For years, billionaires have used their influence to keep ‘riffraff’ off their section of Malibu beach. They’ve been trying to buy private access to public beaches. I decried these efforts a decade ago in my post titled “Rich Snobs Trying to Keep Public off Public Beaches,” April 18, 2005.
The media pilloried entertainment mogul David Geffen for leading their futile efforts back then. Even he appeared to finally understand that his mission made him look like a rich fool.
But it seems rich fools never learn. Perhaps keeping up with the Joneses among billionaires includes competing to be the richest fool. Because only that explains this from the July 7 edition of the Los Angeles Daily News:
After a decade-long legal fight that pitted public access advocates against a wealthy homeowner who refused to build a path, the California Coastal Commission is officially opening a third walkway along the 1.5-mile Carbon Beach on Tuesday. …
State law guarantees the public beach access up to the mean high tide line; but in areas like Malibu, many affluent and influential residents [including Larry Ellison, former chief executive of Oracle Corp.; Hard Rock Cafe co-founder Peter Morton; and David Geffen] have taken extensive measures to keep beachgoers out of their sandy backyards.
Meanwhile, it seems Geffen has had enough of the ‘riffraff’ strolling past his home en route to the beach. Because according to the June 24 edition of the entertainment trade magazine VARIETY, he has put his “Malibu compound” on the market for $100 million.
Aerial views show why even that hefty price tag is a steal.
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