14 votes

Tour of 'The One', a $500m mansion in Bel-Air

32 comments

  1. mat
    Link
    Update from a friend in LA: "The existence of this house has been an ongoing public battle here. Everyone hates it for their own reasons and now it’s just a giant eyesore sitting empty except for...

    Update from a friend in LA: "The existence of this house has been an ongoing public battle here. Everyone hates it for their own reasons and now it’s just a giant eyesore sitting empty except for the Tik Tok’ers who break into it regularly for clout. "

    That, oddly, makes me feel rather better. At least it's failing on multiple fronts and if the kids are getting some fun out of it, well, more power to them.

    10 votes
  2. [15]
    Apos
    Link
    Bill Burr did a narration over the video.
    9 votes
    1. [11]
      nothis
      Link Parent
      Ok, because of this video I actually went all in and watched all 3 parts. This shit is complete and utterly insane. At one point the dude says his favorite part about the house is that it can...

      Ok, because of this video I actually went all in and watched all 3 parts. This shit is complete and utterly insane. At one point the dude says his favorite part about the house is that it can "change the world in a very positive way". Hmm, I thought, that's just something that trickles out of your mouth while high on cocaine. But he actually sat down in part 3 and explains that he's actually serious and his vision for how it "changes the world" is... boxing matches on the lawn. Yes! Because during covid, you couldn't do that and somehow a $500 mil mansion is the only place to have open air events, lol. And with his "pay per view" model, that's gonna be super successful! But also help the world in so many different ways!

      Also it sounds like he actually wants to live in the house but somehow he also wants to sell it?

      8 votes
      1. [10]
        mat
        Link Parent
        If you can stomach more, and props on making if through three videos so far - there's another video featuring Nile Niami's actual personal house which is rather smaller yet still incredibly tacky....

        If you can stomach more, and props on making if through three videos so far - there's another video featuring Nile Niami's actual personal house which is rather smaller yet still incredibly tacky. Even more tacky than "The One", yet still somehow just as sterile and heartless.

        Sadly he might lose all of them seeing as he's being chased by a lot of people (and at least one government department) that he owes multiple eye watering amounts of money to. Oh no. Won't somebody think of the wealthy property developers? Oh how awful.

        6 votes
        1. nothis
          Link Parent
          I watched the tour of his own house. He has an artwork that consists of "butterflies cut out of $100 bills" and it reminded me of something. Did anyone here watch Silicon Valley? Russ Hanneman?...

          I watched the tour of his own house. He has an artwork that consists of "butterflies cut out of $100 bills" and it reminded me of something. Did anyone here watch Silicon Valley? Russ Hanneman? The "three commas" guy? Exactly the same vibe and sense of style, lol.

          9 votes
        2. [8]
          an_angry_tiger
          Link Parent
          It looks like a cheap Netflix show in house form. Cheap materials, tons of plexiglass, feels like a showroom designed by a Dagestani warlord's rich son (alternatively Dana White) with tacky gold...

          It looks like a cheap Netflix show in house form. Cheap materials, tons of plexiglass, feels like a showroom designed by a Dagestani warlord's rich son (alternatively Dana White) with tacky gold collectibles. It's like a representation of a house made by someone who has seen houses and understands the basic definition of a rich persons house, but doesn't really understand what a house or interior decoration really is, or what it means to live somewhere.

          Kind of reminds me of ProducerMichael (weird white guy with ugly shirt in the videos about The One) actually. Like he knows the idea of "luxury goods", and can make it look like he has a lot of them (to what degree I don't know), but doesn't understand anything about them deeper than "they're expensive and luxury and therefore good". He surrounds himself with watches that are good because they are expensive, wears clothes that are designer (and therefore must be good, they're expensive after-all), and in the end it all looks weird and tacky and like an elderly man trying to seem cool without knowing what that really means.

          7 votes
          1. [6]
            balooga
            Link Parent
            Okay, weird question, total side tangent, but can you give me some show titles that fall into this category? I've been hearing the phrase "Netflix show" online lately, in reference to some cheap...

            It looks like a cheap Netflix show in house form.

            Okay, weird question, total side tangent, but can you give me some show titles that fall into this category? I've been hearing the phrase "Netflix show" online lately, in reference to some cheap or mass-produced aesthetic, but I guess I just don't use Netflix that way so the analogy doesn't land for me. I'm mostly watching Netflix for well-known series reruns, Vox explainers, documentaries and the occasional Hollywood movie. So out of morbid curiosity I feel like I have to know what the trashier side of Netflix looks like now.

