After allegedly attempting to convert the beachfront Malibu estate, California, into a bomb shelter, Kanye West is attempting to sell it for $4 million less than the price he paid for it.
The rapper originally purchased the home for $57 million two years ago, but has since ceased construction, according to a Tuesday People article. Actor Jason Oppenheim then marketed the mansion for $53 million.
The 46-year-old co-founder of Oppenheim Group stated on the website that the asking price included the expense of repainting the house’s interior and adding new finishes.
“I wanted to have a listing with such architectural pedigree,” Oppenheim said, adding that the pad’s Malibu Road location is “one of the most desirable areas in the world.”
He described West’s abode designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando — as “a unique home for a unique and discerning buyer.”
“This architect is known for his concrete work, which is what remains,” he said.
“So it’s really going to be up to the new buyer to imagine the interiors that he or she wants. It was a very minimalist interior previously and will likely continue to be that in order to allow the architecture to speak louder than the finishes.”
The house, featuring 4,000 square feet of interior space and roughly 1,500 square feet of outdoor living areas, is constructed of approximately 1,200 tons of concrete, 200 tons of steel reinforcement and 12 “massive” pylons driven more than 60 feet into the sand.
“Natural light is used creatively throughout the space, another signature of Ando, to manipulate a warm feeling throughout the building and harmonize with its natural surroundings,” the listing reportedly states.
Ye tried to turn the house into a “bomb shelter from the 1910s” by taking off all of the windows and the electricity, according to TMZ.
In court filings, Tony Saxon, the project manager for the remodel and the 46-year-old West’s lawsuit against Saxon for many labor code breaches, stated that West insisted on having all the windows and electricity removed even though Saxon warned him against it.
Saxon’s lawyer, president of West Coast Employment Lawyers Neama Rahmani, released a statement after West listed the home, saying, “We’re happy to see Kanye has put his Malibu home up for sale and are hopeful this is a step toward him paying the more than $1 million he still owes our client, Tony Saxon.”
“Tony worked as the construction project manager and 24/7 security guard when Kanye was having the home gutted, and Kanye put him through hell, violating numerous labor codes and employment laws in the process,” Saxon’s lawyer claimed.
“This house was ‘a Picasso on the water’ before Kanye ordered Tony to rip it apart. So, while we’re pleased Kanye may finally have the money to fulfill his obligations to Mr. Saxon, buyer beware.”