It ain't much -- just 32,000 square feet -- but it's home

Pictured: "In Beverly Hills, a 32,000-square-foot beaux arts mansion that will be sheathed in Portuguese limestone and adorned with gold-plated doorknobs fashioned in France is rising on Sunset Boulevard."

The L.A. Times' Jessica Garrison reports that people with more money than taste who want room enough to hide from their spouses inside their houses are still building obscenely large homes in greater L.A.

Actually those are my words, not hers; she reports: "Anyone who assumed that the construction of mega-mansions would grind to a halt as the economy worsens must not be familiar with the customs of the very rich."

Aside: The economy is not worsening if you make your money getting oil out of the ground in Russia or Saudi Arabia and then selling it to Americans. My guess is some of these edifice wrecks are being built with oil money. You know, black gold. Texas tea. The Holmby Hills Hillbillies.

More from Garrison's article: "Builder John Finton, who is overseeing construction of the 32,000-square-foot house on Sunset Boulevard for businessman C. Frederick Wehba Sr. and his wife, Susan, said he knows of at least 20 20,000-plus square-foot homes under construction or about to break ground in what he called the "platinum triangle" of wealthy areas in Los Angeles County: Beverly Hills, Bel-Air and Holmby Hills.

Uncle Billy, can you please do your thing and give us a little background on C. Frederick Wehba Sr.? Thanks, U.B. Update: Many of you have suggested this website -- C. Frederick Wehba -- for more on the 32,000-square-foot man.

Your thoughts? Comments? E-mail story tips to peter.viles@latimes.com.
Photo credit: L.A. Times

Comments

[Steve]

Read all about him.

www.cfrederickwehba.com

[Mike Barker]

Wehba is a big-time real estate investor from very modest beginnings.

[Littleguy]

This Guy??

http://www.cfrederickwehba.com/index.php

I do like his quote of the day though.

From WC:

"The price of greatness is responsibility."

[farinhite_451]

I helped design one of these monsters up in Los Altos. You're right; the super rich are unaffected by economic downturns and actually use them to their advantage. This is actually a good time for them to build. Builders are desperate for work and product reps will do anyrhing for a sale.

[anon]

Peter,
Mr. C. Frederick Wehba Sr. is a real estate mogul from Texas.

Here is his personal website:
http://www.cfrederickwehba.com/index.php

Here is his company website:
http://www.bentleyforbes.com

Good to know somebody is making $$ off Los Angeles real estate.

[Abe]

What a crying shame, think of all the wood in the forests cut, the water it will use, not to mention the energy it will use to heat and cool the space, Don't these people feel any obligation to the planet or the rest of it's citizens?

[Uncle Billy Drills Into Mt. Pelerin]

But that would conflict with doing some work today. Here's an appetizer: He's from Texas. He's a Republican. He's very good looking. His company bought the Watergate complex. His company has the horribly synthetic sounding name: Bentley Forbes, and they give more to charity than Fannie Mae (not verified). Sorry, gotta go, Pellicano's on the other line. More in the afternoon.

[RZ]

Jessica Garrison is so off base in this article, that if I were her employer, I would move her to writing an obituaries and even that would be a great risk. She is the example how irresponsible, prejudice, discriminatory, resentful and insulting media is in reporting, or should I say, miss-reporting.

Mr. Wehba, is the owner of a commercial real estate firm headquartered here in LA – BentleyForbes.

It’s not so hard to get the facts, just google it.

[Cash does not equal class]

This illustrates that having lots of money and having lots of class are always mutually exclusive.

[Jeffrey Allen Miller, NY]

Can't wait for a social revolution... think of the arrogance and selfishness involved in building houses this size that take up resources for decades after their occupants are alive. If we in Manhattan can live in 180sq feet, these people can certainly live in a 5,000 sq foot home and still have the accessories they feel privileged to afford. No single human is worth the salaries these people make either.. Where is Robin Hood when we really need him?

