Ryan Seacrest, host of American Idol and executive producer of Keeping Up with the Kardashians has just bought the Beverly Hills A-list estate of Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi. The house, which was worth $37 million, was first listed for $49 million in 2011. Since then, the couple had decided to live in private, $12 million Malibu pad that was once owned by no less than Brad Pitt himself.
Seacrest, who is not a stranger to Hollywood celebrities, is one of the best-paid talent in the entertainment industry today. He currently signed a deal this year with NBC Universal as managing editor and contributor for Today Show and its other news and entertainment programs. He also owns the Ryan Seacrest Productions, a television production powerhouse that featured mostly reality TV shows.
In early 2012, he set up Ryan Seacrest Media, and went into a joint venture with HDNet, AEG, and Creative Artists Agency to launch AXS TV. The channel is said to show viewers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to music festivals, concerts, award shows, parties, and interviews with entertainers. Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners committed $300 million in capital to help his network “buy and develop companies, content, and other properties.”
According to Forbes, Seacrest earned around $59 million from 2011 and 2012, and has an estimated net worth of $125 million.
The entire 15,000 square foot property has two additional guest cottages plus an extra three bedroom house. Degeneres and de Rossi also bought the two properties near the house to create a koi pond and a tree-lined landscape. They also added a bit of relaxed feel to the house by combining classy antiques together with fun and eclectic decorative pieces. The house also has an impressive gym reportedly “the size of a large health club.”
Ironically, Degeneres said that she fell in love with the home during a visit to an American Idol viewing party and bought it from Will and Grace co-creator Max Mutchnick. The house was once featured on Architectural Digest, which gave a sneak peek on the couple’s once luxurious home. It also showed how Degeneres and de Rossi transformed the house to its more modern, less formal design.
