Almost eight months after his death at age 79, the Los Angeles estate of financier Robert Day is available for the first time in nearly three decades, asking a jaw-dropping $150 million. Built in the 1970s, the Palladian-style residence known as Villa dei Fiori (Villa of Flowers) occupies three contiguous parcels with two separate addresses in Lower Bel Air, overlooking sweeping views of Downtown L.A., the San Gabriel Mountains, and the Pacific Ocean. Per The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the listing, it would be one of the country’s priciest home sales ever if the place were to go for anywhere near asking.
After founding Trust Company of the West (now TCW Group) in 1971, the Los Angeles native went on to sell the asset-management firm to French bank Société Générale for more than $1.3 billion in 2001. Also widely known for his philanthropic work, Day served as chairman of the W.M. Keck Foundation, which his oil tycoon grandfather William Myron Keck founded in 1954 to support science, engineering, and medical research. He passed away in September 2023, with a net worth of around $2.9 billion.
Records show Day purchased the property for $7.4 million in 1995 and subsequently undertook an extensive renovation and expansion. The fully walled and gated estate sits atop a promontory, is fronted by a lengthy driveway that empties out at a circular motorcourt, and features a main home and dual guesthouses—for a total of nine bedrooms and 20 bathrooms in a little more than 18,600 square feet.
Among the highlights is a grand double-height entry foyer, which is topped by a domed skylight and a custom chandelier and displays walls of glass opening to a terrace. From there, a living room resting beneath a decorative plaster ceiling is warmed by a fireplace sporting a vintage gold-leaf mantel, and the gourmet kitchen is outfitted with top-tier appliances, a butler’s pantry, and a prep kitchen.
There’s also a formal dining room boasting a coffered ceiling, a Meissen porcelain chandelier, and walls adorned with 18th-century French wallpaper, as well as a handsome library flaunting a vintage chandelier, a carved wood ceiling, and a fireplace. Elsewhere is an office space, plus a lavish primary suite complete with a fireplace flanked by custom shelving, a private balcony, a sitting room, a walk-in closet, and a luxe bath spotlighted by a marble soaking tub.
An entertainment level holds a wine cellar, a fireside screening room, a bar-equipped lounge, and a gym with sauna; and outdoors, the park-like grounds are laced with fruit trees and gardens and host a swimming pool nestled alongside an open-air cabana, a croquet lawn, an orchid hot house, an indoor plant nursery, an Argentine Padel court with a viewing platform, and several spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining.
Day’s widow, Marlyn, told WSJ in a statement that her husband loved Padel and hosted mixed doubles matches several times a week. Numerous dinners and events regularly held at the home also attracted noted guests, ranging from former President George W. Bush to onetime presidential adviser Henry Kissinger.
“Robert and I had a significant lifestyle in this remarkable home together,” she said. “We entertained constantly and we were the hub for many things going on in our city. With his absence, I feel compelled to embark on a new chapter, desiring to shift my lifestyle and pass on this magnificent estate for its next illustrious owner’s chapter.”
The listing is held by Linda May and Drew Fenton of Carolwood Estates.
Click here for more photos of Robert Day’s Bel Air mansion.
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