed shade from the oppressive Valley heat.
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Image Credit: Estately The visual centerpiece of the property is the infinity-edged pool, which includes an inset spa and Baja shelf for sunbathing.
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Image Credit: Estately The main house also offers an attached four-car garage, plus off-street parking for up to a dozen more vehicles.
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Image Credit: Estately Other noteworthy features include raised vegetable beds for organic growing, and the guesthouse includes a gym and “poker room,” per the listing.
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Image Credit: Estately -
Image Credit: Estately