Billionaire Herbert Wertheim Pays Record $23M for Sculptural Gem in Rancho Santa Fe

Published: January 23, 2021 | By: American Luxury Staff

Optometrist Herbert Wertheim has an eye for singular real estate trophies. The Brain Power Incorporated founder is the new owner of this adventurous bit of residential architecture in Rancho Santa Fe, California. The house drained a little less than $23 million from Wertheim’s coffers, thereby setting a new record in town.

As curiosity-inducing as the home’s exterior architecture is, the home’s 22,500 sq. ft. of interiors is possessed of one of the more interesting open-concept common areas we’ve seen. Something of an avant-garde palace is suggested by the abstract expressionist-inspired living area, wherein angularity, curves, competing planes, and geometric intersection all engage in a spirited conversation beneath soaring, sloping ceilings inset with a few skylights. This house has more nooks and crannies than a Virginia Woolf novel. One might call it Freudian Postmodern.

Only six bedrooms all told in this 2008-built smart house, so the lion’s share of the space is given over to a particularly languorous living style; the living area is very large, and so is the owner’s suite, a nearly self-contained space occupying one entire wing of the home. Self-sufficiency is also key to the home’s energy footprint, as solar panels foot the light bill.

The lot is huge for the area—22 acres—and packed with rare and exotic plantings populating the extensive gardens within the landscaping design. A pool, water features, cricket lawn, putting green and sports court complete a quick look at this unusual estate north of San Diego.

Wertheim’s net worth is around $4 billion, according to Forbes.

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