David Geffen is striking while the iron is hot. The music- and film-industry goliath just sold a Carbon Beach residence for $85 million, a new Malibu real-estate sale record; now he’s listed a small beach cottage in the same neighborhood for a shadow under $9 million. The property was probably used as an as-needed guest cottage by Geffen, who purchased it in 2008 for nearly $10 million. A quick sale should be in the works.
Whether the 1950’s beach house will survive the sale is the question. It’s a simple design, no frills, located on one of the most desirable stretches of coastal real estate in the world. A whitewashed box fronted by a series of sliding glass door, the cottage was a functional getaway once upon a time.
The retreat measures a compact 1,473 feet, is a single-story dwelling, and contains two bedrooms and two baths in a discrete, guest-house layout. An open concept living area with fireplace provides the heart of the home, and a hardwood deck/terrace gives it purpose: 45 feet of Carbon Beach frontage. For a Malibu beach house, it’s aggressively priced. One hopes it will remain standing after the sale, as its unassuming surf-renaissance style is quickly becoming historic.
Geffen’s philanthropic interests include a $200 million endowment to UCLA School of Medicine; in 2012, he contributed another $100 million to the University of California.