Contrary to recent reports that he had a buyer on the hook, George Clooney says he will not be parting ways with his Lake Como residence any time soon. Early in September, a source said that Clooney was selling the home for €100 million ($107m/£87.5m), news which quickly set the internet abuzz with speculation as to who might snag the high-profile property. The movie star soon came forward to set the record straight, but the rumour mill is not so sure. Click or scroll to find out more...
Page Six wasn’t the only publication speculating about the sale. "Rumors were also circulating in past years, but this time it’s true. An agency in Milan is following the sale. I can’t reveal which one. Since we have a certain type of clientele, someone has already called us," said Yasemin Baysal, owner of Engel & Volkers Lago di Como, speaking to the Italian publication Oggi. "In particular, one customer is very interested. We have started all the necessary checks before submitting a possible offer,” she elaborated. However, Clooney has since come forward to deny the claims. "The first I heard of it was when Page 6 published the story," he said in a statement to The New York Post.
But the agent is doubling down and swears that her statement about the sale is true. The Robb Report quoted the Oggi piece saying that the reason for the rumoured sale is because Amal prefers to spend time in Provence, where the couple owns the 425-acre wine estate Domaine du Canadel. So what's the story behind the property that's been causing so much trouble? Well, it’s no secret that Clooney is a massive fan of Italian culture—the actor married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in Venice in 2014. Clooney fell in love with Lake Como in the early 2000s and has invested millions in the Italian property market since. Lake Como was personally chosen by the star as a film location for his 2004 blockbuster movie Ocean’s Twelve.
Purchased in 2001 for $13.5 million (£10.9m), this 18th-century home on beautiful Lake Como has gained considerable media attention, with fans and journalists often flocking to its entrance in the hopes of capturing a glimpse of Clooney and his family. The 25-room luxury property contains an outdoor pool, tennis courts, gym and garage, where the actor stores his extensive collection of vintage motorbikes.
The Clooney family spends summer at the house in Como every year and they welcome many of their A-list friends as guests. Celebrity visitors have included Jennifer Aniston, Matt Damon, and Prince Harry and Meghan. The couple's wider family aren’t neglected either and one year, Amal’s father, Ramzi Alamuddin, held his birthday party at the villa.
The actor went on to purchase the adjacent Villa Margherita in the hopes of securing his privacy. His battle with the paparazzi hit its peak in 2015, when the mayor of Laglio had to issue a restricting order stopping fans and the media from approaching his home. Trespassers can expect to face a fine of up to €500 (£437/$541) for coming within 100 metres of the property.
Property sale speculations aside, let's take a closer look at Georgeand Amal's spectacular property portfolio...
An award-winning actor, director, screenwriter and noted philanthropist, George Clooney has no shortage of strings to his bow. Like other Hollywood stars who have snapped up a piece of the property pie—including Adele, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Lopez—Clooney has wisely invested the money he's made in his impressive 40-year career. He also has no qualms about sharing his wealth around, as it was recently revealed that George and Amal made an incredibly generous donation to aid the recovery of a flooded French town near one of their homes. From his breathtaking Lake Como villa to his new French vineyard estate, let's take a look inside George's stunning real estate collection...
The long-time bachelor, who’d publicly sworn off marriage, surprised everyone when he proposed to international human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in 2014. The pair married later that year and in 2017, Amal gave birth to the couple’s twins, Ella and Alexander. Since becoming a family man, George’s property needs have evolved, something that's been reflected in his expanding portfolio.
Looking back to the beginning of his success, Clooney’s first big spend was this six-bedroom villa in the celebrity property hotspot of Studio City, Los Angeles, which he purchased back in 1995 for less than $1 million (£810k). Not one to court the paparazzi, the actor’s preference for hidden away homes in exclusive locations originally took root in LA.
Clooney gave his fans insight into his personal life for the very first time back in 2012 with an exclusive CBS 'Person to Person' tour of his LA abode. In the interview, the star discussed his family, career and interests while showing viewers around his 7,300-square-foot home, which he bought from Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks.
Clooney purchased the house during his first few years starring in ER, when the newly famous star was looking for a larger place. He chose the mansion as it’s set back from the street and well hidden from photographers’ prying eyes. The impressive three-storey property features an outdoor pool, basketball court, cinema screening room and extensive gardens.
During the CBS interview, Clooney revealed that becoming a homeowner was important to him because he had to move a lot as a child as his family switched between a number of rental properties when he was growing up in Kentucky. Family has always been an indispensable part of the actor’s home life and he often holds gatherings at the expansive home.
His LA villa contains a spacious kitchen with an island and breakfast bar where Clooney likes to drink his morning coffee. The property also features an outdoor pool, bar and tennis courts, where the star has gained a reputation for hosting epic A-list soireés. It’s one of Clooney’s first major purchases and a place he often refers to as home.