            4 votes
            1. [3]
              Comment deleted by author
              Link Parent
              1. [2]
                monarda
                Link Parent
                I don't know if it was that show or another in the same vein, but I became disgusted with that entire genre after one episode where they are in this magnificent house that sat atop a hill where...

                I don't know if it was that show or another in the same vein, but I became disgusted with that entire genre after one episode where they are in this magnificent house that sat atop a hill where the owners owned all the land, including the adjoining hills, so they could preserve their view. There was nowhere in the house where the view was absent, and it was that sort of view that has the power to heal, that can give one space to breath. I was gobsmacked by the house. They were interviewing the owners at the end, and the owner said something like, "I have a very stressful job so we built this place so I could unwind. I need it." For some reason that statement filled me with such disgust. It made me think of all the people out there that rarely or never get the time or the space to just exist and let go - all the people that never get to retreat. And then I was sad, and never watched another episode or another show of that genre.

                3 votes
                1. [2]
                  Comment deleted by author
                  Link Parent
                  1. balooga
                    Link Parent
                    Designate it as a wildlife preserve or something. I don't see anything inherently wrong with purchasing a huge amount of land for the purpose of keeping it undeveloped. Frankly I'd like to see...

                    Designate it as a wildlife preserve or something. I don't see anything inherently wrong with purchasing a huge amount of land for the purpose of keeping it undeveloped. Frankly I'd like to see more conservationists doing this to oppose humanity's ongoing rape of the natural world.

                    But I agree, if @monarda's account of the situation is accurate, the guy on the show sounds like a real self-centered grade-A jerk. The protection of the earth shouldn't be merely for one's own personal enjoyment at the exclusion of others.

                    2 votes
            2. an_angry_tiger
              Link Parent
              To be honest I just like using the phrase for the way it sounds, and because I could swear they have random low budget sci fi shows/movies on there that look cheap, and that's what I associate it...

              To be honest I just like using the phrase for the way it sounds, and because I could swear they have random low budget sci fi shows/movies on there that look cheap, and that's what I associate it with.

              Anywho here's random trailers I found on youtube that I feel like have a kind of cheap visual look I think of when I think of cheap Netflix:
              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3boMRfx6cjE
              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHsWYmnXk1o
              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whHt4_Vav_o
              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnGAgAgorC4

              They might have a decent to large budget for all I know, but I think Netflix pushes this very high res digitally shot 4k and fast shutter speed filming style, with heavy colour grading pumping out blues and reds that makes me think of cheap short films shot on DSLRs more than traditional movie and TV production.

              4 votes
            3. Apos
              Link Parent
              They could do Terrace House in there. Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020 Japanese Opening/Intro New Season: Terrace House Opening New Doors! I didn't watch the show, but I heard Eiichiro Oda really...

              They could do Terrace House in there.

              Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020 Japanese Opening/Intro
              New Season: Terrace House Opening New Doors!

              I didn't watch the show, but I heard Eiichiro Oda really likes it. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what eventually led to Netflix getting the rights to make One Piece as a live action show.

              4 votes
            4. Luna
              Link Parent
              They've got a whole slew of bad dating shows.

              So out of morbid curiosity I feel like I have to know what the trashier side of Netflix looks like now

              They've got a whole slew of bad dating shows.

              2 votes
          2. nothis
            Link Parent
            "I realized, don't put stuff into a house you don't use. Like a teppanyaki table."

            "I realized, don't put stuff into a house you don't use. Like a teppanyaki table."

            1 vote
    2. [2]
      lou
      Link Parent
      They said on the video "this is so expensive that even if you had 2 billion dollars it is still a bad purchase"." That sums up perfectly how absurd that is.

      They said on the video "this is so expensive that even if you had 2 billion dollars it is still a bad purchase"." That sums up perfectly how absurd that is.

      7 votes
      1. Greg
        Link Parent
        It really is almost incomprehensible. I happened to be watching a video about Hard Rock Park - a full scale, high quality, internationally branded theme park that cost a little under $400m in...

        It really is almost incomprehensible. I happened to be watching a video about Hard Rock Park - a full scale, high quality, internationally branded theme park that cost a little under $400m in total.

        You could have your own, totally private Six Flags competitor and still have over $100m left to buy one of the top ten other most expensive mansions in the US.

        5 votes
    3. Tardigrade
      Link Parent
      "An environmental disaster" seems like an apt quotation to sum it all up.

      "An environmental disaster" seems like an apt quotation to sum it all up.

      4 votes
  3. [7]
    mat
    Link
    Oh god it's so depressing. Such a waste of time, money, space, effort, everything. The whole place looks like a corporate HQ. That view is insane though.

