A-list hobnobber Michael Kives, one of the Hollywood elite’s so-called “super-networkers” and certainly one of the most well-connected people in the industry, is finally ready to commit to a proper estate with a pedigree befitting his status. And befitting his epic 2018 wedding, too, with its eye-popping guest list that still has party planners everywhere marveling — in attendance at the Kives nuptials were everyone from Bill and Hillary Clinton to Kate Hudson and Princess Beatrice of Jordan, from Elon Musk to Reese Witherspoon and Jessica Alba, from Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg and Arnold Schwarzenegger to Katy Perry and Sia.
Kives, 40, spent the earliest chunk of his career working for the Clintons, first as a spokesman for Bill and later as a staffer in Hillary’s D.C. offices, where he toiled alongside Chief of Staff Huma Abedin. He then made the leap into the cutthroat world of talent as a top CAA agent, where he repped the likes of Warren Buffett and Schwarzenegger. In 2018, he departed CAA to establish K5 Global, a closely-held venture company that bills itself as a “media and financial services advisory and consulting firm.” As for wife Lydia Gray Kives, the nonprofit attorney has a degree from Stanford Law and began her career at the ACLU.
Records reveal the home’s seller was Ted Waitt, the billionaire tech tycoon who founded Gateway. Waitt and his second wife, former model Michelle Merkin, bought the Beverly Hills property in 2015 for $10.3 million to use as a temporary crash pad while their big new mansion in the nearby Bird Streets neighborhood was under construction. With that new house now complete, Waitt and Merkin no longer require the 90210 digs (The couple also have property in Santa Barbara, plus a $34.2 million Malibu home they bought last year from James Perse.)
Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency held the listing; Bryce Pennel of Compass repped Kives.
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Image Credit: Redfin Squirreled away on a hidden ridgeline cul-de-sac in the lower Coldwater Canyon area of town, the stately compound was built circa 1951 and designed by famed architect Gerard Colcord. While the place has clearly seen at least one or two major renovations since then, it retains its charmingly unpretentious exterior — the 6,700-square-foot, mostly single-story traditional rambles across its lot, all low-slung eaves and white clapboard siding.
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Image Credit: Redfin Inside, however, things get much more contemporary. Jet black hardwood floors, crisp white walls and designer touches abound. The formal living room offers a fireplace and a curved bar, while the specious dining and family rooms both open to the gardens via French doors.
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Image Credit: Redfin Perhaps the home’s most unexpected amenity is its truly enormous kitchen — complete with two boxcar-sized islands and top-of-the-line stainless appliances. Skylights keep the airy space warm and filled with natural light.
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Image Credit: Redfin Also on the premises is a library/office wrapped in a trendy shade of matte gray paint.
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Image Credit: Redfin Another standout is the master retreat, which offers a dual-sided fireplace that effectively bisects the bedroom and separate sitting area. There are also two showroom closets, plus a notably glam master bath with direct access to an outdoor patio and sauna.
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Image Credit: Redfin The .76-acre property is commendably private, ringed by mature palm, sycamore, and pine trees. Grassy lawns provide the perfect natural carpeting for large-scale events, and meandering pathways criss-cross the estate. A plunge pool is catered by a full outdoor kitchen and bar. On the hill’s edge, just a quick hike from the house, there’s a wee sitting area with views of the L.A. basin — perfect for meditation and moments of solitude.
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Image Credit: Redfin Rounding out the residential offering: a separate one-bedroom guesthouse, and a stand-alone gym/media room combo.
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Image Credit: Redfin The Kiveses continue to own their L.A. starter home, a modern bungalow in the Mount Olympus neighborhood of the Hollywood Hills that Michael picked up in 2013 for about $1.8 million.
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