Mohawk-sporting real estate and hospitality mogul Robert Rivani, a bushy and bearded 33-year-old investor, tells Gimme Shelter exclusively that he has found a buyer for his $22 million “Harry Potter” meets “Game of Thrones”- inspired castle in Beverly Hills.
The final sale price isn’t yet known.
At the same time, Rivani is listing his Miami penthouse at the Ritz-Carlton Residences for $8.8 million.
The Beverly Hills deal comes after Rivani first tried to rent the castle-like compound for a cool $150,000 a month before dropping the price to $110,000 a month.
Rivani bought that property for $13.7 million in 2019, and once said he’d never sell it, and that he wanted to be buried there. (“But I’m a businessman,” Rivani reportedly said, “so never say never.”)
The eclectic Beverly Hills property has details like triple-vaulted ceilings, a spiked iron throne that is a “Game of Thrones” replica, dragon-skin wallpaper, a “Harry Potter”-style apothecary cabinet in the bar room, a Hogwarts-style common room and a jungle room.
It’s worlds apart in style from the modern Miami Beach penthouse, at 4701 Meridian Ave., which he bought for $7.5 million last year, as Gimme Shelter exclusively reported.
Neighbors at the Piero Lissoni-designed Ritz-Carlton include Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber. At 4,525 square feet, the penthouse is one of the building’s largest units, with four bedrooms, five baths, floor-to-ceiling windows and water views. The home delivers an eat-in chef’s kitchen, a butler’s pantry, a media room and a dining room with a blue “statement” chandelier.
The main bedroom was designed like a velvet jewel box with water views, according to the listing. Rivani says that he bought it as a “tweener” — an in-between property, or “stop gap measure” — and that he’s now looking to buy something bigger, as Miami is now his permanent base.
Rivani’s hospitality portfolio is in Miami, and he also owns shopping centers, along with a Malibu home on Carbon Beach that he plans to list later this year for around $40 million.
Rivani, who grew up in Los Angeles, got his entrepreneurial start as a teenage sneakerhead/high school drop-out.
He’s the founder of Black Lion Investment Group, which began seriously investing in Miami’s hospitality scene during the pandemic.
Advice for the younger generation who want to get into business?
“I would highly recommend them not to be too hard on themselves,” Rivani said. “Find something you are passionate about and gain knowledge through internships and be catapulted into greatness. They really don’t teach you business in the real world when you are at business school. Real world knowledge is key.”
The Ritz-Carlton Residences come with a private marina, a rooftop pool deck with cabanas and a restaurant grill, yoga, a meditation garden, a club room with a pool table — and virtual golf, a spa, a gym, a screening room, an art studio, a children’s room and a concierge.
The listing broker for the Miami penthouse is Douglas Elliman’s Dina Goldentayer.
The listing brokers for the Beverly Hills castle are Mauricio Umansky and Sam Collins of the Agency, and Chris Cortazzo of Compass.