The most expensive house ever sold in the City of Los Angeles is Chartwell in Bel Air, at about $150 million in 2019. The Warner Estate in Beverly Hills sold for $165 million in 2020, reported as the Los Angeles-area record, and California's record is a $210 million Malibu sale in 2024. Which one is "the most expensive in Los Angeles" depends on the line you draw, and that same line now decides whether a record sale pays Measure ULA.
You want the verified record prices for Los Angeles and Beverly Hills homes, with the outlet and date behind each one, to set an estate price in context.
At a glance
| City of Los Angeles record | Chartwell, Bel Air, about $150M (2019) |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles-area record | Warner Estate, Beverly Hills, $165M (2020) |
| California record | Malibu, $210M (2024) |
| Highest LA sale of 2026 (through August) | Casa Encantada, Bel Air, $130M |
| Highest current ask | $400M, Bel Air (listed April 2026) |
What is the most expensive house ever sold in Los Angeles?
There are three answers, one for each boundary people mean by "Los Angeles." Each record sits in a different city, and that's more than a footnote: a sale like Chartwell's inside the City of LA would owe $8.25 million in Measure ULA under today's rates, while the Malibu record wouldn't owe any.
City of Los Angeles: Chartwell, about $150 million
Lachlan Murdoch bought Chartwell in Bel Air, the house in the opening credits of The Beverly Hillbillies, for about $150 million, together with the former Reagan home behind it. Los Angeles Magazine reported it in December 2019 as the largest home sale in California history at the time. The estate covers ten acres with a 25,000 square foot main house, and it had been listed at $350 million before a cut to $195 million, NBC Los Angeles reported. In April 2026 Spear's still called it the City of LA record.
Los Angeles area: the Warner Estate, $165 million
Jeff Bezos bought the Warner Estate in Beverly Hills from David Geffen for $165 million, reported by CNBC in February 2020 as believed to be the highest price for a Los Angeles-area home. The estate covers about 9.4 acres. Geffen had paid $47.5 million for it in 1990, itself a record then.
California: Malibu, $210 million
Oakley founder James Jannard sold his roughly 10-acre cliffside Malibu estate for $210 million, reported by FOX 11 in June 2024 as the most expensive home sale in California history. The buyer was a Delaware LLC. It beat the $200 million Beyonce and Jay-Z paid in Malibu in 2023, and Marc Andreessen's $177 million Malibu purchase in 2021 ranked third.
The most expensive houses sold in Los Angeles County: the list
These are reported sales only, ranked by price, with the outlet that reported each. We don't list addresses.
| Price | Estate or area | Year | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|
| $210,000,000 | Malibu | 2024 | FOX 11 Los Angeles |
| $200,000,000 | Malibu | 2023 | FOX 11 Los Angeles |
| $177,000,000 | Malibu | 2021 | FOX 11 Los Angeles |
| $165,000,000 | Warner Estate, Beverly Hills | 2020 | CNBC |
| About $150,000,000 | Chartwell, Bel Air | 2019 | Los Angeles Magazine |
| About $141,000,000 | The One, Bel Air (bankruptcy auction, with costs) | 2022 | ABC7 Los Angeles |
| $130,000,000 | Casa Encantada, Bel Air (foreclosure auction) | 2026 | Los Angeles Times |
| $119,750,000 | Spelling Manor, Holmby Hills | 2019 | Fox News |
| $110,000,000 | Spelling Manor, Holmby Hills | 2025 | TMZ, first reported by The Wall Street Journal |
| $110,000,000 | Bel Air | 2025 | The Nightly, citing The Australian |
| $94,000,000 | "Billionaire," Bel Air | 2019 | InsideHook, citing The Wall Street Journal |
| $94,000,000 | Malibu (off-market) | 2024 | Robb Report |
| $92,800,000 | Bel Air | 2024 | Robb Report |
| About $63,000,000 | Beverly Park | 2025 | RESIDENT |
Why Malibu holds the top three
FOX 11 noted that California's three priciest home sales were all in Malibu. Malibu is its own city, so none of those sales falls under the City of Los Angeles' Measure ULA, which applies only to property inside Los Angeles.
Bel Air and Holmby Hills above $100 million
Inside the City of LA, every sale above $100 million on the list is in Bel Air or Holmby Hills. Three came after ULA began in April 2023. Under the rates for sales closing after June 30, 2026, a $130 million sale owes $7.15 million in ULA and a $110 million sale owes $6.05 million, before the city's base tax. See Bel Air estates and Holmby Hills homes for the neighborhoods behind the numbers.
The most expensive houses in Beverly Hills
Headlines use "Beverly Hills" for any 90210 address, but about 60.5% of that ZIP's land is in the City of Los Angeles, per the 2020 Census. Split the records by city and the picture changes.
