Shaquille O’Neal has finally unloaded his Florida mega-mansion for $11 million, but it may not have been the outcome he was hoping for, as it sold for half of what he was originally asking.
The Windermere, Florida home was on the market for three years in which its price was adjusted various times. Haute Residence explains Shaq listed the property for $28 million when he first put it up for sale in 2018. Most recently, the asking price was slashed almost in half to $16 million after the mansion failed to attract any buyers.
Last Friday, the property was finally sold but for significantly less than Shaq was hoping for, even after the last price reduction. The property has been sold to an anonymous buyer for $11 million, which is 60% less of the original asking price.
Benjamin Hillman of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty represented Shaq and closed the sale.
“I was lucky No. 5,” Hillan said of being one of many real estate agents who attempted to sell the property, Los Angeles Times reports. “Shaq trusted me to find him a buyer, and I assured him I was the agent to do it.”
The records of the real estate transaction haven’t been made public, so it’s unclear who footed the bill for the property. But the unknown buyer was represented by Rob Rahter of Stockworth Realty Group.
Shaq purchased the property over three decades ago, and over time, the luxury mansion became his primary residence. At the time, he scored the property for $3.95 million. So, even though he didn’t receive as much as he was hoping for upon selling it, it’s not a complete loss.
The property is located in the gated community of Isleworth Golf and Country Club. The primary residence features 31,000 square feet of living space, and sits on 4-acres of land that overlooks Lake Butler. It comes with 12 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, and marble floors.
The Mediterranean-style home features a two-story room with walls of glass, an aquarium room with a saltwater fish tank, a safe room, and a sound-proof theatre. It also comes with a “gentleman’s room” that features a variety of games tables.
The mansion’s other amenities include a recording studio, a 17-car showroom, and a full size, NBA-certified basketball court, which spans 6,000 square feet and is Miami Heat-themed.
It also has plenty of outdoor features, too, such as a 95-foot-long pool, a custom rock waterfall, a summer kitchen with a tiki-inspired cabana, and a covered boat dock featuring an electric boat lift. Shaq reportedly calls the pool “Shaq-apulco.”
Shaq also takes his privacy seriously. Not only is the home situated in a gated fold community, but it features a 10-foot privacy wall around its acreage. It also has 15 cameras inside the property and 8 outdoors. Whoever moves in must have a lot of star power to require such a highly-secured property!
Sources: Los Angeles Times, Haute Residence,