[mike]

LOS ANGELES IS NOT AFFECTED BY A DOWNTURN IN PROPERTY VALUES.

[Mandam]

Info on Wehba.

http://www.bentleyforbes.com/bio.php?se=
cmp&name=wehba&ldr=exec

[Bubblewatcher]

He's in Commercial Real Estate, and he has a website (and, according to it, "personal values"). Good to know:

http://www.cfrederickwehba.com/index.php

[William Jones]

Will there be retail on the ground floor...maybe a Starbucks and a juice bar?

[Nelcisco]

I'm in the wrong business.

I'm officially getting out of mortgages and starting my promotion business in a new version of UFC, and my first combatants will be Shockg vs. Laker, promote it like crazy
make us millions, that'll for sure afford me a 32,000 sq foot house in Holmby Hill next to Heff and his playmates

[ts]

Wehba is a commercial real estate tycoon. His company is BentleyForbes. He has his own website: cfrederickwehba.com where you can find out what an upstanding Christian businessmen he is.

[MyLessThanPrimeBeef]

This reminds me of a quote, maybe it's from Tolstoy, I am not sure: Money is like manure, all in one place, it stinks to high heaven, but if you spread it around the field, it fertilizes and helps things grow.

You know, if you are a stylite (not to be confused with the fanshion-challenged whose style is light), you only need one pillar. There is no need for 32,000 square feet. I am talking about people like Luke the Stylite who lived atop a pillar near the city of Chalcedon for 45 years or Symeon the Stylite who lived on a small platform on top of a pillar in Syria for 37 years.

That's one you need, one column.

[pat]

Mr. Wehba runs BentleyForbes, a commercial real estate investment company.

[Mime]

Without royal title nor land, the American's McMansion is just a Disneyesque imitation of the European aristocracy.

[E]

Sure...uber rich build during tough times.

Look at Hilda Boldt Weber's house built in the mid 1930's.

Too bad she went broke and committed suicide.

[Tokyo Temp - ex LA Renter]

Mr. Wehba seems to be a half way decent person after checking out his web site, don't know him personaly, so can't say.

But I'd have to agree, building such a behemoth is a waste of energy , resources etc.

The only thing I am wondering how well will his business do when the 'next' bubble, commercial real estate, pop/collapse?

[Uncle Billy Staples A Ché Poster To Mt. Pelerin]

More tidibits: He's an eagle scout. His Dad came over from Lebanon as a young man and built a small grocery store empire. Lebanon to Texas. Ok, imagine you're a young man in Lebanon and you finally get your chance and make it to America. You choose Texas? I'm more interested in the story of his dad's migration here and why he chose Texas. Mr. Wehba, would you care to fill in the details?

Frederick, Fred Jr., and Spouse Susan all got together and gave birth to Fentley Borbes. Fred Junior used to have a blog that discussed city/valley office buildings. Now defunct?

Oh, and Fred Sr. has a website. Did I mention he's extremely good looking?

If it's dirt yer lookin' for, you won't find it here. He's Christian, Texan, Republican, Philanthropan, and did I mention he's really handsome?

If the revolution occurs in the next few years, we'll be able to go condo on his property, which will make about 30-40 units. Dibs on the gift wrapping room.

More to come if anything interesting pops up (like Laura Richardson's fourth home).

[Uncle Billy Staples A Ché Poster To Mt. Pelerin]

MLTPB: That's just what Luke & Symeon had on their websites. Hasn't been verified.

[Cassiopoea]

Well, Abe and Jeffrey Allen...

He's a rich Republican from Texas -- he could care less about the planet and little people like you and me. He probably has a private jet and drives an 8 mpg vehicle, too. He's probably figured out a way to make money when the sea levels rise.

As for leaving a better world for his kids -- who needs birds, trees and fuzzy creatures when you have MONEY???

Well, at least there are some poor construction guys who have a job for now.

[MyLessThanPrimeBeef]

Uncle Billy, when you find out, let me know how they...er, bathed themselves. these pilllar dwelling stylites.