A Celebrity Doctor Just Paid $27 Million for a Bayfront SoCal Mansion
He’s been labeled the “most popular psychiatrist in America,” with millions of followers on social media and 12 New York Times-bestselling books under his belt, and now Dr. Daniel Amen has the house to reflect that success. The 69-year-old mogul recently paid exactly $27 million for a bayfront mansion in Newport Beach, Calif., not far from the Costa Mesa headquarters of his Amen Clinics empire.
Built on speculation by a developer, the Tuscan-style house spans nearly 9,500 square feet of living space and was completed in 2006. Later that same year, it was sold to auto tycoon Fletcher “Ted” Jones Jr., owner of the world’s largest Mercedes-Benz dealership by volume, and his second wife Kimberly.
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After the Joneses divorced about 10 years ago, records indicate Kimberly kept the lavish Newport marital home, though the waterfront property was on and off the market for much of the last seven years at prices fluctuating between $30 million and $32 million. At least two buyers’ offers were accepted during that time, but both deals eventually fell through before Dr. Amen stepped up to the plate.
Sited on a third-of-an-acre lot, large for tightly-packed Balboa Peninsula, the estate is fronted by a detached four-car garage complete with an upstairs guesthouse. From the street, visitors heading to the main house must travel via a gated walkway that passes under the guesthouse before spilling into a tranquil courtyard accented by a large central fountain flanked by grassy lawns.
Beyond that, the main house features antique finishes, imported stone from Italy, and a mixture of hardwood and limestone flooring. There’s a gourmet kitchen open to a bar seating area and a fireside dining area, plus a separate formal dining room with bay views.
Other amenities are not limited to an upstairs master retreat with dual bathrooms and dual private terraces, a movie theater with seating for 10 lucky viewers, and a backyard with an infinity pool and two ancient olive trees. In addition to a wine cellar, the house also boasts what the listing describes as a “subterranean wine room” with space for entertaining. But perhaps the property’s most notable features are its panoramic coastline views and a massive private boat dock, the latter capable of mooring two 60-foot yachts.
Over the course of his 40-year career in psychiatry, Dr. Amen has built a majorly profitable business that now includes numerous books, dietary supplements, speaking engagements, television appearances and more than 200 employees. He was prominently featured on a recent episode of “The Kardashians,” and is perhaps best known for his usage of SPECT imaging for diagnostic purposes — the Los Angeles native’s clinics have performed some 200,000 of these $3,500 brain scans over 30 years.
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