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Osama bin Laden's half-brother puts his Bel Air mansion up for sale after abandoning it post 9/11

Ibrahim bin Laden’s $28 million Bel Air listing says, ‘Ready for redoing, owner has not been here for over 20 years’

Clara Hill
Monday 02 August 2021 18:02 BST
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Osama bin Laden's half-brother puts abandoned Bel Air mansion up for sale after
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Osama bin Laden’s oldest half-brother has listed his Bel Air mansion after abandoning it for 20 years following the terrorist attack on 11 September 2001.

Ibrahim bin Laden is selling 634 Stone Canyon Road for $28 million, after he bought in 1983 for $1,650,000, which is $5.5 million in today’s money thanks to inflation.

The half-brothers are two of the 56 children of their father Mohammad bin Laden. He is thought to have had a total of 22 wives, according to Vanity Fair.

“Ready for redoing, owner has not been here for over 20 years,” the listing states

The Independent reached out to Florence Mattar, the agent brokering the sale with Coldwell Banker, for comment.

Mr bin Laden was believed to be too scared to return to the US after his half-brother helped orchestrate the 9/11 terror attacks, which killed an estimated 2,977 people. At the time of the atrocity, Ibrahim bin Laden was out of the country and has not been back since.

He lived at the house with his ex-wife Christine Hartunian Sinay, a socialite who went on to marry musician Jason Sinay. When they lived here together, they had “full-time groundskeepers, household help, chauffeurs, and private security,” according to Steve Coll’s book, “The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century”.

As Mr bin Laden left the home, he is believed to have rented it out for various purposes. In 2010, there were reports that the 1,700 square foot, seven bedroom, five bathroom residence was used to shoot pornographic movies.

The property has nearby attractions, such as the legendary Bel Air Hotel. According to the listing, the high price tag reflects its land value; the property includes more than two acres in a desirable location. It also has a Hollywood pedigree as in the 1960s, the pink house was owned by the producer of Singin’ In The Rain and The Wizard of Oz, Arthur Freed.

There is limited understanding of what the inside of the property looks like, but the pool and gardens appear well manicured and tended to, despite a few overgrown weeds.

You can scroll the images of the grounds here.

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