You can own a former Apple CEO's California home for just $37.5 million

Mike Markkula California House Inside (Image credit: dirt.com)

What you need to know

Former Apple CEO Mike Markkula is selling his California home.
After buying it for $9 million 35 years ago, he's asking a cool $37.5 million today.
And it isn't even his main home.

Former Apple CEO Mike Markkula is selling his swanky Californian home for a whopping $37.5 million. He bought the property for just $9 million 35 years ago. He's probably pretty pleased with his purchase!

The name Mike Markkula might not be one that is on the lips of many Apple fans, especially those who hadn't touched a Mac until the iPhone rolled around. But it's a name that's very much part of Apple's history. He was CEO from 1981 through 1983 and had a part to play in the ousting of Steve Jobs – and his return in 1997.

So what does $37.5 million get you? According to a Variety report, plenty.

Mike Markkula California House (Image credit: Variety)

Anchoring down the entire compound is the lavish main house, which is framed by the property's many majestic oak trees. Though it spans a mansion-sized 5,413 square feet, it's got just one bedroom and three bathrooms. The floors and walls of the home are covered in wide, homey white oak planks, while picture windows let in copious amounts of natural light and frame idyllic views. The kitchen features granite countertops, plus a huge pot rack that hovers over the island. Of course, there's also a wet bar for folks looking to wet their whistle.

But wait. There's more!

And for visitors, there's a covered walkway that connects the main house to a detached two-bedroom guest wing. Other features include a standalone two-bedroom guesthouse on the premises and extensive staff housing facilities. And, if potential buyers are the jetsetting type, there's also a 2,900 ft. landing strip and helipad.

$37.5 million does sound like a lot though. I'll see what I can find down the back of the sofa.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.