An Armageddon shelter; hey, you never know when you’ll need that secure, 2,700 square foot, three bedroom residence. What it lacks in natural light, it makes up for with a billiards table. And it’s stocked with a five-year supply of fermented agave nectar and Paul Mitchell hair care products. But not really.
Still, John Paul DeJoria, the co-founder of both Patron Spirits and John Paul Mitchell Systems, did recently part with his Big Valley-come-Wild Kingdom Texas ranch, and it does include an Armageddon shelter, the 2,700 square feet and three bedrooms of which really are on the (basement) level. And that shelter really is fully stocked, although only with food and water. That’s a pretty nice little apartment for waiting out any Armageddon worth its salt.
But it’s nothing compared to what’s above ground on DeJoria’s former Texas ranch, which now belongs in deed to Jonathan Nowzaradan, the CEO of Austin production company Megalomedia. Nowzaradan has purchased the 96-acre wildlife refuge and game preserve, complete with house and two barns, for $6.93 million.
The grounds are spectacular, with lots of manicured soft green falling away to scrub trees that, one hopes, are generally pinon and mesquite. A footbridge crosses a river, downstream from a dam. The wildlife on the estate includes antelope, wildebeest and gazelle. The acreage features lots of water, both natural and swimming pool.
Within, lots of high-gloss pine and soft-toned, sand-and-tan stone gives the place a sun-washed look. The carved bed in the master appears suitable for a good night’s sleep. There’s a table that looks like something Kid Curry might’ve been displayed on after breathing his last, and an old keg on a keg holder that might’ve once contained Red Eye Whiskey. The estate gates prominently feature a lone star beside a Texas flagpole. It’s an interesting place, to say the least.
John Paul DeJoria has made a brilliant career out of identifying top-shelf trends and galvanizing them with an individual name-brand recognition. He is a philanthropist active with the group Food4Africa, and, through his company Paul Mitchell Systems, he has donated hundreds of thousands of meals for children in need.
Jonathan Nowzaradan is a television producer. Megalomedia, a relatively new company, has produced programs for A&E, C4 in the U.K., and Discovery, including ‘Shipping Wars,’ which is a reality-T.V. soap opera about heavy-duty shipping companies jockeying for position in a viciously competitive marketplace.