Inside the City of Beverly Hills
A Beverly Hills home sold by Stephen and Nancy Paul went for $51.75 million, which The Wall Street Journal called the city's most expensive deal since 2020, in April 2025. A Benedict Canyon estate sold by Steve Wynn closed at $47.75 million in 2026, and its listing agent told Mansion Global it ranked as Beverly Hills' highest sale of the year, as Casino.org reported. For estate areas and size rules inside the city, see mansions in Beverly Hills; for the wider market, Beverly Hills homes and prices.
Beverly Park: a Beverly Hills address in the City of LA
The Census geocoder places North Beverly Park's entrance in the City of Los Angeles. Its top reported sales include Paris Hilton's purchase at about $63 million (RESIDENT, July 2025), Adele's $58 million purchase in 2022 (TheWrap) and Mark Wahlberg's $55 million sale (HELLO!, February 2023), after an $87.5 million ask. Because it's in the City of LA, a $63 million sale there today owes about $3.47 million in ULA. Our Beverly Park guide covers the enclave.
Trousdale Estates
Jannard also sold his brutalist Trousdale Estates house for $46.95 million, Outlook Luxe reported in July 2026, after a $68 million first ask; he'd bought the site for $20 million in 2009. Redfin's June 2026 list included a $47 million Trousdale sale. Trousdale sits inside the City of Beverly Hills, so no ULA applied.
The most expensive houses for sale in Los Angeles now
Asking prices at this level are opening positions. Two listings have set the top of the market in 2026.
The $400 million Bel Air listing
A Bel Air estate owned by an entity linked to Qatar's Al Thani family came to market in April 2026 at $400 million, reported by Ynetnews as the most expensive home listed in the US. KTLA put it at about 70,000 square feet on about 8 acres. The land was bought for $35 million in 2010.
The Pritzker estate in Beverly Hills
Tony and Jeanne Pritzker's 50,000 square foot estate, with 16 bedrooms on a 6-acre promontory designed by Ed Tuttle, was cut to $135 million in January 2026. It had asked $195 million in October 2024, then $175 million. The Wall Street Journal called it the highest open-market ask in Los Angeles County at the time.
What asking prices are worth at this level
The record estates have closed well under their peak asks. Use this when you read a nine-figure listing.
| Estate | Highest reported ask | Sale price | Below the ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chartwell, Bel Air | $350,000,000 | About $150,000,000 | 57% |
| The One, Bel Air | $295,000,000 | About $141,000,000 | 52% |
| Casa Encantada, Bel Air | $250,000,000 (2023) | $130,000,000 | 48% |
| Beverly Park estate (Wahlberg sale) | $87,500,000 | $55,000,000 | 37% |
| Spelling Manor, Holmby Hills (2025) | $137,500,000 | $110,000,000 | 20% |
Spec houses follow the same pattern; our LA mansions guide tracks their cuts.
Most expensive house sales of 2025 and 2026 in Los Angeles
Redfin publishes the country's priciest sales each month, and Los Angeles sales show up often.
2025: two of the country's top three
Redfin's 2025 ranking put a $133 million Naples, Florida sale first and two Los Angeles estates, the Spelling Manor and an estate in Bel Air, joint second at $110 million each. A $63.1 million Beverly Park sale ranked tenth, and Los Angeles and coastal Florida took eight of the ten places. By June 2025 Redfin had counted four Los Angeles County sales among the year's priciest: $110 million in Bel Air, $63.1 million in Beverly Park, $60 million in the Beverly Hills area and $57.3 million in Holmby Hills.
2026 so far
Casa Encantada's $130 million sale in July was the priciest US sale that month and the second-priciest of 2026, behind a $170 million Indian Creek, Florida sale. Through August it was the only Los Angeles County sale in Redfin's 2026 top ten. Monthly lists added a $47 million Trousdale sale and a $36 million West Hollywood penthouse in June, and a $47.8 million Beverly Hills compound and a $55 million Malibu beachfront home in July, when every top-ten sale cleared $40 million.
What a record house sale in Los Angeles costs in tax
Here's the task: take a record price and work out the transfer tax in each city. Inside the City of LA, sales of $10.9 million or more pay 5.5% ULA plus the 0.45% base tax on the whole price, and the county adds $1.10 per $1,000. Inside the City of Beverly Hills there's no ULA. The ultra-luxury price tiers show the same split at $10 million and up.
| Sale price | Where | ULA (5.5%) | City base tax (0.45%) | County tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $150,000,000 | City of LA (a Chartwell-size sale) | $8,250,000 | $675,000 | $165,000 |
| $130,000,000 | City of LA (a Casa Encantada-size sale) | $7,150,000 | $585,000 | $143,000 |
| $63,000,000 | City of LA (Beverly Park) | $3,465,000 | $283,500 | $69,300 |
| $51,750,000 | City of Beverly Hills | None | None | $56,925 (ask escrow about any city amount) |
Run any price through the mansion tax calculator, and confirm the figure with a CPA before you sign. If you're selling at this level and want to test the market quietly, start with our private estate search or the agent we recommend for record-level estates.
