Malibu mansion poised to set record at US auction

LOS ANGELES—A California mansion could become the most expensive US property to be sold at auction when it goes on the block next month with a starting bid of $22 million, marketers said Saturday.

The 10,500 square-foot beachside house — originally listed at $65 million — includes six bedrooms, nine and a half bathrooms, a theater, a 75-foot (25-meter) two-lane lap pool, a gymnasium and a library with an aquarium.

The winning bidder would count Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand and Sting as neighbors after moving into “Billionaire Beach,” part of the upscale coastal town of Malibu, near Los Angeles.

“It’s on a particularly wonderful spot which is very sandy,” Carol Bird, of Westside Estate Agency, told AFP.

“In Malibu, California beaches have public access by law, but it’s 1,000 feet (300 meters) from any public access so you don’t have people walking in front of you.”

The auction is set to be held on September 18, but Bird said the house could be sold before then if an “acceptable offer” were made. Details on the auction could be found at www.premiereestates.com