Son of Billionaire Lists WeHo Manse, Bel-Air Lot for $102M

The son of a Colombian banking billionaire has listed a 13,900-square-foot hillside mansion in West Hollywood for $63 million, along with a 1.3-acre lot in Bel-Air for $39 million.

Josh Gilinski, a son of banker Jaime Gilinski Bacal, has put his never-lived-in estate up for sale at 9214 Nightingale Drive, in the Bird Streets, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Gilinski bought the half-acre lot in 2018 for $11 million, then spent six years building the home, but never moved in, according to listing agent Aaron Kirman of Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California.

He has also listed a vacant lot in Bel-Air with approved plans for a home designed by the late architect Howard Backen for $39 million.

Gilinski bought the 1.29-acre lot at 805 Nimes Place in 2018 for $25.6 million. In June 2022, a limited liability company tied to the elder Gilinski listed it for $45 million, after an initial ask of $34 million.

The five-bedroom, seven bathroom mansion, designed by Woods + Dangaran, is built from 200 tons of hand-selected Turkish travertine limestone, with sweeping views of Los Angeles.

Architect Joseph Dangaran said the house was designed to frame the property’s views, pairing simple lines with classic materials like stone, white oak, plaster and glass. The home’s roof is covered in gravel and was inspired by traditional Japanese gardens, he told the WSJ.

An atrium in the center of the house contains a 35-foot Jacaranda tree and stone fountain.

A master bedroom with an atrium opens onto an infinity pool. On a lower level, the home has a theater, a gym and a 1,000-bottle wine cellar. There’s also a “wellness suite” with a treatment room, sauna, steam shower and lounge.

The house has an air-filtration system and fire-resistant features, including the roof and stone cladding.

Gilinski began building the West Hollywood home for himself at a time when he was spending more time in L.A., Kirman told the WSJ. During construction, he got married, started a family and decided to live mostly in Miami.

A year ago, he decided to sell the house once it was completed, along with the Bel-Air lot.

The Bel-Air lot includes approved plans for a 27,500-square-foot home. Backen, who died last year, was known for designing Napa Valley wineries and homes for wealthy clients such as Jeffrey Katzenberg, who sold his Backen-designed house in Beverly Hills in 2020 for $125 million.

Gilinski’s dad is a banker, real estate developer and philanthropist. Last year, Bacal’s Spaldy Investments took over British lender Metro Bank. He is also president of the snack-food company Grupo Nutresa, according to the company’s website.

— Dana Bartholomew