Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz Splurges on $15 Million Beverly Hills Dreamhouse
Last year, Barbie got her groove back. Sales of the 60-year-old doll soared by a whopping 12% in Q4 2018 — to a five-year high — shocking naysayers and delighting investors. Ynon Kreiz, Mattel’s new chief executive, was alternately lauded and applauded for his progress in realizing the slumping toy juggernaut’s turnaround.
Before becoming Mattel top dog in April 2018, Kreiz spent the majority of his career in Hollywood. The Israel-born tycoon partnered with billionaire Haim Saban in the mid-90s before serving as CEO of the now-defunct media company known as Fox Kids Europe. He then had stints as CEO of global entertainment content producers Endemol and Maker Studios, respectively, before pivoting to Mattel. While at Maker, Kreiz oversaw the company’s $675 million sale to Disney.
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The career leap from Hollywood to Mattel may seem incongruous, but Kreiz reportedly envisions rebranding the humble toymaker as an entertainment company.
To celebrate his continued career success, Kreiz and his longtime wife Anat Fabrikant — an Israeli former Olympic competitive sailor — have spiced things up on the real estate front, tossing down $15.7 million in cash for a new mansion in the prodigiously pricey Beverly Hills Flats neighborhood.
The so-called “European villa” (per listing details) was spec-built by a local developer and completed last year. First listed in October with a $15.9 million pricetag, the property twice entered escrow, though both would-be transactions were ultimately canceled for unknown reasons. Along came the Kreizes, who paid very close to the original ask.
A double-gated circular motorcourt fronts the mansion’s soaring facade. The double-height entryway will surely impress guests, and maybe even even the Dreamhouse-dwelling doyenne herself. Neutral color tones give the 10,000+ sq. ft. beast a calming vibe, while intricate crown moldings add a dash of visual pizazz. Some of the home’s more razzle-dazzle features include a giant family room with a wet bar and floor-to-ceiling disappearing windows, a formal dining room with a glassy wine closet, a separate wine cellar, and movie theater with seating for 12.
The hulking upstairs master suite might even sufficiently accommodate an uber-high-maintenance couple like Barbie and Ken — there are dual marble-swaddled bathrooms, a fireplace-equipped bedroom, and a terrace overlooking the backyard.
Although the .29-acre lot isn’t particularly big, it’s got a large pool, grassy lawn, and is high-hedged for privacy. What more could even She-Ra, Princess of Power need?
And for the past several years, the Kreizes have been slumming it in a 6,000 sq. ft. Beverly Hills Flats rental mansion. Located just a handful of blocks from their new digs, that vaguely Mediterranean-influenced estate was constructed in 2007 and last listed at a whopping rate of $20,950 per month.
Steve Frankel of Coldwell Banker and Linda May of Hilton & Hyland held the mansion’s listing. Kreiz was repped by Nicholas Property Group’s Dustin Nicholas.
Launch Gallery: Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz Splurges on a $15 Million Beverly Hills Mansion
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