If you are a frivolous millionaire with $200 million burning a hole in your pocket you might want to invest in the notorious Playboy mansion.
That's because, according to Playboy Enterprises, the epic house party locale shared by Hugh Hefner and his notable playmates is for sale. There is one tiny, minuscule, caveat, however. Just one super little thing that most people wouldn't even notice: Hef comes with the mansion. From The Associated Press:
As a condition of the sale, magazine founder Hefner would get to continue living there as he has since the company bought the mansion 45 years ago for just over $1 million, company spokesman John Vlautin said… "The Playboy Mansion has been a creative center for Hef as his residence and workplace for the past 40 years, as it will continue to be if the property is sold," [Playboy CEO Scott] Flanders said in a statement.
There are several strings attached. We're told whoever buys it will be required to give Hugh Hefner a life estate, meaning he can continue to live in the mansion until he dies. As for the other string … we're told prospective buyers can tour the property but one area is off limits … Hef's bedroom.
According to TMZ, the $200 million price tag is less than a deal: "Real estate sources with knowledge of the area say…the house is a tear-down and the real value is the acreage and that a comparable lot sold recently in the area for $60 mil, but the sources say because of its history the Mansion could go for anywhere between $80 mil and $90 mil."
But Reuters points out that the mansion has some things going for it, if you're into eccentric nonsense and need several bedrooms:
The Gothic Tudor-style mansion, which has an area of nearly 20,000 square feet (1,858 square meters) and boasts 29 rooms, sits amid five acres in Holmby Hills west of the city. In addition to amenities such as a tennis court and a free-form swimming pool, the estate is home to the infamous Playboy grotto, which over the years served as the setting for some of Hefner's most lavish, hedonistic parties. The mansion, in which Hefner still lives, also has a zoo license, the company said in a statement announcing the sale.
The AP also notes that the sale coincides with the magazine's conservative makeover. The magazine is planning to unveil a redesign in March, and will stop publishing nude photos in the spring.
Anyway, if you'd like to buy a big house with an old man in it, please give Playboy's people a call.
Danielle Wiener-Bronner is a news reporter.