The Hit Succession series transports its viewers to a world of glamor and wealth beyond most people’s imaginations, as it tells the story of fictional media mogul Roy Logan and showcases his family’s massive mansions.
But for some, this untold wealth isn’t something they just watch on TV.
One of the gorgeous homes used as the set for an HBO show is owned by a real-life billionaire – his age and profile couldn’t be more different from Logan’s.
Austin Russell, 28, became a billionaire almost overnight in December 2020 when Luminar Technologies, the technology company he founded at the age of 17, went public.
In 2021, Forbes named him the world’s youngest self-made billionaire at just 26 years old – and he quickly acquired a lavish property to cement his newfound stature.
One of the gorgeous homes used as a set for HBO’s Succession is owned by a real-life billionaire. The massive mansion is located in the exclusive Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles
Austin Russell, 28, became a billionaire in 2020 when Luminar Technologies, the tech company he founded at just 17, went public. He now owns an $83 million mansion
According to Forbes, as of April last year, Russell was estimated to be worth around $1.6 billion.
Russell founded Luminar Technologies in 2012 and still runs the company that develops laser-based radar sensor technology for cars.
Born in California, his father, Michael, worked in commercial real estate while his mother was former model and actress Shannon Klee, best known for her role on The Young and the Restless.
An optical prodigy, Russell developed the idea for Luminar when he was just 17 years old and studying physics at Stanford University.
He dropped out of college after just three months in 2012 when he was awarded a $100,000 Thiel Fellowship from a program funded by billionaire Peter Thiel to sponsor entrepreneurs.
For five years, he worked behind the scenes He created the Luminar lidar hardware and software, which he released to the public in 2017.
After Luminar was listed on NASDAQ, Russell became the youngest self-made billionaire in the world at just 25 years old.
Russell founded Luminar Technologies in 2012 and still runs the company that develops laser-based radar sensor technology for cars.
In 2021, he sold 10 percent of his stock in the company, netting $220 million in cash. The next day, he foreclosed on an $83 million California property.
The home, which is located in Pacific Palisades just outside Los Angeles and has six bedrooms and a staggering 18 bathrooms, is featured in the first episode of the fourth and final series of the Succession series.
Bone provides the perfect backdrop to the scene, which sees Logan’s competitive and ambitious offspring plot their next moves.
Built over several years by developer Ardie Tavangarian, no stranger to the affluent and high-powered clientele, the property is equipped with every conceivable convenience.
Russell founded Luminar Technologies in 2012 and still runs the company that develops laser-based radar sensor technology for cars.
Tavanjarian bought the one-acre hilltop property in 2013 for approximately $7.3 million and built the 20,000-square-foot mansion of billionaires’ dreams.
The stunning home was available for rent for $350,000 per month in 2020, but Russell quickly acquired it for $83 million.
The property’s panoramic views allow the owner to see straight across the Los Angeles skyline and down to the Pacific Ocean, with what realtors describe as one of the top 5 views in the city.
Located at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in Palisades’ prestigious Riviera neighborhood, immediately next door is the $26 million prime residence of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.
Succession transports viewers to a world of wealth beyond most people’s imagination, tells the story of fictional media mogul Roy Logan (pictured, played by Brian Cox) and showcases his family’s luxurious homes
The house is fit with a state-of-the-art indoor cinema and a 20-seater outdoor cinema, according to reports.
It has a guest suite complete with five suites, a gym and a home spa that can accommodate 12 guests and has a separate massage room.
It contains a family kitchen, designed by Nobu, and outside is a stunning infinity-edge pool, from which rises a 40-foot curved wall that cost $2 million.
For petrolheads, it has a gallery car and car turntable, so no one has to back down the impressive driveway. The garage doubles as a dance floor.
The star of the show is the home’s stunning master suite, which can only be accessed via a retina scanner.
It has a private balcony and a retractable glass roof that can be used as a movie screen and pulled back for stargazing.
Speaking shortly after he bought the house, Russell said in 2020 that the feature makes it feel like you’re sleeping outside.
“It’s like a campfire environment in your house,” he told the Wall Street Journal.
Russell also paid a whopping $10.6 million for a 13,000-square-foot mansion in Winter Park, near his corporate headquarters in Orlando.
His company is based in Orlando, where Russell owns another impressive mansion — though it pales in comparison to his LA stand.
Dirt reports that he took over the property just two months after buying his West Coast home, paying $10.6 million for a 13,000-square-foot mansion in Winter Park.
The house is located just 11 miles from Luminar’s headquarters in Orlando, and reports at the time said that its purchase by Russell was the second-largest residential real estate transaction in Central Florida history.
His second home, which is slightly smaller, has 10 bedrooms and 10.5 bathrooms.
First built in 1925, the old property was fully renovated and expanded in 2018, and sits behind grand gates on a narrow lot between Lake Virginia, Florida, and Lake Mizell.
