Los Angeles fire lines, anxious currency bosses and mansions in danger

Author: Jaleel Plus Six , BlockBeats

This may be the worst fire in California history.

In Pacific Palisades, the city most affected by the fire, 75% of the houses have been razed to the ground; a new round of seasonal strong winds has pushed the wildfires to spread eastward; in addition to Palisades, there are currently two other wildfire areas in Los Angeles , the surrounding residents are facing severe challenges.

Even some of Los Angeles' most affluent neighborhoods are not immune to nature's wrath. Those mansions that once symbolized the wealth and achievements of European and American celebrities and currency giants are now on the front line of disaster.

On the streets of Los Angeles that were infamous for wildfires, in addition to these European and American celebrities, there are also some cryptocurrency giants and new rich people living there. The mansions where they once served as a symbol of commercial success are now facing the direct threat of relentless natural disasters.

Moonbird founder: The house was completely destroyed

"Sadly lost everything in the #PacificPalisades fire. Nothing left here," Moonbirds founder Kevin Rose wrote alongside a video of his burned home and neighborhood.

As shown in his video, Rose's Los Angeles home was completely destroyed in the California wildfires.

Rose first started his career by founding the website Digg and later became a venture capitalist. He was one of the first investors to back Twitter and Square. Then Rose became famous because of the creation of the Moonbirds project in December 2021, during the early days of the NFT bull market.

Rose sold Moonbirds to Yuga Labs last year. As part of the deal, Rose became a consultant to Yuga Labs for a "brief transition period." Shortly after its launch, the project quickly attracted more than $500 million in sales through a series of NFT sales and raised $50 million in financing from Andreessen Horowitz (A16Z).

Rose's reputation peaked with the success of the Moonbirds project. Also during this period, Rose purchased a new home worth $16.5 million in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. This luxury area where celebrities gather is known for its luxurious properties. The house purchased by Rose has a modern design, with more than 7,600 square feet of space, and the overall "L" shape. Most of its walls are made of glass, which can be viewed Panoramic view of Los Angeles. Unfortunately, this beautiful home was completely destroyed in the fire.

What many people don’t know is that in a past podcast, he also revealed the tremendous pressure caused by his work on NFT projects. He spoke candidly about experiencing health issues such as anxiety attacks, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, and brain aneurysms as a result of the explosive growth in NFT trading volume, and even tried ketamine treatment, which ultimately left him feeling unwell since his teenage years. Easier than ever before.

It seems that because of her previous treatment experience, during this fire, Rose also shared some philosophical views on accepting uncertainty on social media, hoping to find freedom and peace of mind through this method. "When we understand the truth about uncertainty, we become free."

Brother Maji: 16 kilometers from the fire area

Speaking of celebrities in the Chinese area of ​​NFT, Brother Maji’s name is well known.

In June 2023, Taiwanese artist and NFT industry tycoon Huang Licheng (Big Brother Maji) purchased a mansion in the famous Bird Streets community of Los Angeles for US$25 million. This luxury villa has 14,000 square feet of spacious space, a wine room, a marble bar, a large gym and other facilities. It has 5 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms.

It is understood that this mansion on Bird Streets was originally listed for sale at a price of $34 million and was just completed in early 2022. But according to photos, Brother Maji bought it a year later at a price about 75% lower than the asking price. And became neighbors with other celebrities such as Hon Hai Group founder Terry Gou, the Winklevoss brothers and LVMH Group CEO Bernard Arnault.

As you can see from the picture, the entire house is dominated by beige and brown. The interior space of the mansion is quite spacious, with an open design and large floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the entire Hollywood Hills, which is very comfortable.

Although there are countless mansions under the name of Brother Maggie, during today's wildfire season, this mansion on Bird Street, only 16 kilometers away from the Pacific Palisades wildfire area, may be one of the mansions that makes Brother Maggie the most nervous. .

Ankr founder: 14 kilometers from fire zone

On the block next to the Bird Streets mansion, Brother Maji has a neighbor in the currency circle, Song Yunfan, the founder of ankr.

On November 22, 2021, the 27-year-old cryptocurrency entrepreneur purchased a mansion in a wealthy area of ​​Los Angeles for $12 million. The house is located near a hill called Doheny Estates, next to The famous Bird Streets area. The house was completed in early 2019 and was initially offered at an asking price of nearly 17 million yuan. However, it was on the market for more than two years and the price was adjusted several times until it was sold to Song Yunfan.

According to the Dirt website, the villa was designed by XTEN Architectural Company and has a total area of ​​7,500 square feet. It has luxurious interior decoration and includes five bedrooms and six bathrooms. The design of this house highlights a contemporary feel, with large glass window walls not only ensuring ample natural light but also providing spectacular city views. Its architecture complements surrounding Hollywood Hills mansions, and amenities include a spacious living area, dining area with marble bar and a fully equipped kitchen, as well as a private theater and underground garage with epoxy flooring. Large enough to accommodate multiple vehicles.

Song Yunfan's personal achievements are equally impressive. Graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, he was a software engineer at Amazon. He not only founded the Ankr currency, but was also the co-founder of the NFT auction platform Bounce. In 2019, he was named one of Forbes' "30 Under 30", establishing his influence in the global technology and cryptocurrency fields.

