Entertainment mogul Tyler Perry loves the concept of building. Worth a reported $1.4 billion, Perry began his career developing characters such as Madea that connect with both stage and film theater viewers. He used his earnings to build a vast real estate portfolio while consistently creating new stories and spaces that allow him to continuously build his wealth.
“At heart, I’m a frustrated builder,” Perry told Architectural Digest. “I think I would have been an architect if I hadn’t gone into entertainment.”
Here’s a look at properties that have been included in Perry’s real estate portfolio.
First-Time Home Buyer
Following his early success in producing and touring plays with the Madea character, Perry purchased land in Fairburn, Georgia, in 2001 for $62,661. He went on to build an estate named “Avec Château.” Meaning “with home” in French, the home was a symbol of Perry’s faith and perseverance when he was homeless and sleeping in his car.
The 17,252-square-foot home included six bedrooms and six and a half bathrooms. Featuring a large horse sculpture in a double-height foyer made of Italian marble, the home also included a paneled library and ballroom-size room. Outside, two prayer gardens, a pool complete with a waterfall and tennis courts were present. In 2009, Perry placed the home on the market for $3.695 million. Nine years later, he sold it for $2.19 million.
A Villa In Beverly Hills
By 2004, Perry had brought the Madea franchise from the stage to film screens. He purchased 22 acres of land in Beverly Ridge Estates and built a 24,000-square-foot estate. The Tuscan-style villa included eight bedrooms and 12 bathrooms. Perry has hosted several prominent figures at the estate including Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama. When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle resigned from their duties as English Royals in 2020, Perry provided them with a place to stay. According to county records the estate is worth an estimated $18 million, a far cry from the $4.3 million Perry paid in 2004.
A Return to Atlanta and an Adventure in Jackson Hole
Just one year after purchasing land in Beverly Hills, Perry dropped $9 million for 17 acres of land in in the Buckhead district of Atlant on the Chattahoochee River and land in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Not much is known about Perry’s property in Wyoming except that he built a log cabin on the property and that it serves as a vacation home.
However, the land he purchased in Buckhead drew headlines and criticism as the property was once owned by Moreton Rolleston, a lawyer and owner of Heart of Atlanta Motel, an establishment that would not do business with African-Americans before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Perry demolished Rolleston’s home and built a 34,688-square-foot estate. The mansion included a motor court with a fountain, seven bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, a home theater with vaulted ceilings, a parlor with leather walls and an underground ballroom. In addition, Perry built a 70,000 gallon infinity pool, separate guesthouse, a five-car garage, and private helipad.
In 2016, Perry sold the mansion for $17.5 million. Entertainment mogul and comedian Steve Harvey purchased the estate in 2020 for $15 million.
Headed for the Hollywood Hills
Even with homes in Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Wyoming, Perry was not done filling his real estate portfolio. In 2006, he purchased a modern 9,725-square-foot mansion in Los Angeles. With four bedrooms and six bathrooms, the home also included unique features such as a nightclub complete with a bar and disco ball, a glass-floor catwalk with a view of the wine cellar below, and billiard room with direct views of a swimming pool. Perry placed the home on the market for $13.25 million in 2010. The property sold for $11.25 million in 2013.
Fly In Palm Trees and Water For A Private Island
To celebrate his 40th birthday, Perry purchased two islands in the Bahamas, the 25-acre White Bay Cay and a 7-acre island for an undisclosed amount. The uninhabited islands, part of Exuma in the Bahamas, were so desolate that Perry admitted that he had to fly in water and palm trees, he told Architectural Digest. He went on to build homes on the land, a Balinese-style villa and a few bungalows but had to also bring electricity to the island first. Perry also took flying lessons so that he would be able to travel to and fro via private plane.
From Confederate Army Base to Premiere Film Studios
Perry took a six-year break from purchasing property. And then, in 2015, he made a decision that has shaped his personal wealth and steered his professional career. Purchasing a 330-acre lot once home to the former Fort McPherson Confederate military base in southwest Atlanta, Perry set his sights on creating Tyler Perry Studios. Four years later, Perry opened with 12 sound stages, 40 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 200 acres of green spaces. There are also several customized sets including a bank, baseball fields, chapel, prison yard, hospital, coffee shop, farmhouse, diner, and cabin.
Most recently, Perry purchased an additional 37 acres of Fort McPherson for $8.4 million with the intention of expanding his sound stages and office space. Films such as “Black Panther” and “Coming to America 2” were shot at Tyler Perry Studios.
Back to the Hills
In 2017, Perry purchased a Beverly Hills mansion with views of downtown Los Angeles. The price? $14.5 million. Within months, Perry sold the home to music producer Pharrell Williams for $15.6 million. The 17,245-square-foot home included 10 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, stone marble stairs, a resort-style swimming pool and a koi pond.
A 1200-acre Spread
After selling his mansion in Buckhead, Perry decided to buy another plot of land, a 1,200-acre spread in Douglas County outside of Atlanta. Perry is currently in the process of building a 35,000-square-foot mansion and an adjacent guest house. Not much is known about this new property except it appears to have a lap pool and plane runway.
