Neverland Ranch, which is regarded as one of the most famous celebrity residences in the history of the world, will be known for all time as Michael Jackson’s property.
The history of the sprawling ranch, which encompasses 2,700 acres, dates back to 1977, when a builder by the name of William Boone purchased the site and began construction on his ideal home.
The property was purchased by the King of Pop in 1988, and he transformed it into a fantasy kingdom by installing carousels, Ferris wheels, a railroad, and a large zoo on the grounds.
Following charges of abuse made against Michael in 2003, which resulted in the property being thoroughly inspected by police officials, Michael’s disillusionment with his home grew to the point where he moved out (but no discriminatory evidence was found)
Despite this, the pop star has publicly acknowledged that he can no longer consider Neverland Ranch to be his home as a result of the allegations and the inquiry that followed.
In 2005, he fired the majority of the employees, removed the carousel and Ferris wheel, and has never gone back to Neverland since.
But despite the difficulties he was having with his finances, Michael Jackson never put Neverland Ranch up for sale.
After his passing in 2009, the 2,700-acre estate was owned by a joint venture between investment firm Colony Capital and members of Jackson’s estate Neverland Ranch was then listed for sale in 2015 for $100 million, a price point that made it one of the most expensive properties in the country. Neverland Ranch is located in California.
After the allegations of child abuse were made public, the name of the estate was changed back to Sycamore Valley Ranch in an effort to distance itself from the Michael Jackson connection.
Late in the year 2020, after many years on the market and numerous price reductions, the home was sold to a new family.
Rob Burkle, a billionaire and a former acquaintance of the deceased pop star, purchased the mansion for a price of $22 million.
Scroll down for a comprehensive look at the history of Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, then keep reading to get a glimpse of the legendary property in its current state.
The expansive property that was formerly known as Neverland Ranch has at long last welcomed a new family to call it home, many, many years after its renowned former owner, the King of Pop, stopped calling it home.
According to a story in the Wall Street Journal, billionaire Ron Burkle, a former associate of the late pop artist and co-founder of the investment business Yucaipa Companies, spent $22 million for the 2,700-acre property in December 2020.
That comes in at a price that’s not too far off from what Michael Jackson paid for the ranch all the way back in 1988, when he purchased it for $19.5 million.
Burkle paid $22 million for the property, which is certainly not chump dough, but it is still a significant discount compared to the asking price.
Neverland Ranch, which belonged to Michael Jackson and was put up for sale in 2015 with an initial asking price of an astounding $100 million (making it one of the most expensive residences available for purchase in the United States at the time), the price of which was later significantly reduced.
The complete history of Neverland Ranch, including its time both before and after Michael Jackson made it his home, may be found here.
Neverland Ranch is the very first celebrity property I can recall hearing about, and I’m very certain that I’m not the only one who did so; this was a very long time before I had any interest in real estate.
Even now, more than three decades after the fact, I distinctly remember news reports introducing Michael Jackson’s house, which was a sprawling ranch that stretched on for miles and that he planned on turning into a magical realm filled with laughter, joy, and a large number of animals. Even today, I remember hearing those reports.
This one-of-a-kind location boasted attractions such as carousels, Ferris wheels, elephants, tigers, and giraffes, and it even featured its own own railroad and firehouse.
However, it didn’t take long before the mounting scandals destroyed the illusion. Not just for us, as we will find out in a little while, but also for Michael as well.
As I began to educate myself on the ranch and discovered more about its history before it became known as Michael Jackson’s home, I came to the conclusion that this ageless estate possesses a great deal more to offer than the fame (and notoriety) that was brought to it by its previous famous owner.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at the beautiful property that was formerly known as Neverland Ranch and is now known as Sycamore Valley Ranch.
The history of Neverland Ranch, before Michael Jackson bought it and turned it into his home
In 1977, William Boone made the investment that resulted in the acquisition of the enormous parcel of property that was formerly known as the Zaca Laderas Ranch and encompassed a total area of 2,700 acres.
Boone, a successful real estate developer, fell in love with the property and decided that he wanted to transform it into the ideal house for him and his family to live in.
In an effort to distance himself from the association with Michael Jackson, he first changed the name of the estate to Sycamore Valley Ranch, which is the name that has been used for the property in recent years.
Boone, who had a great deal of experience in the construction of high-quality homes over the course of his career, enlisted the assistance of renowned architect Robert Altevers in order to design the primary buildings that would be located on the estate. Together, the two men labored for more than two years in order to produce the ideal floor plans and architectural layouts for the property.
What had been a stretch of unspoiled cowboy country would soon be replaced by Boone’s fantasy world, complete with a main home and various outbuildings totaling 13,000 square feet, stunning gardens, and a four-acre lake with a five-foot waterfall and a stone bridge.
The real estate developer stated during that period of time, “I had a desire to express everything I had learnt in 15 years of home development.”
He had no idea that the culmination of his many years of experience would soon produce a property that would go on to become one of the most well-known in the entire globe.