Twinkies heir Evan Metropoulos, brother of Playboy mansion owner Daren Metropoulos, is rumored to have made a lowball offer for a Trousdale Estates compound owned by one of the biggest donors to the Clinton Foundation, according to a source with knowledge of the dealings.
Metropoulos offered to pay just over $60 million for the property owned by billionaire Lebanese-British business mogul Gilbert Chagoury, a far cry from its $135 million asking price, the source said.
The Twinkies scion may think he has negotiating power, since any deal would be potentially be complicated by the fact that Chagoury can’t actually enter the U.S. He was refused a visa last year on terrorism-related grounds. The L.A. Times cited reports alleging he may have facilitated fundraising for Hezbollah. Chagoury, who has donated over $1 million to the Clinton Foundation, has since filed suit against various federal agencies over the denial.
It wasn’t exactly clear what Chagoury’s immigration situation might mean for a prospective deal. His broker, Aaron Kirman of the John Aaroe Group, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did Metropoulos. Chagoury could not be reached.
Metropoulos has a reputation for being braggadocious and was even featured on MTV’s “True Life: I’m the Youngest Tycoon in the World” back in 2000. In 2004, he reportedly told a New York Times journalist, “I’ve been with more chicks than any fat guy you know, except Pavarotti.”
His brother, Daren Metropoulos, made headlines earlier this year when he snagged Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion for $100 million.
The family company, founded by the pair’s father Dean Metropolous, patnered with Apollo Global Management to buy a stake in Twinkies out of liquidation for $410 million in 2013, saving it from demise.
Chagoury bought his 2.5-acre, eight-bedroom, 12-bathroom estate at 1187 North Hillcrest Road for $15 million in 2000 and did a massive renovation. He designed it in his own style, adding Baccarat chandeliers and custom-made, hand-woven carpets.
The property was formerly home to comedian Danny Thomas, star of “Make Room for Daddy,” who built it in 1970.