This luxury villa is about 14.5 kilometers away from the Pacific Palisades wildfire area. As of noon on Saturday, firefighters had controlled 11% of the fire, which means that the Ankr founder's villa is still safe.

Coinbase CEO: 25 kilometers from fire zone

A few months ago, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong held a grand wedding on the lawn of his Los Angeles villa, a $133 million mansion located in a city ravaged by wildfires. Fortunately, this luxury villa was not affected by the wildfire.

Not only does the mansion at 10671 Chalon Road, Los Angeles, CA 90077 sit on nearly five acres, it also includes a 19,000-square-foot main house and a 6,600-square-foot guest mansion with at least 10 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms. Facilities include tennis courts, two swimming pools, motor court, home cinema, spa and gym.

The villa was designed by respected British architect John Pawson, known for his signature minimalist aesthetic. The design of the villa adopts a "stacked cube" structure, large glass walls and simple interior decoration with spacious oak furniture, creating a modern and comfortable living environment.

The villa originally belonged to Hideki Tomita, the founder of the Japanese job search agency Dip Corporation. He purchased the property for US$85 million in 2018 and later sold it to Armstrong for US$133 million. The sale is considered one of the most expensive single-family home transactions ever in Los Angeles.

This luxury villa is located approximately 25.35 kilometers straight-line from the Pacific Palisades Fire Zone, a typical drive time of approximately 22 minutes in light traffic. The mansion has a wide view. Sitting in the spacious glass wall and looking at the spectacular black smoke outside the west window, Brian Armstrong may have felt a little panic, but fortunately, Brian Armstrong and his family are currently safe and sound.

Former Kraken CEO: The mansion is in danger

The former CEO of Kraken may be the most anxious among several project developers in the currency circle. In the famous Brentwood community of Los Angeles, Jesse Powell's luxury residence is very close to Pacific Palisades.

Although the co-founder of the crypto trading platform Kraken has stepped down from the CEO position, his life is not peaceful. In March 2023, his home was raided by the FBI as part of an investigation into his alleged hacking and cyberstalking of a nonprofit arts group.

And this mansion, which was once searched by the FBI, is now deeply threatened by wildfires, and its location is close to an area prone to wildfires. According to reports, Powell's home is just a few miles from the Pacific Palisades Fire Zone, and the neighborhood is currently closed.

The distance is enough to make any resident uneasy. Especially during the wildfire season, continuous fire reports and tense evacuation warnings may make this important figure in the technology and cryptocurrency fields feel unprecedented pressure.

Jesse Powell seems to be one of the people in the currency circle who is most concerned about the fire. Looking at his recent tweets, they basically criticize the government’s poor performance in fire control and the situation of the affected people, showing his understanding of the current situation. Concern and anxiety about the situation. Therefore, we speculate that Jesse Powell does not appear to have sold this Los Angeles property in the years after it was raided by the FBI, and that the property is in danger.

PayPal founder: 16 kilometers from fire zone

As a well-known venture capitalist and co-founder of PayPal, and the "mafia" who kicked Elon Musk out of PayPal, Peter Thiel plays a pivotal role in Silicon Valley.

But in the past few years, Peter Thiel has chosen to openly support Trump on his political stance, and has become increasingly alienated from Silicon Valley. He often actively evaluates the disruptive potential of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology in public forums, supporting them as traditional Alternatives to financial and government structures. Peter Thiel is also investing more and more in Bitcoin and blockchain technology. His venture capital company Founders Fund was one of the first mainstream institutions to recognize and invest in Bitcoin, and it is currently having an increasing influence in the cryptocurrency field.

In 2018, Peter Thiel moved his home and investment company to Los Angeles to get away from the left-leaning world. His residence in Los Angeles is a luxurious home in the Hollywood area. This modern villa was purchased by Peter Thiel in 2011 for $11.5 million.

Located just above the Sunset Strip, the estate features modern amenities including a large master suite, dining room, family room, gourmet kitchen, and pool. It has four bedrooms, five bathrooms, and a Hawaiian Islands atmosphere both indoors and out. living space. The 5,870-square-foot site includes a swimming pool and two driveways leading to different streets, making it a rare prime location in the area.

The mansion's location puts it just 16 kilometers from the nearest wildfire zone, Palisades, posing a potential risk to residential safety.

other

As wildfires spread rapidly in California, they not only threaten the safety of millions of residents, but also seriously affect many companies and individuals in the cryptocurrency industry. In this disaster, many members of the crypto community not only lost their homes, but even some irreplaceable properties such as hardware wallets.

Employees at the Santa Monica Bitcoin Office in Los Angeles and Swan Bitcoin, a company that hosted the Pacific Bitcoin conference in Santa Monica, are both located just south of the Palisades and Sunset fire areas and are under fire threat. In addition, blockchain service provider BlockDaemon and crypto game developer SuperVerse are also headquartered in Los Angeles, while blockchain-based identity authentication and tokenization company SpringLabs is located in nearby Marina del Ray.