Melinda Gates and Bill Gates recently purchased a $43 million home from Madeleine Pickens
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Billionaire Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates have recently surfaced as the buyers who scored a deal on the most expensive property on record in Del Mar, Calif. near San Diego, according to the Wall Street Journal. The seller of the $43 million home was Madeleine Pickens, former wife of the late billionaire T. Boone Pickens. When she purchased the home in 2007 for $35 million it was originally on one of four adjacent parcels and ranked as the highest priced sale for Del Mar at the time. In the intervening years the adjacent three parcels became part of this property to create a massive compound with a main house plus multiple other buildings for guests and recreation. Records indicate Pickens paid a total of $48.2 million for all four parcels plus their buildings, which is slightly more than the $48 million original asking price she hoped for when she listed the property in January of 2019. Thus, the Gates have purchased the most expensive property in Del Mar, but at a slight discount from its high water mark.
The next highest-priced home on the list is a $28 million sale that also sold, which means the $22 million sale of Jenny Craig’s Del Mar compound is still at the third spot. The Gateses previously purchased her equestrian estate in Santa Fe for $18 million so maybe she won’t be too upset.
This 5,800-square foot, six-bedroom house has 120 feet of oceanfront, with glass walls that line the backyard perimeter to create a physical barrier but still allow for ocean views. The moveable walls of the house, which are a signature feature of the architect Ken Ronchetti, create a seamless indoor/outdoor living space out to the glass tiled pool. In addition to the main house there are a number of other structures to create the compound including two guest houses, a health spa, theater and greenhouse. All together the living spaces combine to about 10,000 square feet.
The tech features abound, with sea walls that were designed in partnership with The Scripps Research Institute, automated systems for climate control, lighting, security and radiant heated floors. All this exists in a Bali-inspired interior with exposed mahogany and fir wood, lattia ceilings and limestone flooring set against the backdrop of a large sandstone patio.
Brian Guiltinan of the Guiltinan Group represented the seller. Bruce V. Howard of Krone & Bushard represented the buyers.