Peter Thiel Buys $130 Million Bel Air Mansion at Auction
Billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel has been revealed as the buyer of Casa Encantada, the historic Bel-Air estate that sold for $130 million at a foreclosure auction in July.
The co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies bought the property through a limited liability company linked to him, keeping his identity concealed in the months immediately following the sale.
Thiel’s purchase marked the end of a complicated chapter for the 23-year home of late financier and telecommunications mogul Gary Winnick and his wife, Karen Winnick.
After Gary’s death in 2023, Karen initially listed Casa Encantada for $250 million, but the estate ultimately fell into foreclosure after entities tied to her late husband defaulted on more than $150 million in loans.
Property Highlights
Price: $130 million
Location: Bel-Air, California
Size: 38,725 square feet
Lot Size: 8.4 acres
Bedrooms: 7
Bathrooms: 20
Notable Features: Bel-Air Country Club views, 14-foot ceilings, walnut-paneled library, Lucite bar, two primary sitting rooms, dual primary bathrooms, rose gardens, botanical gardens, orchard, 60-foot swimming pool, tennis pavilion, sports court, private road
Casa Encantada’s Historic Ownership and Record Sales
Casa Encantada dates back to the late 1930s, when Hilda Boldt Weber commissioned architect James E. Dolena to build the estate on a promontory overlooking the Bel-Air Country Club, which reportedly cost $2 million.
In 1950, hotel magnate Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton Hotels chain, purchased the home and lived there until his death in 1979.
One year later, former Dole CEO David Murdock bought the estate for $12.4 million, setting a national residential sales record, before selling it to Gary Winnick for an even higher record of $94 million in 2000.
Driving up to Thiel’s New Mansion
Driving up to Thiel’s new mansion begins at one of two gated entrances, where tall hedges, mature trees, and stone pillars screen the property from the street.
Past the metal gates, a private road winds through the estate, creating a long entrance before reaching the main residence.
A Closer Look Inside
An oval foyer and sweeping staircase welcome you inside the mansion, leading into a grand hall beneath 14-foot ceilings.
Formal and junior dining rooms connect to a walnut-paneled library and two separate living salons, while expansive steel-framed windows look across the estate and surrounding golf course.
One of the home’s highlights is the primary suite, which has two private sitting rooms, separate dressing areas, and two marble bathrooms.
Outside, the estate spreads across 8.4 acres overlooking the Bel-Air Country Club. Terraced rose gardens, botanical gardens, an orchard, herb gardens, and large lawns surround the residence, with a private road encircling the property.
At one end of the grounds, a 60-foot tiled swimming pool sits in front of a pool house, while a tennis pavilion and separate sports court add to the recreational amenities.
Final Thoughts
The $130 million sale brings Casa Encantada out of the Winnick family’s decades-long ownership and places one of Bel-Air’s most historically significant estates in the hands of another billionaire owner.
However, Thiel reportedly does not intend to make the nearly 39,000-square-foot mansion his personal residence, instead viewing the property as an investment that he plans to upgrade.
With nearly 90 years of history behind it, those renovations could mark the beginning of another major transformation for the landmark estate.
