Fit for a King
Villa La Leopolda in Cote D’Azure, France, was named after the late King Leopold II of Belgium. The design, by an American named Ogden Codman, and building process was concluded within the space of two years, from 1929 to 1931. The estate is built on 50 acres of land and has a current estimated value of US$750 million.
(Photo credit ERIC ESTRADE/AFP/Getty Images)
Its features include 11 bedrooms, an outdoor kitchen, a pool, a large lawn and a host of workers. Ownership of the magnificent building has changed over the years: the King gave the estate to his mistress, Miss Blanche Zélia Joséphine Delacroix, and it was later inherited after the King’s death and the eventual eviction of Delacroix by his nephew King Albert I. Until 1965, the home was occupied by Dorothy Killam. In 1987, it was bought by Edmond Safra and his wife. Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov made numerous attempts to acquire the villa from Safra before settling on a price of €370(~$430) million in 2008. Prokhorov later denied buying the home and tried to withdraw from the sale. As a result, a lawsuit ensued between Prokhorov and Safra, with the court’s ruling in favor of Safra.