Billionaire investor Ron Burkle has a history of buying and selling extraordinary residential properties…and properties with extraordinary residential histories.

Burkle was the buyer of Bob Hope’s ‘Mushroom House’ in Palm Springs, which was designed by architect John Lautner, and Hope’s other notable SoCal pad, a five-acre getaway in Toluca Lake. In the fall of 2019, he sold Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House, the architect’s most famous Mayan Revival, which was used as a location for the seminal 80’s sci-fi film Blade Runner; in 2020, he laid out $22 million for Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch.

In short, we’ve become a little bit accustomed to Burkle’s selection of homes with unique associations. His most recent acquisition doesn’t appear to have any, history notwithstanding: it was completed in 1928, and stands as a lingering representative of the famed Malibu Colony, faux timbers and all, and it convinced Burkle to part with $13.5 million.

The five-bedroom home spans 2,502 sq. ft. Renovations conducted over the years have left their marks, but none disrupt the period conviction of the living style. Most notable features of the architecture include the many multi-pane windows that blast the interiors with natural light. In the shared living spaces, a bright white treatment predominates, and one is glad of the fireplace’s red brick hearth step as a reminder of terra firma.

The property is an eccentric one, in keeping with its era, and along a tour of it a guest apartment and a tea house emerge amid the flowering plants, slate entry, and patio.

Burkle’s net worth is north of $2 billion, according to Forbes.