When news broke in late May that the nearly 35,000 square foot French Provincial mega-mansion once belonging to Tyler Perry had been sold to an anonymous buyer, rumors began to circulate about who could have paid the hefty $15 million price tag.
Located on Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead’s Paces Neighborhood, the 17 acre estate is home to a luxurious 7 bedroom, 14 bathroom house with resort-like amenities that include a 70,000 gallon infinity pool, gym, spa, theater, lighted tennis courts, wine cellar, guest house, gardens, veranda, and even an underground ballroom with catering kitchen. At the time of initial reporting the agents involved remained mum on the buyer who immediately installed a full time security guard at the gates and sparked rumors of celebrity status. A recent review of the deed has confirmed that the buyer was indeed comedian, businessman, and entertainer Steve Harvey and his wife Marjorie.
As an aside, did you know Steve Harvey’s first name is Broderick? We were surprised by that as well. Harvey is a long-time Atlanta resident and according to a 2018 article in the Observer is the 5th-highest paid TV Host with an annual salary of $44 million. As expensive as this purchase was, it represents only four month’s salary for Harvey!
The journey from listing to sale of this massive property was convoluted and daunting for those involved. The home was initially purchased by Tyler Perry in 2009 for $9 million, and the Atlanta native media mogul spent millions on updates to the home in the following years. In 2015 Perry listed the property for $25 million and ultimately sold the home to evangelist David Turner and his wife Jennifer for $17.5 million in 2016. At the time it was Atlanta’s highest sale on record and two years later the Turners listed the home for a whopping $25 million before dropping the price to $21 million in 2019.
Though the sale of this mansion for $15 million a couple of months ago amounted to a $2.5 million loss for the Turner family, the couple reportedly felt compelled to relocate southward. Tyler Perry has also since settled down in a Douglasville home sitting on a modest 1,000 acre lot – that is, when he’s not staying at his properties in other cities like New York and LA (where the former Prince Harry and wife are holed up).
The sale of this mammoth mansion is remarkable in that it constitutes both the first and second most expensive home sales in Atlanta’s history. In addition, the transaction this May occurred during an unprecedented time of instability due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has left millions of Americans in a state of upheaval and insecurity.
