One of Major League Baseball’s top players, Shohei Ohtani, seems to have inked a pretty sweet real estate deal on Hawaii’s Big Island. According to the Wall Street Journal, the two-time MVP, often hailed as the second coming of baseball great Babe Ruth for his pitching and batting excellence, was offered first-dibs on a plot of land in the yet-to-be-constructed 34-acre Hapuna Estates within the island’s historic Mauna Kea Resort. Plots begin at a cool $4.9 million, but it is unknown whether the Japanese phenom paid for his piece, which spans just over an acre, or if it was given to him as part of the deal. The new home will be Ohtani’s offseason abode and developers will reportedly oversee construction on his dime.
If Ohtani did indeed have to pay for his slice of paradise, its cost is probably not an issue; the 29-year-old signed a $700 million contract with the LA Dodgers this past December (the largest contract in sports history, eclipsing soccer legend Lionel Messi’s $674 million deal with FC Barcelona.) Ohtani’s new digs, along with three others, were designed by American architect Tom Kundig of AD100 firm Olson Kundig. The pad will be one of 14 estate residences in the gated community. 36 duplex residences will populate the rest of the Hapuna development.
The Mauna Kea Resort opened in 1965 and is now among the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Historic Hotels of America. Originally developed by celebrated conservationist Laurance Rockefeller, the space was designed by world-renowned architecture firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill.
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Renderings of the dwelling showing walls of sliding glass that seamlessly open to the outdoors; clean, angular lines; and lots of wood and natural materials incorporated throughout the home. Ohtani’s property will also feature an infinity pool as well as views of the ocean and the eighth hole of one of the resort’s two golf courses. Construction on the Hapuna Estates is scheduled to begin this year.
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Ohtani’s endorsement deals totaled $45 million in 2023. Last week, the star player’s interpreter was charged with bank fraud by federal prosecutors for allegedly stealing $16 million from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts with an illegal bookmaker in California.