EXCLUSIVE Inside Brad Pitt’s $72million real estate empire: Three hip LA studios, a seaside hideaway and an historic castle – and an $8million loan to Angelina Jolie to help her buy her property

• Brad Pitt has been buying up luxury homes and commercial properties in deals worth $85million
• DailyMail.com can reveal that in the last few years the actor purchased three studios from his friend, British sculptor Thomas Houseago, in LA’s hip Frogtown neighborhood
• Angelina Jolie was forced to turn to Pitt after they split when she wanted to purchase her own $24.5million property and he loaned her $8million to be paid back with interest

Brad Pitt has been buying luxury homes and commercial properties in deals worth many millions

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are going through one of Hollywood’s most acrimonious divorces, but there’s no doubt who has come out ahead in the real estate market.

The Fight Club actor kept hold of the family compound and made a fortune when he sold it for $33 million earlier this year.

In the last few years he’s been busy scooping up luxury homes and commercial properties, having been involved in realtor deals worth $72 million.

DailyMail.com can reveal that Pitt purchased three studios from his friend, British sculptor Thomas Houseago, in LA’s Frogtown neighborhood, a former rundown industrial zone now popular with the arts community and considered one of the city’s hippest areas.

Last April, he paid Houseago’s firm Clearwater Real Properties LLC $4,095,000 for side-by-side parcels. It’s where Pitt was pictured coming and going immediately after the Jolie split in September 2016 when he’d taken up sculpting.

In March 2021, Pitt bought another studio from Houseago for $2,933,500 directly opposite the other two. This one is a vintage manufacturing building and Pitt took out a $2million mortgage with City National Bank to finance the deal.

In April 2022, Pitt bought two adjoining studios for $4,095,000.  In March 2021, he purchased another studio opposite the other two for nearly $3million

Brad bought this studio for $3million in 2021. This one is a vintage manufacturing building and Pitt took out a $2million mortgage with City National Bank to finance the deal

Pitt purchased the three studios from his friend, British sculptor Thomas Houseago (center) in LA’s hip Frogtown neighborhood. Pitt and long-time buddy, Australian musician Nick Cave (left) collaborated last year on Houseago’s art exhibition

Brad’s compound made up of five houses, which he began buying up in 1994. He sold it in 2023 for $33million to oil heiress Aileen Getty

In March 2023, Pitt purchased Aileen Getty’s three-bed home in Los Feliz for $5.5million – and she took his five-house compound for $33million

Pitt and long-time buddy, Australian musician Nick Cave, collaborated last year on Houseago’s art exhibition at the Sara Children Art Museum in Tampere, Finland, entitled WE. All three reportedly bonded over their personal struggles overcoming drug or alcohol addiction. 

Brad and Angie are going through one of Hollywood’s most hotly contested divorces. After their break up, he remained in their extensive compound in Los Feliz

In July 2022, Pitt went big in the residential housing market spending $40million on American author D.L James’ former home, known as ‘Seaward’, in Carmel, California. He purchased that outright with no mortgage.

After their break up, he remained in their extensive compound in Los Feliz, where he and Jolie had raised their six kids, as he owned the place outright.

He’d purchased the main 5,338 square foot manor for $1.7million in 1994 and over the next 22 years – 12 of which he spent with Jolie – the estate grew to encompass five adjoining properties.

The location became a private fortress, with a skate park, secret cave and three swimming pools for the kids.

Pitt sold the property this year in a swap deal with oil heiress Aileen Getty – she paid $33million for the compound and he downsized to her three-bed home in the same area for $5.5million, making $27.5million from the swap minus expenses.

He also took the family’s Santa Barbara oceanfront home, which he purchased for $4million in 2000, and is now said to be worth $20million.

The 15-acre beach abode, located near to Gaviota State Park, was used by the former couple ‘as a vacation retreat for themselves and the kids, horseback riding and enjoying time out on the beach.’

Angelina Jolie was forced to turn to Pitt after they split when she wanted to purchase her own $24.5million property and he loaned her $8million to be paid back with interest. She took out a $17.15million mortgage with Comerica Bank

Brad purchased an oceanfront Santa Barbara home for $4million in 2000, and is now said to be worth $20million

In July 2022, Pitt went big in the residential housing market spending $40million on American author D.L James’ former home, known as ‘Seaward’, in Carmel, California. He purchased that outright with no mortgage 

Meanwhile, Jolie was forced to turn to Pitt after they split when she wanted to purchase her own property and he loaned her $8million to be paid back with interest.

She bought late director Cecil B. DeMille’s Los Feliz mansion for $24.5million and, not only had to borrow part of her ex’s $300million fortune, but also take out a $17.15million mortgage with Comerica Bank.

Jolie stated in court docs that Pitt hadn’t given any ‘meaningful child support’ but he claimed that he’d paid over $9million to the Tomb Raider Star.

Yet Jolie’s lawyer countered this claim, saying most of it was the loan.

Samantha Bley DeJean of the Law Offices of Bley and Bley said in a statement: ‘Brad was asked to assist in the expense of a new home for Angelina and the children, but instead he loaned Angelina money, for which he is charging her interest on a payment plan.

‘Angelina will of course honor that loan. A loan is not, however, child support and to represent it as such is misleading and inaccurate.

‘Angelina is asking Brad to pay 50 percent of the children’s expenses. He has not. Angelina has had to shoulder the majority of those without his contribution for the past two years. Child support is not optional in California.’

Jolie and Pitt are pictured in November 2008 with their six children. The couple separated in 2016, following an explosive argument on a private jet

Brad and Angie  jointly owned French vineyard Miraval, a 35-room, 1,000-acre estate which they purchased for $60million in 2011, and is now at the center a bitter legal battle between them 

The pair also jointly owned French vineyard Miraval, a 35-room, 1,000-acre estate which they purchased for $60 million in 2011, and is now at the center of yet another bitter legal battle between them.

The former couple had a ‘mutual and binding commitment’ to the $160 million Chateau Miraval business and both agreed never to sell their share without the other’s permission.

But a stunned Pitt discovered his ex-wife had ‘secretly’ sold her 50 percent stake to billionaire Russian oligarch Yuri Shelfer when a 2021 press release announced that he had new business partners, according to the actor’s lawyers.

In her counterclaim, Jolie accused Pitt of trying to force her into selling to his company, Mondo Bongo, on ‘unreasonable terms’ and spreading lies that Shefler was ‘an ally of Vladimir Putin.’

She also alleged that Pitt hid assets and squandered the chateau’s funds on vanity projects, including a swimming pool and an ornate staircase that was rebuilt four times.

The case is ongoing.

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