Vice Media cofounder Shane Smith is selling his Los Angeles compound for $50 million. Take a look inside the ultra-private estate.
Katie Warren
- Vice Media cofounder Shane Smith is selling his Los Angeles estate for $50 million.
- The compound includes a main mansion, two guest houses, and a 74-foot pool.
- Smith rode his bike to work from the house to Vice's Venice offices, according to the WSJ.
Shane Smith, the cofounder of Vice Media, just put his Los Angeles estate on the market for $50 million, Jack Flemming reported for The Los Angeles Times.
The compound has 14,000 square feet of living space across three structures: a main residence and two guest houses, according to the listing. There's also a 74-foot swimming pool and spa. The structures are nestled amongst palm trees, citrus tree groves, and other lush greenery.
The media executive is asking more than double what he paid for the property, which he bought for $23 million in 2015. The estate, called Villa Ruchello, was built in the 1930s, but Smith spent millions renovating and updating the property, according to the Times. The property is listed with Santiago Arana of The Agency.
Smith, who cofounded Vice in 1994, is known for his brash style and high-flying lifestyle, like dropping $300,000 on a steak dinner and hosting wild parties. He owns another, smaller home about a mile away that he put on the market in 2019 for $4.5 million but that does not appear to have sold. Smith previously owned a Manhattan loft made up of two combined units, which he sold for $5.35 million in 2019.
The Vice executive did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on where he plans to move after selling Villa Ruchello.
Take a look inside the media mogul's ultra-private Los Angeles property.
Shane Smith, the cofounder of Vice Media, is selling his Mediterranean-style compound in Santa Monica, Los Angeles.
Smith, a Canadian-born media executive whose net worth was estimated at about $1 billion in 2017, cofounded Vice Media in 1994.
He stepped down as Vice's CEO in March 2018, three months after a New York Times investigation exposed a toxic corporate culture and found that the company had paid settlements to four woman who had accused top executives of sexual misconduct.
Smith, who's currently Vice's executive chairman, has been known to spend his money on things like $300,000 steak dinners and wild parties.
"I don't give a shit about money," Smith told Forbes in 2014, when he was worth an estimated $400 million. "I'm worth more money than I can ever spend."
Smith, who is married and has two daughters, stands to more than double his investment on the property if it sells for the asking price.
Smith paid $23 million for the home in 2015 without ever setting foot inside it, he told the Wall Street Journal in 2016.
Smith and his wife spent millions renovating the property.
Smith's wife, Tamyka, was the one who found what she called their perfect house — even though it needed a lot of work.
"No one had really been taking care of the house for 15 years or so," Tamyka told The Journal in 2016. "The owners had gotten a divorce and were renting it out. We had to replace all the plumbing, all the electrical, the roof and do the whole thing."
Source: The Agency
The compound, which is known as Villa Ruchello, has three main structures: an eight-bedroom mansion and two separate guest houses.
Source: The Agency
The main residence's double-height entryway features curved archways and a grand piano.
Source: The Agency
During Smith's renovation of the home, he restored original details while adding modern technologies like automated lighting, sound, and security systems.
Source: The Agency
The living room has beamed ceilings and glass doors that open to a patio.
Source: The Agency
The main home has eight bedrooms, including the master suite that comes with a hammam spa and access to private patios.
Source: The Agency
Listing photos show a lavish bathroom with a freestanding soaking tub.
Source: The Agency
A secret bookshelf in the library opens to a custom-made speakeasy bar, and a secret staircase leads down to the wine cellar.
Source: The Agency
The den features warm wood walls, green velvet chairs, and a fireplace.
Source: The Agency
The property's outdoor amenities include a 74-foot swimming pool surrounded by palm trees. There's also a pool house replete with a pizza oven, grill, and bar.
Source: The Agency
A Japanese-style cedar soaking tub is tucked away in the trees nearby.
Source: The Agency
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