Minecraft creator wants $70 million for his Beverly Hills mansion, the same price he paid in 2014, while L.A. home values have more than doubled

Markus Persson, the Swedish creator of the video game Minecraft, has listed his Beverly Hills mansion for $70 million. It is one of the highest-priced homes on the market in Los Angeles County this year. If it sells at that price, it could become the biggest home sale in Beverly Hills this year.

Minecraft creator asks the same $70 million he paid in 2014

Persson bought this house in December 2014 for $70 million. Twelve years later, he is asking for the same amount. In that time, the median value of a home in Los Angeles has more than doubled. For his house, that works out to a 0% rise. A flat price after 12 years stands out in a city where home values have gone up this much.

The market has changed too. In 2014, spec houses, which developers build without a particular buyer in mind, were selling very fast. High-end homes of this kind have since slowed down. The report on the listing describes the luxury market in Los Angeles as ailing and calls the price ambitious.

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Persson had just come into big money when he made the first purchase. In September 2014, he sold his game company, Mojang, to Microsoft for $2.5 billion. He was 35 at the time.

Inside the 22,300 sq ft mansion with a nightclub and candy room

The house has eight bedrooms and 15 bathrooms. It also has a private nightclub and a candy room.

It was built by Bruce Makowsky, a handbag businessman who became a property developer. News reports from 2014 listed more features. The living room has a 54-foot curved glass door that opens to an infinity pool, where the fountains are controlled by an iPad. There is a wine room that held about 2,500 bottles, an 18-seat screening room, and bars for vodka and tequila. The garage has hydraulic floors that lower cars into a lounge below.

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The house was sold fully furnished. The artwork, a replica of James Dean’s motorcycle, and cases of Dom Perignon champagne all went with it. Some of these details come from 2014 coverage and may have changed since. Those reports also gave the size as about 23,000 square feet, a little more than the 22,300 now listed.

The 2014 deal moved fast. The house was first listed at $85 million, and Persson bought it for $70 million. The sale closed in six days. Reports at the time called it the highest price ever paid for a home in Beverly Hills. Jay-Z and Beyoncé were among those who toured the property before Persson bought it.

The price also stood out across Los Angeles. It was higher than the $55 million Ellen DeGeneres received for her Brody House, and the $40 million Dr. Dre paid for a Brentwood estate with a moat. Only the $88.3 million recorded for the Fleur de Lys estate on the Westside was higher among that year’s big sales.

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A broker involved in the 2014 deal said then that overseas buyers were becoming more important for trophy homes in Los Angeles. Whether such buyers are still active at this level today is not clear from the listing report.

It is also worth remembering that $70 million is only an asking price. Luxury homes often sell for a different figure after talks with buyers. If this one closes at $70 million, the buyer will be paying a 2014 price in 2026. If it closes for less, it will show how far the top end of the Los Angeles market has fallen behind the rest of the city.