Markus Persson, the Swedish billionaire behind the global phenomenon "Minecraft," has put his Beverly Hills mega-mansion back on the market, asking $70 million. The price tag is notable not just for its size, but because it's the exact same amount Persson paid for the property a decade ago in 2014.
This $70 million listing represents one of the highest-priced properties in Los Angeles County this year. However, it's also an ambitious ask within what has been described as an "ailing luxury market" for such high-end properties. While the median home value across Los Angeles has more than doubled over the last 12 years, Persson's asking price reflects a 0% increase on his initial investment.
Should the mansion sell for its $70 million asking price, it would mark the priciest home sale in Beverly Hills this year. In L.A. County overall, it would be the second-priciest, surpassed only by Casa Encantada, a storied Bel-Air estate that recently sold for $130 million to former PayPal chief executive Peter Thiel at a foreclosure auction.
Persson originally purchased the residence from Bruce Makowsky, a developer known for packing his properties with extravagant amenities. Another one of Makowsky's past listings famously included a $30-million fleet of exotic vehicles, complete with a Bugatti, a sailboat, and a helicopter that was once featured in the 1980s action series "Airwolf."
True to Makowsky's style, Persson's Beverly Hills mansion came loaded with its own distinctive bells and whistles. Among them were a $200,000 candy room, a 2,500-bottle wine cellar fully stocked with cases of Dom Perignon, and a unique art installation featuring a chrome machine gun.
Since his purchase, Persson added to the property's entertainment offerings, installing a recording studio and a private nightclub complete with a DJ booth.
Set on an acre of land with sweeping views overlooking Los Angeles, the house itself spans an impressive 22,300 square feet. It features eight bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, an elevator, a private movie theater, and a swimming pool.
According to listing agent Aaron Kirman, Persson is selling the home because he no longer spends much time in Los Angeles. Kirman noted that what makes the ultra-luxury market so fascinating is that buyers at this level "aren't simply looking for a home" but for "something that sets them apart and cannot easily be replicated."
When Persson first acquired the property in 2014, he reportedly outbid power couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé. The musical duo had toured the house multiple times before Persson secured it. They eventually purchased their own monolithic mansion in Bel-Air three years later for $88 million.
Known as "Notch" within the gaming community, Markus Persson founded Mojang Studios in 2009. The company released "Minecraft" two years later, which has since grown into the bestselling video game of all time. In 2014, Persson sold Mojang Studios to Microsoft for $2.5 billion.
The current listing is held by Aaron Kirman and Katia De Los Reyes of Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California, alongside Branden Williams and Rayni Williams of The Beverly Hills Estates.