    Oh god it's so depressing. Such a waste of time, money, space, effort, everything. The whole place looks like a corporate HQ.

    That view is insane though.

    8 votes
    1. [3]
      Apos
      Link Parent
      They keep saying it's warm but to me it looks like the opposite.

      They keep saying it's warm but to me it looks like the opposite.

      3 votes
      1. tomf
        Link Parent
        he also keeps saying that the place is going to change the world... but never says how.

        he also keeps saying that the place is going to change the world... but never says how.

        4 votes
      2. nothis
        Link Parent
        It looks like the HQ of Evil Corp, lol. I'm looking at these tacky-ass sculptures, thinking, they probably paid $5 million for these just to find a way to waste more money and brag about it.

        It looks like the HQ of Evil Corp, lol.

        I'm looking at these tacky-ass sculptures, thinking, they probably paid $5 million for these just to find a way to waste more money and brag about it.

        3 votes
    2. [2]
      tomf
      Link Parent
      it really is. I think it would make sense for a studio to buy it to host premieres, house actors when they're in town for a shoot, etc. As a home? Not so much. He didn't even show the restaurant...

      it really is. I think it would make sense for a studio to buy it to host premieres, house actors when they're in town for a shoot, etc. As a home? Not so much. He didn't even show the restaurant kitchen or a few other spaces.

      For the square footage, 7 main bedrooms seemed low to me.

      All that said, the view really is outstanding. It'll be interesting to see who ends up buying it.

      2 votes
      1. mat
        Link Parent
        There's another video but I can't face watching any more of either of those people. I barely made it through that video and I did a lot of skipping. The problem is, it's too big to put a single...

        There's another video but I can't face watching any more of either of those people. I barely made it through that video and I did a lot of skipping.

        The problem is, it's too big to put a single person/family in, but it's too small to be a hotel. I can't think of much of a use for that kind of space. Hosting small but very exclusive events, possibly. But I doubt LA is exactly short of that kind of venue.

        It looks like the developer is in some quite serious financial trouble so it's very possible this place could go for a fraction of what it's "worth" - although given it is both unfinished and has a lot of outstanding bills/taxes/etc that's not unreasonable. To be honest if I had a few hundred million to spend on a house in LA I'd buy it for the location, tear that monstrosity down and build something nice (and rather smaller) there instead.

        4 votes
    3. papasquat
      Link Parent
      It doesn't' even look that nice. It looks like the half dozen luxury car dealerships in my town. If you showed me a picture of that building out of context, I'd probably think it was a BMW or Audi...

      It doesn't' even look that nice. It looks like the half dozen luxury car dealerships in my town. If you showed me a picture of that building out of context, I'd probably think it was a BMW or Audi dealership.

      It's not beautiful or captivating in any way. The only person I could see who would be willing to purchase this would be someone who just happened to find 4 billion dollars on the street, and who doesn't have even a modicum of taste.

      1 vote
  4. tomf
    Link
    This is a failed development project that was ten years in the making. Its entering foreclosure, which isn't surprising. Some highlights: Fifty car garage Seven pools Awkward running track that...

    This is a failed development project that was ten years in the making. Its entering foreclosure, which isn't surprising.

    Some highlights:

    • Fifty car garage
    • Seven pools
    • Awkward running track that isn't in a loop

    ... and so much more. Everything about this is excess. The master bedroom has its own kitchen.

    6 votes
  5. [6]
    Luna
    (edited )
    Link
    Whenever I watch these mansion tour videos, I'm amazed at how lifeless and unoriginal they always feel. You're probably never going to have all the bedrooms populated at once, much less have most...

    Whenever I watch these mansion tour videos, I'm amazed at how lifeless and unoriginal they always feel. You're probably never going to have all the bedrooms populated at once, much less have most of them populated on a semi-permanent basis. You have multiple kitchens but you'll probably only use 1 for making breakfast (and eat out/have your staff make stuff the rest of the time), the rest will just hold snacks and drinks. That theatre will likely be used exactly once because walking down to it is inconvenient. Most of the pools could be drained and you wouldn't miss them.

    I would honestly hate living here. Everything is so spread out, the (non-fake) indoor plants are few and far between, the kitchens are so big as to be annoying for one person to use, and maybe I missed them but I didn't see a single ethernet drop. You can't walk to anything, the only things you're close to are other mansions and there are no sidewalks to reach your neighbors, either. The place is so big that it'll always feel empty unless you end up with a collection like in Citizen Kane.

