Just a few days ago, the Malibu boardwalk presented the evocative image of a wonderful sunset that was also the maximum expression of success and pleasure. Today it presents an apocalyptic landscape, an area devoured by flames resulting from the terrifying fires that have devastated the city of Los Angeles. That coast and those mansions, which were symbols of fame, money and power, today are only the living image of destruction.
Located along the scenic Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu has always been associated with its sunny beaches, mansions, famous neighbors and the culture of triumph. The great American dream taken to the nth degree. A former community of fishermen and artisans, it developed until it became a prosperous land of celebrities and power. That paradise is now only scorched earth.
They are already counted more than 1,000 structures burned while insurers contracted to cover homes and mansions face losses exceeding $10 billionaccording to an initial estimate by analysts such as JP Morgan. More than double what was paid after the earthquake and tsunami that occurred in Chile in 2010. And it could be triple.
Goodbye to that prosperous Malibu that began to be built at the end of the 19th century, when the land remained in the hands of one of the richest men in the United States, Frederick Hastings Rindge. He and his wife, Rhoda May Knight Rindge, are still known today as “the king and queen of malibu». They would create the colony’s first exclusive community.
Hollywood landing and more
Starting in the 1930s, there would be an influx of Hollywood stars and wealthy people attracted by the private beaches and idyllic, dreamy landscapes of Malibu. The sensational pulp writer James M. Cain would write in ‘Vanity Fair’: «Whatever may be said about Malibu, the place where movie queens tan, there is one thing that must be recognized: It is probably the best beach ever created by God». In those years it would consolidate itself as a luxury refuge, building enormous (and in many cases extravagant) mansions with their impressive views of the sea. They say that each property told a story.
In its day it was known as the Cinema Colony, but over time the origins of the mansion owners became democratized. In the 60s and 70s they would arrive many musicians full of moneyfrom Bob Dylan to Linda Ronstadt, and in the following decades all arts and businesses would be represented on its shores by neighbors such as Jack Nicholson, Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Pamela Anderson, Jim Carrey, Cindy Crawford , Miley Cyrus, Mel Gibson, Lana del Rey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Blunt, Richard Gere, Paris Hilton, Janet Jackson, Angelina Jolie, Demi Moore, Sting, Jamie Lee Curtis and dozens further.
Mel Gibson’s mansion in Malibu.
In recent years, they have acquired mobile homes in Malibu for more than 5 million dollars. They say entertainment mogul David Geffen sold five parcels for $100 million. And in 2013, Russian couple paid $75 million in cash to buy a mega-mansion with an area of 7,000 square meters with eight bedrooms that look like gigantic ‘lofts’, 14 bathrooms, two guest houses, a separate gym, several tennis courts and a swimming pool with kilometer-long slides.
The peculiarity of Malibu
Until a few days ago, Malibu continued to be a very peculiar place in which, despite being a community with free access from the street, tourists were frowned upon if they dedicated themselves to browsing through the entrance doors of the mansions of famous people. But there was no problem greeting Edward Norton while the actor walked his dogs or accompanying Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson on their morning walk. It was also not difficult to try on $1,000 shoes with Charlize Theron at any of the several shopping centers near the neighborhood. All the fashion, beauty, leisure or restaurant companies that wanted to be something had to be there, in the land where such legendary films as ‘Easy Rider’, ‘The Big Lebowski’ or more recently ‘Barbie’ were filmed. But not many films have really been filmed there because it is very expensive.
The typical Malibu house is very characteristic: it has views of the ocean, a private garden, they are built to the edges of the boundaries of the land, there is no natural separation between properties, they have large garages for several cars and personalized pools with curious shapes. And there will always be twice as many bathrooms as there are bedrooms.
A maintenance of two million annually
It is not only the acquisition, but also the maintenance that gives an idea of the standard of living and income. «The operation of a mansion is very similar to that of a hotel», executive Jenny Greenwood Huber, owner and founder of Heritage Estate Management, told ‘Insider’. There may be up to 50 people working at the same time in a single Malibu property, adding gardening staff, drivers, maintenance, cleaning, cooking, housekeepers or babysitters in rotating shifts. This expert estimated the annual maintenance cost of a large luxury home in this privileged area at close to $2 million.
Many questioned the future of the colony as a luxury place due to global warming and inflationary tensions, but The demand for these houses continued to grow more and more over the years.continuing with the upward evolution of prices and the continuous revaluation of properties. In autumn 2022, municipal authorities held a referendum asking about the implementation of a new tax that would be levied in a staggered manner the sale of luxury mansions to build accommodation for the homeless. It was the so-called ULA Measure, which came into effect in April 2023, a tax that levied a minimum of 4% on residential real estate sales based on the value of the transactions. They say that the only thing that this measure did was promote the circulation of black money. But what an irony: suddenly, the fire has increased the rate of homeless people regardless of their income. The place where you once breathed money now only smells of ashes.
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