Jeff Stibel, the prominent Hidden Hills, Calif.-based brain scientist and venture capitalist who was also the late Kobe Bryant’s longtime business partner, has hung an $11.995 million pricetag on his oceanfront home along one of Malibu’s best-kept secrets — its gorgeous Escondido Beach.
Sequestered near the very end of a long private road, almost directly below the ever-popular Geoffrey’s restaurant, the 6,600 sq. ft. mansion was custom-built by Stibel and his longtime wife Cheryl in 2009, and is perhaps best-described as contemporary Mediterranean in style. Over the years, the couple have frequently attempted to either unload or rent out the home; the property was most recently offered for sale in 2016, when it was saddled with a too-dear $13.45 million ask.
Like many oceanfront Malibu houses, the Stibel residence sits cheek-to-jowl between two other large residences. The home’s front door is somewhat awkwardly placed on the side of the structure, directly facing a neighbor’s wall, though it opens into a properly regal foyer with a double-height ceiling, antique stone floors quarried in France, and a massive iron chandelier. From there, a short corridor leads to the living room, where there’s a fireplace and two sets of foldaway glass doors that offer A+ views of the Malibu coastline. The neighboring dining room has its own set of foldaway doors, and the attached kitchen flaunts a center island and bevy of high-end appliances, including a drool-worthy La Cornue stove.
There are four guest bedrooms, all of them ensuite, and a spacious master retreat with lustrous hardwood floors, walls of glass leading to a private balcony, and spa-style bathroom with intricate mosaic tilework. Elsewhere in the home is a listing-described “movie room” and a library with reading nook, though arguably the property’s best feature is its rooftop deck, with a heated pool, spa, built-in BBQ and outdoor fireplace — all with dream-like ocean views.
Stibel, 47, is a serial entrepreneur and veteran businessman who formerly served as Chairman and CEO of the now-defunct Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp, and as president and CEO of domain registration service Web.com. He holds a degree in cognitive science from Brown University and is noted for his academic contributions to the field of brain science, though he remains best-known to the public for his close association with the late, great Kobe Bryant, with whom he co-founded Bryant Stibel, a $100 million venture capital fund they privately bankrolled. During Bryant’s lifetime, the pair invested in a vast array of companies, including games maker Scopely and legal services provider LegalZoom.
Stibel and his wife continue to own their main residence in L.A.’s exclusive Hidden Hills gated community, a $7.5 million mansion with nearly 11,000 square feet that was acquired in early 2014.
Tara Switzer of Coldwell Banker and Chris Cortazzo of Compass share the Malibu listing.