Most expensive house in Los Angeles FAQs
What is the most expensive house in Los Angeles?
Inside the City of Los Angeles, the record sale is Chartwell in Bel Air, bought by Lachlan Murdoch for about $150 million, reported by Los Angeles Magazine in December 2019. For the wider Los Angeles area, CNBC reported the Warner Estate in Beverly Hills at $165 million in February 2020 as the highest price paid.
What is the most expensive house in Beverly Hills?
The Warner Estate, bought by Jeff Bezos for $165 million and reported by CNBC in February 2020, is the top reported Beverly Hills sale. Since then, The Wall Street Journal called a $51.75 million sale in April 2025 the city's most expensive deal since 2020. Beverly Park sales, such as the roughly $63 million purchase in 2025, carry Beverly Hills addresses but sit in the City of Los Angeles.
What is the most expensive house for sale in Los Angeles?
A Bel Air estate linked to Qatar's Al Thani family came to market in April 2026 at $400 million, which Ynetnews reported as the most expensive home listed in the US. It's about 70,000 square feet on about 8 acres. The Pritzker estate in Beverly Hills was cut to $135 million in January 2026.
What is the most expensive house ever sold in California?
James Jannard's roughly 10-acre Malibu estate sold for $210 million, reported by FOX 11 in June 2024 as the most expensive home sale in California history. It beat Beyonce and Jay-Z's $200 million Malibu purchase in 2023. All three of the state's priciest sales were in Malibu at the time.
Who bought the Spelling Manor?
TMZ, following The Wall Street Journal, reported in August 2025 that former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy Schmidt paid $110 million for the Spelling Manor in Holmby Hills, below the $137.5 million ask. Petra Ecclestone had bought it in 2011 for $85 million, and it sold for $119.75 million in 2019.
What is the most expensive house in Bel Air?
Chartwell, bought for about $150 million in 2019, is the Bel Air record and the City of Los Angeles record. The One sold at a bankruptcy auction for about $141 million including costs in 2022, and Casa Encantada sold at a foreclosure auction for $130 million in July 2026. A Bel Air estate has asked $400 million since April 2026.
Do record home sales in Los Angeles pay the mansion tax?
Only inside the City of Los Angeles. Measure ULA applies to sales there since April 1, 2023, at 5.5% from $10.9 million for sales closing after June 30, 2026, so a $130 million Bel Air sale owes $7.15 million. Sales in Malibu or the City of Beverly Hills don't pay ULA, though the county's documentary transfer tax still applies; ask escrow about any city amount.
Sources
- Los Angeles Magazine: Lachlan Murdoch's record purchase (12 Dec 2019)
- NBC Los Angeles: Beverly Hillbillies house sells for record (12 Dec 2019)
- Spear's: $400M LA home could become the most expensive sold in US history (29 Apr 2026)
- CNBC: Bezos buys Warner Estate for $165 million (13 Feb 2020)
- FOX 11 Los Angeles: Jannard Malibu sale (19 Jun 2024)
- ABC7 Los Angeles: The One sells at auction (8 Mar 2022)
- Los Angeles Times via DNyuz: Peter Thiel buys Casa Encantada (30 Sep 2026)
- Fox News: Spelling Manor sells for $120 million (3 Jul 2019)
- TMZ: Spelling Manor sold to former Google CEO (1 Aug 2025)
- Wikipedia: The Manor (Los Angeles), citing The Wall Street Journal
- The Nightly: James Packer moves to Bel Air (30 Apr 2025)
- InsideHook: 'Billionaire' sells at 62% discount (28 Oct 2019)
- Robb Report via Yahoo: 10 most expensive US homes of 2024
- RESIDENT: Paris Hilton buys Beverly Park estate (10 Jul 2025)
- TheWrap: Adele's $58 million Beverly Park house (20 Jun 2023)
- HELLO! Magazine: Mark Wahlberg sells for $55 million (18 Feb 2023)
- Dow Jones / WSJ via iTiger: Beverly Hills home sells for $51.75M (16 Apr 2025)
- Casino.org: Wynn's Beverly Hills mansion sale (27 Jul 2026)
- Outlook Luxe: James Jannard sells Beverly Hills mansion (6 Jul 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 ZCTA5 to Place relationship file
- U.S. Census Bureau Geocoder: North Beverly Park entrance
- Ynetnews: $400 million Bel Air listing (30 Apr 2026)
- KTLA: $400M Bel Air megamansion now priciest home listed in the US
- The Wall Street Journal via Kanebridge News: Pritzker estate cut to $135M (9 Jan 2026)
- Redfin: 10 Most Expensive Home Sales of 2025
- Redfin: Here Are the Most Expensive Home Sales of June (22 Jul 2025)
- Redfin: Most expensive home sales of June 2026
- Redfin: Most expensive home sales of July 2026
- Redfin: Most expensive home sales of August 2026
- City of Los Angeles Office of Finance: Measure ULA FAQ
- Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk: Documentary Transfer Taxes