Fourteen years ago, musician Moby purchased a property resembling a Norman castle in Los Angeles for just over US$3.9 million.
According to The Robb Report, the unique home had a star-studded history, previously owned by Debbie Reynolds, Marlon Brando, and The Beatles.
Despite the grandeur, Moby found it too elaborate and sold it after four years, following extensive restorations, for a substantial profit.
Now, the storied estate is back on the market in Beachwood Canyon, Hollywood Hills, with an asking price of US$15 million.
“I loved Wolf’s Lair,” Moby said, calling it “the most interesting home in L.A.”
He said it would have been perfect if he had started a cult or a family, but he ultimately desired a simpler home than a mountaintop castle.
Built in the late 1920s for real estate developer and art director L. Milton Wolf, the estate featured a turreted room for his pet gibbon.
Moby acquired it in 2010 from businessman Jay Faires and former TV host Debbie Matenopoulos.
He invested around US$2 million in renovations before selling it in 2014 to an LLC linked to Nathaniel Rothschild, a wealthy heir of the Rothschild banking dynasty, who also updated the premises.
Secluded behind walls and gates on a 1.4-hectare promontory, the property includes a main house and a guesthouse designed by modernist architect John Lautner in the 1960s.
The estate boasts eight bedrooms and six bathrooms within nearly 465 sq m, featuring carved wood details, arched doorways, coffered ceilings, and large windows with views of Lake Hollywood, the Hollywood Sign, and Griffith Observatory.
The main house retains its period interiors, with formal living and dining rooms, a galley kitchen equipped with high-end stainless appliances, and a breakfast nook.
One bedroom serves as an office, while the primary suite includes a bath with dual vanities, a soaking tub, and a separate shower.
The guesthouse, used as a recording studio during Moby’s ownership, has two bedrooms, a living area, kitchen, and roof deck.
The estate’s park-like grounds feature a kidney-shaped pool, pool house, pergola-shaded dining area, and private hiking trails.
Additionally, there’s a “secret” subterranean room from the Prohibition era, an attached two-car garage, and a cobblestone motor court.
