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Pacific Palisades' most expensive 18-bedroom mansion worth ₹10,375 crore gutted in Los Angeles wildfire: Report
Owned by Austin Russell, the CEO of Luminar Technologies, the 18-bedroom mansion was reduced to rubble, leaving only a smouldering shell behind.
The most expensive house in Pacific Palisades valued at $125 million ( ₹10,770 crore approx), has been destroyed by the raging wildfires that have swept across Los Angeles, DailyMail.com reported.
Owned by Austin Russell, the CEO of Luminar Technologies, the 18-bedroom mansion was reduced to rubble, leaving only a smouldering shell behind, the report claimed, citing “exclusive photos” it obtained.
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HT.com couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the information
The photographs reportedly reveal the extent of the devastation, showing exposed beams and piles of debris in what were once lush gardens. The mansion, available for rent at $450,000 ( ₹3.74 crore approx) per month, gained fame in 2023 when it was featured in HBO’s Succession as the luxurious residence of the Roy siblings in Season 4.
Pacific Palisades's most expensive mansion
- Russell's property was known for its extravagant features, including a Nobu-designed chef’s kitchen, a 20-seater theatre, a temperature-controlled wine cellar, and a retractable roof for stargazing, DailyMail.com reported.
Also Read | Kim Kardashian dubbed ‘tone deaf’ for promoting SKIMS amid Los Angeles wildfire - While some features, such as the fire pit, remain intact, much of the mansion’s interior, including the retinal scanner outside the master bedroom and the two panic rooms, has been completely destroyed.
- Other luxury amenities such as the rooftop deck, spa, and a state-of-the-art car gallery with a turntable, which also served as a ballroom, have been lost.
Finger-pointing begins
Even as firefighters finally gained ground on Friday on the blazes paralysing Los Angeles, officials traded accusations that the city’s own actions had made the catastrophe worse.
Los Angeles fire chief Kristin Crowley pointed the finger at city leaders for cutting her department’s budget, saying it hindered the firefight.
“Yes, it was cut, and it did impact our ability to provide service,” she said in an emotional interview with local television station Fox 11. “They’re not getting what they need to do their jobs.”
Mayor Karen Bass, who trimmed more than $17 million in funding to the fire department, defended her actions, saying the reductions came during “tough budgetary times” and didn’t impact the wildfire response.
California Governor Gavin Newsom sent the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power a letter requesting a review of why hydrants in the fire zones repeatedly ran low on water. He pointed to a reservoir that the Los Angeles Times reported had been closed for repairs when the fires struck, calling the lack of water “deeply troubling to me and to the community.”
The Democratic governor also sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump, who has criticised the state’s fire prevention efforts, asking him to come to Los Angeles.
The fires are the most devastating natural disaster to strike Los Angeles since the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which killed 57 people. And they are likely to rank among the costliest natural disasters in modern US history.
The total damage and economic losses — which account for uninsured destruction and indirect economic impact such as lost wages and supply-chain disruptions — are estimated at $135 billion to $150 billion, according to AccuWeather Inc.
If that figure holds, it would rival the $148 billion cost of the 23 worst wildfires since 1980 combined, according to US National Centers for Environmental Information records.
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