    Sometimes in these "celebrity house tour" videos, there will be a room that they say feels comfy and they spend a lot of time in it...because it's human scale. And, in fact, at around 25:00 in the second video, the owner says he really wants a smaller space at his place.

    This house is beautiful and a monument to modern engineering, but it is also a demonstration of how wasteful we can be. So many resources and so much land being used for a mansion that's in foreclosure...all the while, the state it's located in has little water and major housing shortages.

    They say money can't buy taste, and this is proof of it.

    I wish I could see the networking setup. In a house like this, you know they aren't going to skimp on the wifi, but it all seems to have been hidden away. I'm curious what kind of equipment they're using.

    Edit: I love how his justification for fake flowers was that they were more "sustainable" (~8:00 in first video)...how self-absorbed do you have to be to say that with a straight face?

    4 votes
    1. [2]
      Greg
      Link Parent
      There's every chance you've already seen it, but Linus Sebastian has just bought a very large (albeit still human family scale) house and is doing periodic updates on the renovation, including...

      I wish I could see the networking setup. In a house like this, you know they aren't going to skimp on the wifi, but it all seems to have been hidden away. I'm curious what kind of equipment they're using.

      There's every chance you've already seen it, but Linus Sebastian has just bought a very large (albeit still human family scale) house and is doing periodic updates on the renovation, including incredibly overkill WiFi, and a NAS so fast that RAM could be the bottleneck, among others.

      4 votes
      1. Luna
        Link Parent
        I run Ruckus at home, too (really puts Unifi to shame), but I'm just thinking "can a house of this size be fully covered with 25 APs?" (Which is what Ruckus Unleashed supports - past that you need...

        Linus Sebastian has just bought a very large (albeit still human family scale) house

        I run Ruckus at home, too (really puts Unifi to shame), but I'm just thinking "can a house of this size be fully covered with 25 APs?" (Which is what Ruckus Unleashed supports - past that you need ZD or SZ controllers.) I like seeing the hardware.

        3 votes
    2. tomf
      Link Parent
      maybe the fake flowers are what were going to change the world. Typically when Cribs and whatnot do a tour of the celeb's home, the reason its empty is because they're leasing it through a service...

      maybe the fake flowers are what were going to change the world.

      Typically when Cribs and whatnot do a tour of the celeb's home, the reason its empty is because they're leasing it through a service -- same with cars and other luxury items.

      I liked a lot of the design for the place, but not as a complete unit. I'm surprised the bank would front him the cash without a buyer lined up.

      3 votes
    3. [2]
      papasquat
      Link Parent
      My favorite rich person house tour I've seen is Cara Delevigne's. The house is big, sure, and it's probably very expensive, but it still manages to seem cozy, and it's filled with goofy, quirky,...

      My favorite rich person house tour I've seen is Cara Delevigne's. The house is big, sure, and it's probably very expensive, but it still manages to seem cozy, and it's filled with goofy, quirky, individualistic things that she enjoys. It has history and soul, there's a private oasis in the back that I have no doubt she actually spends a lot of time hanging out in.

      Compare that to the one, or any of the dozen rapper/youtuber/crypto bro houses in LA that are just white boxes with tons of glass and literally anyone could live there.

      2 votes
      1. an_angry_tiger
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        I read somewhere (that I can't find easily now) that a lot of those Architectural Digest cribs videos have an interior decorator stage it for the video with furniture and props so it probably...

        I read somewhere (that I can't find easily now) that a lot of those Architectural Digest cribs videos have an interior decorator stage it for the video with furniture and props so it probably doesn't look like that all the time. Similar to MTV's Cribs where very few people actually lived in those houses or owned those cars, they were just rented for the shoot and the celeb had to make up something to say about these things they don't own and haven't seen before.

        I'm confident in saying it looks better normally than empty glass box houses like The One though.

        3 votes
  6. [2]
    Greg
    Link
    I haven't watched it myself yet, but if anyone's interested YouTube does now keep recommending me a video from a couple of weeks ago from the same channel, with Nile Niami giving his side of the...

    I haven't watched it myself yet, but if anyone's interested YouTube does now keep recommending me a video from a couple of weeks ago from the same channel, with Nile Niami giving his side of the story on the foreclosure and general bad press.

    2 votes
    1. tomf
      Link Parent
      his plan to change the world with the house was though pay-per-view contracts… ?! I thought it would be something a little more noble. edit: oh great, a ‘cyber currency’ token, too

      his plan to change the world with the house was though pay-per-view contracts… ?!

      I thought it would be something a little more noble.

      edit: oh great, a ‘cyber currency’ token, too

      3 votes