HOMES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS - BUSINESS EDITION

Over the last several months, I've published two articles that feature the homes of the rich and famous. The first one, listed a handful of properties previously owned by actors (click here to read that), while the second one, mainly focused on properties previously owned by musicians (click here for that). So now, after some much-needed deliberation, I've decided to do the same thing once again, but this time list the properties that were once owned by very, very, very rich businessmen (with some sort of connection to the film industry). Here, check this out...

Name: William Randolph Hearst / Known For: Developing the largest newspaper chain and media company in America, Hearst Communications
Date of Birth: April 29, 1863 / Date of Death: August 14, 1951 (aged 88)

Net Worth When They Passed Away: $3.11 billion / Value of Their Property in 2020: $2.195 million

Associated Trivia: As Sean states in the video, William Randolph Hearst was once a well-known figure in American society because of his vast media empire as well as his association with the Orson Welles classic, 'Citizen Kane'. But what he failed to mention is that William's mistress, Marion Davies, was more than just a 'showgirl', as she was also a fairly famous actress who starred in 52 films. Films like, 'When Knighthood Was in Flower' and 'Little Old New York'.

Name: Raymond Albert Kroc / Known For: Helping to transform McDonald's into a global fast-food franchise
Date of Birth: October 5, 1902 / Date of Death: January 14, 1984 (aged 81)

Net Worth When They Passed Away: $600 million / Value of Their Property in 2020: $29 million

Associated Trivia: On the 7th of December, 2016, The Weinstein Company released a pretty good biographical drama based on Ray’s involvement with the expansion of the McDonald’s franchise. The biopic was called 'The Founder', and it starred Michael Keaton (as Ray Kroc), Laura Dern (as Ray’s first wife, Ethel), as well as Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch (who played the McDonald brothers, Richard and Maurice).

Name: Edgar Jonas Kaufmann / Known For: Owning the Kaufmann Department Store in Pittsburgh and commissioning the development of two famous houses

Date of Birth: November 1, 1885 / Date of Death: April 15, 1955 (aged 69)

Net Worth When They Passed Away: Unknown / Value of Their Property in 2020: $25 million

Associated Trivia: In 1994, Edgar’s son, Edgar Kaufmann Jr., starred in a documentary where he talked about assisting the legendary architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, design one of his father's famous properties located in Pennsylvania. The documentary was called ‘Fallingwater: A Conversation with Edgar Kaufmann Jr.’ (named after the property and the person in question), and as you might have guessed, he also mentioned this famous property in Palm Springs too.

Name: Stephen Alan Weinberg / Known For: His involvement in the American luxury casino and hotel industry

Date of Birth: January 27, 1942 / Date of Death: Not applicable because he’s still alive

Current Net Worth: $3 billion / Value of Their Property in 2020: $25 million

Associated Trivia: Throughout the years, Stephen has been involved with the construction/development of several popular casinos located in Las Vegas, Nevada, some of which have been featured on film, including, The Bellagio ('Ocean’s Eleven'), The Mirage ('Mars Attacks!'), and The Golden Nugget ('Diamonds Are Forever').

In closing, I'd like to thank Sean and the team over at toptenrealestatedeals.com for allowing me to include their videos in this article, before encouraging you to check out their Website, Facebook, and Twitter pages.