Anyone in the market for a horse property? Not just any horse property . . . the late celebrity Merv Griffin’s equestrian estate in La Quinta was put on the market this week for $9.5 million. This property joins other local celebrity homes that are also on the market – actor Cary Grant’s home is going for $3 million and Suzanne Somers’ home is going for $17.5 million, both located in Palm Springs.
Griffin’s 39 acre estate is likely the only equestrian property in the Palm Springs Valley that has a racetrack. The 5,000 sf Moroccan-style home also includes a 16 horse stable with staff quarters at each end, 14 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, 4 one bedroom guest casitas, 2 3-bedroom guest houses, 2.5 acre lagoon and much more.
This equestrian -specific estate was built by Griffin in the early 1980s, as he was an avid horse lover and rancher. He wanted to have a place to breed Arabian horses and someplace he could relax with family and friends. Horses were his passion and so was living a lavish lifestyle.
Merv Griffin was born in San Mateo in 1925. He started out his career as a singer and then went on to host a game show, then moved on to eventually host his own show called “The Merv Griffin Show.” Griffin also played a part in creating and producing the games shows ‘The Price is Right,’ ‘ Jeopardy,’ and ‘Wheel of Fortune’ which are still popular today.
Next, Griffin got into real estate in the late 80s and 90s and began purchasing resorts, casinos and hotels. He owned the Merv Griffin Givenchy Resort & Spa here in Palm Springs and also the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. At his death in 2007, Griffin was estimated to be worth about $1 billion.
We were lucky to have Merv Griffin as a La Quinta resident. Should you have interest in this one-of-a-kind equestrian paradise, Kimberley Kelly with HK Lane will be happy to arrange a tour and offer her rich knowledge of the equestrian world.