EDIT (4/7/19): Yolanda has been contacted by a knowledgable Hope Ranch resident who swears up and down that this house — the one we reference below — was actually purchased by Mr. Wolf for his estranged wife Noelle Lippman. It appears Mr. Wolf will remain in his longtime Montecito digs.
Back in January (2019), TMZ reported that uber-rich television producer Dick Wolf was in the process of splitting from his third wife, a former actress named Noelle Lippman. And naturally the high-end real estate market smiled at this news. After all, divorces usually entail the purchase of one or two new houses. A one-percenters’ divorce? Even better! Call us callous if you must.
Although he’s still technically married, it appears Mr. Wolf has wasted no time in securing himself a swank new bachelor pad — one guaranteed to attract a bevy of lovely ladies interested in auditioning for the role of wife #4. Records show Mr. Wolf plunked down a hefty $14,800,000 for the slick estate. That’s a lot of money to most folks, but probably nothing major to a guy of Mr. Wolf’s wealth.
Just how rich is Mr. Wolf? Estimates vary, but most sites peg his net worth as somewhere north of $500 million. But perhaps even more shockingly — at least to Yolanda — is that according to that same TMZ article, Mr. Wolf hauls in somewhere between $10-15 million per month. That’s right, kiddos. Each and every 30 days, Mr. Wolf grosses enough — theoretically, before taxes and all that jazz — to pay off his giant new mansion. Just think about that for a moment.
Now in his 70s with two young kids (plus three adult children from a prior marriage), Mr. Wolf created the enormously successful (worth $1.6 billion!) Law & Order juggernaut, some version of which has been on TV since 1990. In fact, his “SVU” spinoff was recently renewed for a history-making 21st season, making it the longest-running TV show ever. And Mr. Wolf additionally founded the successful Chicago TV franchise, which has spawned nearly 400 episodes.
But onto the real estate. The new Wolf’s lair was spec-built by a local couple, completed in 2017, and tossed onto the market with a $17.5 million ask shortly thereafter. But it took more than a year (and two pricechops) to lure in our boy.
At first glance, Yolanda assumed the house was just a typical contemporary, but closer inspection reveals it’s actually an unusual red-tile roofed Mediterranean-meets-modern farmhouse mishmash. The listing says the property “takes queues from Moroccan extravagance+minimalist design.” So there y’all have it.
Whatever its murky official architectural label, the property is unquestionably chic and desirable in a very Robb Report sort of way.
Tucked behind tall gates near the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, the house itself is set high on a 2.3-acre knoll with over-the-treetops ocean views. A pebble walkway leads past carefully sculpted cactus gardens.
From out front, the wood-and-stone-sided abode appears to be a fairly modest structure, but it drops down to two full floors out back, weighing in with a mansion-sized 11,209-square-feet of living space.
The formal dining room shares a double-sided fireplace with the great room, which features an entire wall of pivoting iron-and-glass doors. Beyond them lie the gardens and the 75′ pool/spa combo.
This property has not one but two master suites — one upstairs and one downstairs, each sporting more of those iron/glass doors. The lower bedroom has garden views, while the upper one includes distant peeks at the ocean. Naturally there’s an elevator, for when climbing one flight of stairs becomes to arduous a task.
Elsewhere on the grounds is some sort of art studio, a bocce ball court, and plenty of al fresco dining spaces. The property is located in Hope Ranch, an equestrian-friendly seaside community (with a balmy Mediterranean climate) located immediately west of Santa Barbara.
Before this wee little splurge, Mr. Wolf long resided in nearby Montecito, on a two-estate compound of nearly 5-acres. That property — owned by Herr Wolf since 1999 — includes a total of nearly 16,000-square-feet of living space spread across multiple structures.
No word on whether this lavish spread will soon hit the market or if the third Mrs. Wolf retained it in the marital sprit. Incidentally, the property lies almost directly across the street from the new $14.5 million estate of porn king Bill Asher.
Listing agents: Riskin Partners, Village Properties
Dick Wolf’s agent: Randy Solakian, Coldwell Banker