Vice media CEO Shane Smith sets sales record on California mansion: $48.67 million

Shane Smith, founder and CEO of Vice Media, sold his white-stucco Mediterranean-style mansion in Pacific Palisades for $48.67 million — an all-time sales record for the coastal community including Santa Monica and Brentwood.

The transaction is also the second-largest real estate deal in Los Angeles County this year, the Los Angeles Times reported, behind a Beverly Park mansion that was auctioned off for $51 million.

The ultra-private, lushly landscaped Villa Ruchello, 650 East Channel Road, sprawls over three acres of land in the city west of downtown Los Angeles, California.. The 13-bedroom, 13-bath estate underwent an expensive renovation that preserved period details from the classic Hollywood era of the 1930s while bringing the home up-to-date.

“The Mediterranean-style estate built in 1932 has undergone a multi-million dollar renovation, showcasing exquisite detail by designer Kerry Joyce,” according to the official listing. “The extensive remodel meticulously restored the original details and Hollywood grandeur while infusing the latest modern advancements and finest, curated materials sourced from around the world.“

Smith bought the home for $23 million in 2015, public records show.

Santiago Arana of The Agency was the listing agent. Richard Ehrlich of Westside Estate Agency represented the buyer.

Behind antique gates, the sprawling compound boasts two guest houses, dual kitchens, expansive lawns, citrus groves, avocado trees, herb and vegetable gardens, vineyards, private water wells and a full generator system. With state-of-the-art Crestron and Lutron home-automation systems hidden within antique brass features, lighting, sound, temperature and security are controlled at the touch of a button.

A soaring entrance features stairs crafted from Moroccan ceramic tile and white oak. Grand archways lead to formal and informal living spaces brought alive with hand-painted, beamed ceilings, carved mantels, in-laid floors and arched glass doors and windows offering views of the verdant grounds.

The first floor features an additional reception room and a family room showcasing floor-to-ceiling custom bookcases and a Spanish-style antique ceiling crafted from hand-hewn wood beams. The library contains a secret bookshelf that opens to reveal a custom-made, onyx-walled speakeasy bar. Then, a secret stairwell descends to the wine cellar.

Eight bedrooms lie in the main residence, including the primary suite, with a private retreat with dual dressing rooms, freestanding soaking tub, expansive steam shower and access to private patios and tiled walkways.

Recast original terra-cotta tile in the powder room and hand-blown glass chandeliers from Venice are featured throughout.

The property’s two guest houses each feature two bedrooms and offer private quarters for guests or staff. One has a large chef’s catering kitchen. The second cottage-style guest house is separated for privacy from the other living quarters.

Outside, a 74-foot pool glistens under green palms. An entertainer’s bar sits beneath a bougainvillea-laden trellis. There’s a children’s play area and bocce court where several stone goddess statues stand. In the gardens off the pool, a Japanese-style, cedar soaking tub awaits among the trees.

Smith founded Vice in 1994 as a magazine and grew the company into a billion-dollar empire.