A Tech Billionaire’s Epic ‘Sand Castle House’ in San Diego Is Up for Grabs at $108 Million
An epic oceanfront estate long owned by billionaire tech entrepreneur and political donor Darwin Deason has hit the market in San Diego. The asking price? A jaw-dropping $108 million, though that amount might seem a tad less outrageous when you consider the property’s lavish features—a private beach donning the same pristine white sand found at Georgia’s Augusta National Golf Club where the Masters Tournament is held and a yacht-style bar room, just for starters.
Should the place go for anywhere near that amount, it would set a record for the most expensive residential real estate transaction ever recorded in the area—eclipsing the $44 million sale of an oceanfront Del Mar home to private-equity billionaire Egon Durban earlier this year.
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“In the history of La Jolla, there has never been and will never be another property built on the waterfront like The Sand Castle due to the present oceanfront construction standards established by the state of California,” said listing agents Brett Dickinson and Ross Clark of Compass. “The opportunity to adjoin two parcels in this location is so rare, and this fact, coupled with the seller’s no-expense-spared vision to bring the French Riviera to La Jolla’s oceanfront, construction of the sea walls, on-property private beach, as well as the magnificent interiors and exteriors of the main home and guest residence, cannot be reproduced.”
The Texas-based founder of Affiliated Computer Services—which was acquired in 2009 by Xerox as part of a cash and stock deal valued at $6.4 billion—purchased two separate parcels of land on Spindrift Drive shortly after for about $26 million. He then spent millions more to renovate an existing house built in 2005 by real estate developer Doug Manchester, working in collaboration with architects Drex Patterson and Lisa Krideman to create a vacation retreat inspired by his travels to the French Riviera. He also added a substantial guesthouse.
Resting amid the picturesque seaside community of La Jolla, the hedged and gated 0.8-acre compound features a combined total of 10 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms in almost 13,000 square feet replete with sweeping ocean and coastline views from three vantage points.
Seven bedrooms can be found in the primary dwelling, which offers a little more than 9,500 square feet of Timothy Corrigan-designed living space boasting furnishings crafted by global artisans and manufacturers, marble floors, rooms accented with solid gold, and an elevator. In addition to the yacht-inspired bar room, other highlights include a fireside living room with picture windows and access to a wraparound terrace, an elegant oval dining room, and an opulent primary suite that has a balcony, a study, and dual baths. There’s also a fitness center and spa.
An adjoining three-bedroom guest residence spans roughly 3,400 square feet and is showcased by a bar-equipped great room flaunting a pair of 18th-century mermaid statues and sliding glass doors opening out onto a poolside terrace. Also holding court on the premises is the aforementioned private beach that sits directly atop the ocean and sports about $40,000 worth of sand, along with two cabanas, a beachfront “boat bar,” several on-property caves, and gated access to La Jolla Shores Beach.
Per The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the listing, Deason is selling because he doesn’t spend as much time at the La Jolla vacation home as he does at some of his other residences. In addition to a primary home in Dallas, he owns recreation properties on Cedar Creek Lake near Dallas and in the Mexican city of Cabo San Lucas. He also makes frequent treks to the Mediterranean and Caribbean via his superyacht Apogee.
Click here for more photos of Darwin Deason’s La Jolla vacation home.
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