Studio City, where George’s LA mansion is based, was initially part of the Universal Studio lot and sits on top of a hill surrounded by parkland. The lush garden surrounding the house is perfect for hot summer days and holding alfresco dinner parties.
The party-loving movie star has several bars in his LA home and showed the presenters his extensive spirit collection. On the wall behind the actor, there’s an original Rat Pack photo of the first Ocean’s Eleven film. When Clooney made the remake, the actors, including Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, had their photo taken in the same pose which is also on the wall.
Clooney picked up his Kennedy memorabilia at a garage clearout, where he also bought a couple of JFK’s ties, pictured here on the wall. He’s also good friends with Barack Obama and the lower photo shows the two together soon after Obama took office.
When the home served as his bachelor pad, Clooney often had friends over to watch sports games in his living room. But the plush homely décor seen here was not Clooney’s own choice. It was the actor’s best friend, Rande Gerber, who told George that as an older man, he needed to give up his frat boy image and redecorate.
These days, the Studio City mansion is open and airy and many of the rooms open out onto the lush gardens and pool area, making the house perfect for hosting gatherings. One whole wall of this dining room houses Clooney’s extensive wine collection. However, in a 2018 interview, Amal revealed that since starting a family the home is more of a "low-key house" than an "entertaining space."
Twice voted the sexiest man alive by People magazine, not everyone’s aware that Clooney used to share his bedroom with a pig. Clooney had Max, the Vietnamese potbellied pig, for 18 years and the treasured pet is commemorated in this photo on the actor’s wall next to photos of family.
The noted animal lover never bought another pig, although he has had several pet dogs over the years. Rescued from a shelter back in 2010, Clooney is seen here in the screening room cuddling up with his beloved pooch Einstein. He admitted to Esquire that during the adoption process, he rubbed meatballs on his shoes to convince the shelter inspector that Einstein had taken to him.
Clooney sat down with CBS's Tracy Smith in November 2020 to discuss his newest film The Midnight Sky. The distanced interview took place in the courtyard of his Studio City home, where the family was hunkering down during the pandemic. George revealed how he'd passed the days at the Californian residence: "It's been a while since I did 15 loads of laundry in a day and mop floors... all these doors over here I stained".
As well as trying his hand at a spot of DIY, the actor is said to have carried out a multimillion-dollar renovation to his LA property. Additions are reported to include three new outbuildings, with one rumoured to be a play cottage for the twins, as well as a pizza oven and water fountain.
George gave us another glimpse of his home in 2021 when he joined a video call with his former co-stars from the hit TV show ER for a charity reunion. Clooney, who played the heartthrob Dr. Doug Ross, joked that Amal had some strong opinions after watching the show. "This has been a very, very disastrous thing for me because I forgot all of the terrible things I'd done as Dr. Ross. My wife keeps going, 'Is that it? Are you done?' It's been a disaster for my marriage."
With no shortage of homes in stunning locations, Clooney once owned a luxury retreat in Cabo, Mexico—selling it in 2016 for a cool $100 million (£80.9m). The star purchased the Casamigos compound, a two-villa complex located within the El Dorado Golf and Beach Club, with longtime friends Cindy Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber. The villa is said to have been the inspiration behind Clooney and Gerber's Casamigos Tequila business, which they sold for $1 billion (£809.3m) in 2017.
Designed by renowned architect Ricardo Legoretta, the seven-bedroom, 10-bathroom former Clooney residence was listed as containing a stunning central courtyard with an outdoor fireplace and a pool that overlooks the ocean. The friends had almost identical properties and were often in and out of each other’s homes.
Growing increasingly aware of prying paparazzi, newlyweds George and Amal chose Berkshire in England over Los Angeles to begin their married lives together. The couple purchased their family home in 2014, giving them plenty of time to make modifications and additions ahead of the arrival of twins Ella and Alexander in 2017.
The couple purchased Aberlash House in Sonning-on-Thames for $13.7 million (£11.1m). The Grade II-listed countryside estate has served as a retreat for George and Amal since its purchase and is where the couple escaped to for their honeymoon. The impeccably renovated Georgian mansion sits on a five-acre private island, which makes it an ideal location for George and Amal to raise their children away from the media.
The property features 9,000 square feet of habitable space, including a marbled entrance hall, four reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room, wine cellar, six first-floor bedroom suites and a further four bedrooms on the second floor. Though the historic house has been given a modern update, it continues to retain its period charm, from the parquet wooden floors to its series of grand fireplaces.
These images show the property prior to its purchase back in 2014. It’s believed that George and Amal have completely revamped their home, turning a previously dark interior into a light and modern space, with a neutral colour scheme and modern furnishings. Recent additions include a luxury pool room and a 16-seat screening room where George does most of his film editing. In 2020, the Clooneys also were reportedly granted planning permission to build an outbuilding in the garden—it's thought that it will house facilities for their security staff.
