WATCH, LOOK: This man made candles for a living – but check out his R400m home
This story is an interesting one for two reasons: firstly, the story behind the product, but more so, the home of the man behind the creation.
(Psst, take a look at the video below before you read on)
Even if you have never owned – or desired to own, a Yankee Candle, the chance is high that you have heard of it.
This candle is quite pricey but is marketed as being long-lasting, beautiful smelling, and made naturally.
The man who created the Yankee Candle, Michael Kittredge, started making candles as a teenager and selling them to friends and family. One of his first products was a Christmas candle he made for his mother on the family stove out of his melted crayons and a wick from a shoelace.
Within a few years, he had opened his first Yankee Candle Shop in his hometown of South Hadley, Massachusetts. The business expanded to become the wildly successful Yankee Candle Company whose candles are sold all over America.
Kittredge cashed out in 1998, selling 90% of his company for $500 million (R8.66 billion). He used the money to jet around the world, collect luxury sports cars, drink $20 000 (R347 000) bottles of wine, and construct a fantastic compound on over 60 acres (0.4 hectares) of parkland in idyllic Western Massachusetts.
With the entrepreneur’s passing in 2019, the estate his son described as “like having Disneyland in the backyard” has been listed for $23 million (R399m).
Generous with friends, family, and employees, Kittredge designed his compound to entertain his guests in the utmost luxury. Sparing no expense, the eight Colonial-style structures on the property were constructed with the finest materials from all over the world.
The main house includes five bedrooms, six full bathrooms and five half baths, and over 25 000 square feet (2 323 square-metres) of living space.
The home features 11 fireplaces spread across multiple levels, a solarium, an oval office with glass walls, a pine-panelled living room with built-ins, and a stunning two-story great room with a balcony and an atrium-like ceiling.
Two commercial-grade kitchens, one with five islands, and a wine grotto allow for large-scale entertaining.
Meandering paths on the property wander past ponds, fountains, waterfalls, and gardens to connect the main home with the estate’s many amenities. Several guest homes and staff quarters bring the bedroom total up to sixteen.
Three tennis courts, a T-shaped pool with expansive deck and fully equipped cabana, and a nine-hole golf course offer hours of athletic fun. For relaxation, the compound includes an epic 55 000-square-foot (5 110 square-metre) spa complex complete with multiple gyms and massage areas, saunas, a steam room, and an indoor tennis court with stadium seating.
The state-of-the-art, 4 000-square-foot (372 square-metre) outdoor stage has hosted such bands as Hall & Oates, The Doobie Brothers, KC and The Sunshine Band, and Eric Burdon & The Animals.
A two-story arcade features pinball, slots, arcade games, and a three-lane bowling alley.
Two huge garages offer plenty of space for high-end toys while a full-sized auditorium offers another venue for concerts and shows.
A truly spectacular indoor water park, modelled after the Bellagio in Las Vegas, with palm trees, water slides, and pools, completes the one-of-a-kind entertainment pavilion.
A sleepy town with less than 2 000 residents founded in 1750, Leverett, Massachusetts is best known for the Buddhist monument New England Peace Pagoda, historic churches, and a scenic chasm called Rattlesnake Gutter. It is close to the five-college area of Amherst, Hampshire, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, and the University of Massachusetts.
The listing is held by Johnny Hatem Jr. of The Sarkis Team at Douglas Elliman.
* Article and photographs courtesy of TopTenRealEstateDeals.com
IOL BUSINESS