Lavish home of newspaper mogul Hearst is for rent in California — but it ain’t cheap
A piece of newspaper — and American — history has hit the Los Angeles rental market. But it comes with a hefty monthly cost.
The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home that was once used by newspaper mogul and businessman William Randolph Hearst is available to rent for $25,000 a month, the listing on Sotheby’s International Realty says.
“In the heart of Hancock Park, and Koreatown adjacent, this iconic original Spanish building is now offering one of the rarest townhome suites in all of Los Angeles,” the listing says. “Used by the once wealthiest American, Randolph Hearst, an unparalleled two-level townhome to live in, work, entertain, and impress.”
Features of the 3,000-square-foot home, according to the listing, include:
“Castle-like front door”
“Arched entry hall”
“Iron fire escape balconies”
Oversized windows
Multiple fireplaces
Bar room
“They decked out the unit for entertaining. He created what looks like a mini Hearst Castle. He appointed it at a very grand scale,” listing agent Ari Wintraub told Realtor.com.
Almost everything is still the same as when Hearst used to throw extravagant Hollywood gatherings, Realtor says.
“It’s still intact in its original way, with the coffered ceiling and sconces in the entry and fir-lined closets,” Wintraub noted, according to Realtor.com. “A lot of homes today are one big empty space.”
Hearst was a publisher who took over the struggling San Francisco Examiner when his father owned it and rebranded it into “a blend of reformist investigative reporting and lurid sensationalism,” Britannica said.
Hearst, who died in 1951, is perhaps best known today as the inspiration behind the movie “Citizen Kane.”
Hearst Castle, his lavish San Simeon estate, reopened to the public in May after closing for more than two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and road repairs.
This story was originally published December 28, 2022 at 1:15 PM with the headline "Lavish home of newspaper mogul Hearst is for rent in California — but it ain’t cheap."