Legendary Late-Night Host’s Former Four-Parcel Oceanfront Compound Features A Full Tennis Pavilion
Nearly two decades after Johnny Carson’s death, the late-night icon’s former Malibu estate has returned to the market, this time with an asking price of $110 million. The sprawling oceanfront property, located on Point Dume, is being listed by Compass agent Chris Cortazzo and is among the most expensive listings currently in Southern California.
Carson, host of The Tonight Show for three decades, purchased the four-parcel compound in the mid-1980s for $9.5 million. After his death in 2005, his widow, Alexis, sold the estate for $46 million to apparel mogul-turned-film producer Sidney Kimmel and his wife, Caroline.
The Kimmels later sold the property in 2019 in a quiet, off-market transaction for $40 million in cash to venture capitalist Riaz Valani, an early investor in e-cigarette manufacturer Juul, and his wife, Augusta Tigrett, daughter of Hard Rock Café co-founder Isaac Tigrett and Maureen Starkey, former wife of Ringo Starr.
The 7,100-square-foot main residence, built in the early 1980s by modernist architect Ed Niles, is perched dramatically on a cliffside with 327 feet of ocean frontage. Designed in a unique triangular shape, the three-story home features striking architectural elements, including a 30-foot wood-and-glass ceiling and an indoor arboretum with mature trees.
The expansive living area includes a sunken copper and glass fireplace surrounded by built-in seating, an elevated dining room with a marble-topped bar, and a chef’s kitchen with a butler’s pantry and large island.
The top floor is dedicated entirely to the primary suite, which includes a private balcony, fireplace, dual offices, walk-in closets, and dual bathrooms. The lower level offers a screening room, wine cellar, wet bar, and access to a terrace overlooking the Pacific.
The four-acre estate also boasts a saltwater pool with a waterfall grotto, spa, sauna, cold plunge, koi pond, greenhouse, orchard, and aviary. Across the street, a full-size tennis court is accompanied by a 2,700-square-foot pavilion with two guest suites, a fireside lounge, a full kitchen, and a spa-style locker room. This feature is rumored to have been a gift from NBC, reflecting Carson’s passion for tennis.
