Considering his seven-foot stature, it’s no surprise that the late Lakers legend Wilt Chamberlain required a few unique specifications when he custom-built his Bel Air mansion in 1971. There were the extra high countertops, sure, but the four-time MVP baller also outfitted the 9,395-square-foot home with plenty of eyebrow-raising features designed with his rather infamous bachelor lifestyle in mind (in his 1991 memoir, the sportsman claimed to have slept with 20,000 women). After years on and off the market, the quirky the 2.5-acre hilltop property quietly sold for about $9.7 million, according to Robb Report.
The five-bedroom, eight-bathroom dwelling—which has since been modernized and renovated into a less tailor-made form—has been listed and de-listed several times since 2018 with a maximum asking price of about $19 million. It was most recently on the market in September, listed solely for its land value at just under $10 million, per Realtor.com. According to Robb Report, the buyer is Erik Voorhees, CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange ShapeShift.
Back in the ’70s, Chamberlain paid $150,000 for the parcel and collaborated with architect David Rich to create a triangular dwelling inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. Crafted from redwood and stones sourced from the nearby Bouquet Canyon, the manse cost $1 million to build (about $7.5 million when adjusted for inflation). It was dubbed “Ursa Major” in honor of Chamberlain’s nickname, “The Big Dipper.” The sportsman died on the premises in 1999.
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Many of the home’s original features are still intact, including a stone path that crosses over a water feature to access the 14-foot-tall front door (that weighs a literal ton), a wraparound indoor-outdoor swimming pool unlike anything we’ve seen recently, and a five-story-tall cathedral-style great room centered around a fireplace-equipped conversation pit.
