Nick Molnar has been busy over the last two years. In addition to selling Afterpay — the “buy now, pay later” fintech firm he co-founded — for $29 billion, he also paid north of $30 million USD for a residential compound in his native Australia. Last summer, he tossed down nearly $22 million for “Friends” actor Matthew Perry’s Los Angeles penthouse. And earlier this year, he bought tennis legend John McEnroe’s $29 million Malibu home.
Now the trophy property collector has done it yet again; records show he’s paid north of $34 million to buy a sumptuous estate in L.A.’s prestigious Bel Air neighborhood. Originally listed in May for nearly $40 million, the neoclassical manor was built in 2006 and designed by prolific architect Richard Manion.
And Molnar didn’t need installment payments — or a mortgage, for that matter — to afford his new home; grant deeds indicate he paid the entire purchase price in old-fashioned cash.
The seller was businessman Sam Nazarian, who bought the property for $25 million in 2015. Recently remodeled, the house was previously owned by the late Brad Grey, CEO of Paramount Pictures from 2005-2017. Set walking distance from the Bel-Air Country Club, the rambling mansion is invisible from the street, hidden behind big gates and hedges.
Beyond those fortifications, a long driveway winds past dozens of trees and grassy lawns on its way to a spacious motorcourt; discreetly hidden around the side of the home is a three-car attached garage. There are more formal gardens and lawns in the backyard, plus ample patio space for sunbathing, covered loggias for al fresco dining and a large swimming pool.
Though traditional on the outside, the nearly 11,000-square-foot home’s interiors are decidedly contemporary. Notable features include a two-story foyer with a curved staircase and marble floors, a living room that converts into a movie theater at the push of a button, and a large home gym. The chef’s kitchen offers…