Every home has a history. This one had a Hollywood powerhouse with a best-selling pen and a penchant for leopard print.
Before it was a solar-powered mega mansion, this property in the Beverly Hills Flats was the private playground of the late romance novelist Jackie Collins. She wrote steamy bestsellers by the window and entertained Hollywood elite next door—Al Pacino leased her guest house for over a decade.
Now, the house has been reborn. Rebuilt from the ground up—save for the pool—it stands as a bold, modern counterpoint to its Art Deco-style origins. The scale? Monumental. The tone? Contemporary. And the price tag? $59.5 million, making it the most expensive listing currently available in the Flats.
The current owners, property investors and philanthropists Ben and Bita Nehmadi, bought the estate in 2016 for $21 million. Then they did what Collins herself might have done with a plot line once upon a time: tore it down to the studs and reinvented it with élan.
The result is a 21,780-square-foot estate that stands out in Beverly Hills Flats. It has the size, the presence and the amenities you might find in the gated Beverly Park neighborhood in the hills—but sits just a 15-minute walk away from Rodeo Drive. “It’s rare to get this kind of scale in the Flats,” says Susan Smith of Carolwood Estates, who holds the listing.
From the curb, this home makes a statement: all white, sleek lines, towering palms and a footprint that spans two lots. Inside, amenities have been elevated to meet today’s expectations: an enclosed glass wine cellar, elevator, full gym, cinema, wet bar, dual kitchen islands, and a built-in espresso machine to fuel your next great idea.
Upstairs, the primary suite reads like a private wing. There’s a lounge area tucked behind velvet curtains, a glam room, a soaking tub, plus a walk-in wardrobe that rivals the upscale shops nearby—spacious enough to host a book club. There are seven bedrooms, 14 bathrooms (yes, 14) and more marble and Italian millwork than some boutique hotels. But despite some of its excesses, the home is also energy-sensitive. It runs on solar power, with a backup generator available in case of need. Utility bills? Reportedly under $200 a year, says co-listing agent Richard Maslan.
Outdoors, the original Collins-era pool remains—refreshed, of course—now paired with a hot tub, a full outdoor kitchen and multiple lounge zones. Layered landscaping and mature trees create privacy that feels more park-like than residential. There’s also a motor court and dual garages.
Collins built the original home in the early ’90s, inspired by David Hockney’s iconic 1967 painting A Bigger Splash. It was bold, theatrical, unapologetically hers. When Collins died in 2015, her daughters sold the property to the Nehmadis, who spent five years transforming it for a new chapter—one that dials back the leopard print, but not the glamour.
For those looking for more space (or more lore), the adjacent property is also available. That’s the former guest house where Pacino once lived, listed separately by the same owners for $16 million. Much like the sex-obsessed characters in Collins’ 32 bestselling novels, the estate captures the drama and glamour that define Beverly Hills at its best. The only thing missing is a new main character.
616 N Beverly Drive is listed with Susan Smith and Richard Maslan of Carolwood Estates, a member of Forbes Global Properties—an invitation-only network of top-tier brokerages worldwide and the exclusive residential real estate partner of Forbes.
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