Kanye West is trying to sell his beachfront Malibu, California, mansion for $4 million less than he bought it for, after allegedly attempting to transform the home into a bomb shelter.
Celebrity Real Estate
Actor, Jason Oppenheim listed the house for $53 million after the rapper initially snapped up the property for $57 million two years ago and has since stopped building the structure, People reported on Tuesday.
The Oppenheim Group co-founder, 46, told the website that the asking price reflects the cost of installing new finishes and removing the home’s interiors.
‘I wanted to have a listing with such architectural pedigree,’ Oppenheim said, adding that the pad’s Malibu Road location is ‘one of the most desirable areas in the world.’
He described West’s abode designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando — as ‘a unique home for a unique and discerning buyer.’
‘This architect is known for his concrete work, which is what remains,’ he said.
‘Malibu’ headlines
‘So it’s really going to be up to the new buyer to imagine the interiors that he or she wants. It was a very minimalist interior previously and will likely continue to be that in order to allow the architecture to speak louder than the finishes.’
The house, featuring 4,000 square feet of interior space and roughly 1,500 square feet of outdoor living areas, is constructed of approximately 1,200 tons of concrete, 200 tons of steel reinforcement and 12 ‘massive’ pylons driven more than 60 feet into the sand.
‘Natural light is used creatively throughout the space, another signature of Ando, to manipulate a warm feeling throughout the building and harmonize with its natural surroundings,’ the listing reportedly states.
Ye removed all the windows and electricity from the home in an attempt to transform the space into a ‘bomb shelter from the 1910s,’ according to TMZ.
The remodel’s project manager Tony Saxon, who is suing West, 46, for several labor code violations, claimed in court documents that the Yeezy founder demanded that all the windows and electricity be removed despite Saxon urging him against it.
Saxon’s lawyer, president of West Coast Employment Lawyers Neama Rahmani, released a statement after West listed the home, saying, ‘We’re happy to see Kanye has put his Malibu home up for sale and are hopeful this is a step toward him paying the more than $1 million he still owes our client, Tony Saxon.’
‘Tony worked as the construction project manager and 24/7 security guard when Kanye was having the home gutted, and Kanye put him through hell, violating numerous labor codes and employment laws in the process,’ Saxon’s lawyer claimed.
‘This house was ‘a Picasso on the water’ before Kanye ordered Tony to rip it apart. So, while we’re pleased Kanye may finally have the money to fulfill his obligations to Mr. Saxon, buyer beware.’
