Apparently, he isn’t just a genius when it comes to hip hop and fashion; Russell Simmons knows what he’s doing in the world of real estate too. He owns a sprawling 35,000 square foot mansion in Saddle River, New Jersey – one of the largest homes on the eastern coast, a $5.3 million, 5,800 square foot mansion in Los Angeles, and a Manhattan penthouse. But, for now, it seems like this music mogul has had enough. Russell Simmons’ house in New Jersey is now up for sale.
With ten bedrooms, 35 foot ceilings, and gold-leaf ceilings, this New Jersey estate has an asking price of more than $20 million. It is located 25 miles north of Manhattan, New York, in the same suburb that was once home to Richard Nixon. The house was built in 1996 by clothing mogul Arnold Simon and, with its vast number of rooms seems to be more of a museum than a residence.
Its dining room and gym alone are larger than most normal houses, while its special “Versace room” features a Gianni Versace-designed bed and a 16 foot high fireplace in the shape of a lion’s mouth. It also has a movie theatre modeled after an old Brooklyn theatre, complete with popcorn machines and a candy counter, a bright marquee and a wax figure selling tickets. The outside of the house is equally as impressive as the inside. Across the four acre property is a massive outdoor pool, a waterfall and a koi pond.
Each Russell Simmons house is more impressive than the next. The most recent piece of property that was purchased by Simmons and his wife at the time, model-turned-fashion designer Kimora Lee, is a five bedroom, four bathroom mansion in a Mediterranean-style gated estate near Sunset Strip. It also has stone floors throughout and an outdoor kitchen for when Simmons decides to take his party outside.
These estates aren’t just ways for Simmons to enjoy the wealth he has acquired over the years. Rather, he sees them as symbols of the success he has had in changing the face of America. Simmons took hip hop from the ghettos of New York to the mainstream U.S., and helped change national attitudes towards race in the meantime. “The diversity that America has is so special,” says Simmons. “Not only because there are more mixes of people, but because people are more open-minded about each other.”
Much like his success has enabled him to enjoy the occasional mansion, so too does Simmons see the nation benefiting from the success of the growth of hip hop. “America has a great, great opportunity,” he says, “and mostly because of hip hop.”
With a price tag of $20 million, there are few who could afford to buy this Russell Simmons house. But, therein lies of the beauty of the hip hop music he has helped to spread; everyone from the ghettos of Chicago to the mansions of Beverly Hills can come together to share the musical experience.
Russell Simmons House
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