Singapore Tycoon Buys Decadent Hollywood Hills Chateau

He's far from a household name elsewhere, but many Singapore residents know Ivan Chin as one of the island nation's richest men. Low-profile though he may be, the billionaire has a well developed taste for flashy cars and flashy homes; the latter has followed him over to California, where he's bought a notably lavish home above the Sunset Strip.

While most Hollywood Hills mansions are uniformly boxy and contemporary in style, this particular house goes a markedly different path, with its neoclassical French chateau-esque architecture paying clear homage to the Louis XVI era. Hidden at the end of a little-known cul-de-sac, behind painted wrought iron gates, the house was custom-built in 1993 for a non-famous man and has remained in the same family until now. First listed at $15 million, records show Chin forked over a somewhat discounted $13.5 million for the 0.74-acre property.

The so-called Chateau de Anges includes more than 9,000 square feet of living space and was designed for grand-scale entertaining. Inside, the centerpiece is a palatial ballroom with twin chandeliers imported from France, deep green marble floors quarried in Taiwan, and an enormous picture window with panoramic views of L.A.'s skyline. Flanking that central space are a library and dining room, both of them wood-paneled and with city vistas.

The home's gourmet kitchen is adjoined by a breakfast room painted a vibrant shade of green. There are four guest bedrooms on the premises, plus a huge master suite that spans the mansion's entire west wing and includes dual marble bathrooms, a fireplace-equipped bedroom and separate office. Other highlights include a "meditation room," a gym and two massive basements, one of which has been converted into a high-tech panic room.

Situated atop a nearly sheer cliff, on one of L.A.'s most prominent promontories, the house has multiple patios for sunbathing and dining al fresco. The sparkling pool is fed by a triad of water-spouting grotesque masks, though the pool's giant angel statue is really what will capture all eyes. Per the listing, this golden figure is known as La Reine des Étoiles (The Queen of the Stars) and is the "guardian and ambassador of a life well lived."

Chin and his wife Elna live well, reportedly maintaining multiple residences in Singapore and elsewhere in Asia. He is founder of Enesis Group, a leading global supplier of mosquito repellent and nutritional beverages that is believed to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue.



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