The couple have had plenty of trees planted around the perimeter of the property to preserve their privacy from paparazzi, especially important given the exclusive soirées the Clooneys are said to hold in the pool house. Amal describes the pool house as "the party zone", which reportedly includes a photo booth for guests to document their night. Unfortunately, when the Thames broke its banks in February 2020, over a third of the immaculate grounds were flooded. In January 2023, the house was once again surrounded by water after a period of heavy rain.
There’s speculation that George and Amal’s most recent investment is a luxury New York apartment in the newly built One Hundred East Fifty Third Street. The skinny glass skyscraper was designed by Norman Foster’s Foster + Partners architecture firm and was completed in 2018.
According to unidentified sources quoted in Page Six, the couple opted out of purchasing the plush penthouse and are believed to own a high-floor apartment below best friends Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, according to Vogue Australia. After selling their twin holiday homes in Mexico, could this be the new hangout for the celeb foursome?
Each amazing apartment in the skyscraper features a modern minimalist interior, with wire-brushed oak cabinetry, marble surfaces and a neutral colour palette. Properties are encased in floor-to-ceiling glass panels, providing plenty of natural light and the most spectacular views of the city skyline.
The building contains a number of hotel-like amenities, including a communal pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates rooms. Residents can admire fantastic views of the Manhattan skyline from the 60-foot-long pool. There’s also a library and American sculptor Rachel Feinstein has recently completed a custom work of art for the building’s foyer.
The first two levels are dedicated to a gourmet marketplace and fine-dining restaurant run by famed French chef Joel Robuchon. Located in the prestigious Upper East Side, One Hundred East Fifty Third Street is within close proximity to the Rockefeller Center. If you fancy rubbing shoulders with George and Amal, a one-bed unit in the building starts at a mere $2.1 million (£1.7m).
In 2021, George and Amal snapped up their own slice of the European good life in rural France. Known as Domaine le Canadel, the 18th-century property can be found in the heart of Provençe, about an hour's drive from Saint-Tropez. While there was talk of the Clooneys losing out to another buyer, it seems the couple managed to secure the sprawling estate after all, though it's unclear how much the property set them back.
News of the couple's purchase hit headlines when the mayor of Brignoles, the nearest hamlet to the grand property, welcomed the new arrivals on 23 July 2021. Didier Bremond posted a picture of himself and the A-list couple on Twitter, with the caption: “It’s now official. George and Amal Clooney are residents of our beautiful commune." According to Didier, the pair invited him to their new home as they settled in.
Originally listed for sale for a cool €7.9 million ($8.5m/£6.9m), the house features everything an A-list couple could need, including a private woodland, olive grove and vineyard. Every single interior space is light-filled and traditional, with striking original features and plenty of luxurious touches, such as ornate fireplaces, natural stone floors and beamed ceilings.
The VIP-worthy farmhouse boasts plenty of living areas, as well as a large rustic kitchen and a 425-acre garden. There's a 72-foot-long outdoor swimming pool, a boules pitch, a tennis court, a caretaker’s cottage and a lavender garden, making it perfect for the couple's growing family.
The 10,000-square-foot mansion towers up three floors and was extensively remodelled in 1993. In the rustic kitchen, classic copper pans are suspended from a rack above the island, while old terracotta tiles complete the country look.
With the Provençe purchase, George has now become neighbours with lifelong friend and fellow Hollywood actor, Brad Pitt. Brad has owned nearby Château Miraval since 2008 and still shares the estate with his former wife, Angelina Jolie, though it's now at the center of their divorce battle. The two properties are said to be just miles apart, which could be why the Clooneys were so keen to get their hands on Domaine le Canadel. Perhaps they're intending on creating their own wine, just like Brad.
George and Amal have also made themselves extremely popular with their French neighbours. After a devastating flood in the nearby village of Le Val, the Clooneys generously donated €20,000 ($21.8k/ £17.7k) to help repair local homes. Speaking at a town meeting to discuss the ongoing repairs, Jérémy Giuliano, the mayor of Le Val in Provence, revealed that the donation funded alternative accommodation for residents for six months while their homes were being restored, according to the Evening Standard.
The flood, which took place in October of 2021, left the village submerged in two months' worth of rain which fell in just a few hours, and resulted in dozens of villagers needing to be airlifted to safety. At the time, the Clooneys made their donation to the village 'spontaneously' and quietly, not looking for any media attention, and it has only recently come to light through the mayor's public expressions of gratitude. Pictured here is the damage suffered by the village of Roquebillière in southeastern France during the same flood period.
One thing's for sure, this house-hunting pair certainly have impeccable taste. Having added a romantic European escape to their impressive property portfolio, we can't wait to see what George and Amal's next move will be in the world of luxury real estate.
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