Michael and Eva Chow’s lavish former estate in Holmby Hills returns to market at $70M

Back on the market in Holmby Hills is the wildly extravagant former estate of ex-power couple Michael and Eva Chow. Married in 1992, Michael, the founder of the Mr. Chow Chinese restaurant chain, and Eva, a LACMA trustee who spearheaded the museum’s Art+Film Gala, split in 2017 after 25 years of marriage, and shortly thereafter began divesting themselves of their multiple jointly owned properties.

Concealed behind gates on a 1.1-acre lot, the Mapleton Drive estate was constructed from scratch over the better part of a decade. It was designed by Michael Chow, a renowned art connoisseur and collector, who drew upon Madrid’s Reina Sofia museum for inspiration.

A vivid illustration of the phrase, “no expense spared,” the sprawling residence’s unique features include carved wooden doors from a Spanish monastery, limestone floors, 400-year-old Moorish columns, 16th- and 17th-century Florentine ceilings, an Art Deco-style library paneled in rare Macassar ebony wood, and a rooftop terrace with 18th-century tiles. There’s also an outdoor ballroom, a swimming pool, and a three-story guest house that boasts a subterranean theater with aquarium-esque underwater views of the swimming pool.

Put on the market in 2018 with a $78 million pricetag, the property is now asking $69.975 million. Carl Gambino and Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency hold the listing.