Cher Wants $85 Million for Her Venice-Inspired Malibu Home

The singer and actress Cher is listing her longtime home in Malibu, Calif., for $85 million.

The Italian Renaissance-style estate, built in 1999, is set on approximately 1.7 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean, said listing agent Robert Kass of Hilton & Hyland, who is marketing the property with colleague Drew Fenton. The main residence spans roughly 13,200 square feet with arched windows and doors facing the ocean. There is also a separate gatehouse, infinity pool and tennis court, Mr. Kass said.

The “Believe” singer paid $2.95 million for the property in 1989, records show. She previously listed the property for $45 million in 2009, according to Realtor.com. (News Corp, owner of The Wall Street Journal, also operates Realtor.com under license from the National Association of Realtors.)

The house, which took nearly five years to build, was inspired by Venice, Italy, Cher said in an email. “From every room, there is an ocean view,” she added.

Cher said she entertained often in the home, hosting “intimate dinners in the family dining room” and larger “tented parties in the courtyard and pool area.”

“My Rinpoche came to give a prayer session with a large group of friends,” she said.

Located on Pacific Coast Highway, the gated property has a driveway lined with 40 Palm trees and a courtyard with a Moorish-style fountain. There are seven bedrooms, plus the gatehouse, which serves as a guesthouse. In the main residence, the primary suite has a meditation room and two closets, including one that doubles as a panic room, Mr. Kass said. The primary bathroom is designed like a hammam with Turkish wood screens.

The lower level of the house has an indoor-outdoor gym and theatre. Cher also has a climate-controlled wig room with close to 100 hairpieces, according to the 2002 book “The Cher Scrapbook.”

Mr. Kass said the style of the home is dramatic, with high-end finishes, stone and hardware. The estate is “iconic,” he said. “Everyone knows that house; it’s at the end of the bluff so no one is on the right side.”

Malibu, a mecca for celebrities and the uber-wealthy, has experienced a recent string of high-priced sales and listings. Billionaire media mogul Byron Allen just paid $100 million for an estate in Paradise Cove formerly owned by self-storage billionaire Tammy Hughes Gustavson. Former Disney chief executive Michael Eisner is asking $225 million for his Malibu compound. Last year, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen and his wife, Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, paid $177 million for an oceanfront home in Malibu.

Cher, known as a pop icon and Academy Award-winning singer and actor, gained popularity in the 1960s as half of the husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher. She later released many of her own albums and there was a Broadway musical about her life.

Klaus Busse would like you to close your eyes and imagine yourself behind the wheel of a Maserati. Picture the GranTurismo, which launched in Australia in 2024. Where do you see yourself? Chances are, Busse suggests, it’s not during the school pick-up or commuting to the office.

“You’re probably on a wonderful road in Tuscany, or Highway 1, or you’re going to a red carpet event,” says Busse, who holds the enviable title of Head of Design at Maserati, the iconic Italian car manufacturer. “Basically, it’s about emotion.”

At the luxury end of the market, the GranTurismo Coupe—priced between $375,000 and $450,000—is designed to transform the driving experience into something extraordinary. For Busse and his team, these “sculptures on wheels” are not just status symbols or exhilarating machines but expressions of pure joy. Their mission is to encapsulate that feeling and translate it into their cars.

“I really feel the responsibility to create emotion,” he says. “We have a wonderful word in Italy: allegria, which is best translated as ‘joyful.’ Our job as a brand is to lift you into this area of joy, perfectly positioned just short of ecstasy. It’s that tingling sensation you feel in your body when you drive the car.”

Even as 60 percent of the world’s population now lives in urban areas, Maserati’s design ethos captures the essence of “everyday exceptional.” Whether navigating city streets or open roads, a Maserati turns heads without being ostentatious or aggressive. “I’ve driven these cars all over the world, and no matter where I go, people smile at me and give a thumbs-up,” says Busse.

Since joining Maserati in 2015, Busse has reimagined and redefined the brand, steering his team through the reinvention of classic models and the transition to electric vehicles. Iconic designs like the Fiat 500, which entered the EV market in 2020, serve as a testament to Maserati’s ability to blend tradition with innovation.

Unlike other luxury car brands, Maserati embraces radical change with new designs every 10 to 15 years. Busse loves connecting with fans who follow the brand closely. He explains that each Maserati model reflects a specific era, from the elegant 35GT of the 1950s to the wedge-shaped designs of the 1970s and the bold aesthetics of the 1980s.

“I often ask fans, ‘What is Maserati for you?’ because their responses tell me so much about how they connect with the brand,” he shares.

Inspired by legendary Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, Busse balances tradition with modernity in his designs. As Giugiaro once told him, “We always do the best in the moment.” This philosophy resonates deeply with Busse, who believes in honouring the past while embracing future possibilities.

Through advances in technology, techniques, and societal trends, Busse ensures Maserati remains at the forefront of automotive design. For him, the creative process is more than just a job—it’s a way to create joy, connection, and timeless elegance.

Cher Wants $85 Million for Her Venice-Inspired Malibu Home

The singer and actress says the Italian Renaissance-style house took nearly five years to build

Ever wondered what it takes to create a car like the Maserati? Meet the German designer taking on an Italian icon.