Neverland Ranch
Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch Sells for $22 Million
In literal, not-at-all metaphorical news, an exuberant ode to childhood imagination has been stripped down and sold to a billionaire collector. According to Wall Street Journal, Michael Jackson’s famed 2,700 acre Neverland Ranch has been bought by grocery store tycoon Ron Burkle for $22 million. The sprawling estate is located in Los Olivos, California, on the edge of Los Padres National Forest. Jackson was introduced to the property in 1983 by Paul McCartney, who stayed there during a music video shoot. Jackson made it his own in 1988, after which he transformed it into a carnivalesque fantasy land with amusement park rides, electric trains, and even a private zoo. Jackson wanted Neverland to be a time machine, allowing him to enjoy the childhood he felt he’d been denied. It also ho...
Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch Sold to Billionaire Ron Burkle
The asking price of the Neverland property was $100 million in 2016 then dropped to $67 million a year later. In addition to a 12,500 square-foot main residence and a 3,700 square-foot pool house, the property boasts a separate building with a 50-seat movie theater and a dance studio. Other features on the ranch are a “Disney-style” train station, a fire house and barn. Burkle’s spokesman said the billionaire had been eyeing Zaca Lake — which adjoins the property — for a new Soho House, a members-only club with locations in Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Toronto. Burkle ultimately decided the location was too remote and expensive for a club. Burkle is the controlling shareholder of Soho House. After Burkle saw the property from the air, he put in an offer to...
