Nail-polish money provided the gloss for the biggest condominium sale in Los Angeles County in the first half of the year, with former OPI nail polish executive Miriam Schaeffer paying $39.1 million purchase of a full-floor penthouse in Century City, according to Los Angeles County tax assessor records. The January deal at The Century also marks the county’s most expensive condo trade in at least the past three years, as The Real Deal reported.
This is the latest installment in a feature providing a weekly update on top sales by market segment, based on TRDData for given periods. You can see the top 10 condo sales for the first half of the year by clicking here.
The seller — represented by Douglas Elliman’s Bachir Oueida — was Vicki Walters, who listed the property at 1 West Century Drive for $50 million in 2023, according to the Wall Street Journal. Her late husband, Raul Walters, was a real estate developer who built and financed early Walmart stores. Walters paid $22.5 million for the residence in 2015, property records show.
Sotheby’s International Realty’s Jacob Dadon negotiated on behalf of Schaeffer, whose ex-husband founded OPI.
The 9,400-square-foot unit, which went for $4,153 per square foot, includes three bedrooms and seven bathrooms. Touches include hand-painted 22-karat gold leaf on the ceiling and 11-foot projector screens. The apartment also comes with a 500-square-foot studio, a pool cabana, a separate 1,200-square-foot office suite and four parking spaces.
Other high-profile deals in the Robert AM Stern-designed building include Candy Spelling — widow of Aaron Spelling — buying a penthouse unit for $35 million in 2010, and singer Rihanna selling her condo in 2024 for $20.8 million a year after acquiring it for $21 million. Rihanna’s unit was once owned by the late “Friends” star Matthew Perry.
Schaeffer, whose fortune tracks to the OPI nail-polish brand founded by her now ex-husband, is an active player in the L.A. County high-end residential real estate market.
In September 2024 she sold the Malibu carbon neutral residence named Zero One at 11865 Ellice Street for $25 million. She acquired the 4,300-square-foot 31048 Broad Beach Road in Malibu in 2023 for $35 million. And she spent roughly $51 million in 2021 across three purchases for properties in Los Angeles, Malibu and Hidden Hills.
Nail polish mogul sets record with $39M Century City penthouse buy
Mansion collector buys into Malibu’s Broad Beach for $35M
Malibu claims top two spots on LA luxury home contracts list