After celebrating 2022 with the record-breaking $70 million purchase of an oceanfront compound, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi have quietly sold a Montecito property. Their previous purchase and sale of this house were both successful.
Rancho San Leandro, a historic hacienda right next door to Oprah Winfrey’s “Promised Land” estate, has been sold off-market for $21 million, according to Rich Report. Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe and her Texas oil heir husband Michael Herd, estimated to be worth $740 million together, are the buyers, according to public records.
A year after first buying Rancho San Leandro for million, DeGeneres and de Rossi sold it to Tinder cofounder Sean Rad for $11 million less than a year later. Upon reselling the ranch to DeGeneres in 2021 for $14.3 million, Rad substantially increased the price. In less than five years, the former talk show host’s $21 million flip has tripled the property’s value.
Rad Grove and Lizzie Grove married at Rancho San Leandro in 2018. Despite co-founding Tinder with Rad, Wolfe left the tech giant in 2014, suing for sexual harassment, and later acquiring the property and venue.
An L-shaped adobe hacienda showcases the multi-building structure set on a 6-acre parcel in prime Montecito, tucked away behind a long gated driveway. It was built in 1845 and encircled by a cobblestone courtyard. Approximately 3,100 square feet of single-level living space includes just one bedroom and one bathroom, with tile floors, vaulted wood beam ceilings, seamless indoors and outdoors, as well as a detached bonus room.
An open-concept great room features living and dining areas flanked by identical fireplaces, and a windowed kitchen equipped with an apron-front sink and high-end stainless appliances. Located by itself, the spacious master suite features a fireplace, covered porch, dual walk-in closets, and a bathroom.
Three ancillary buildings are connected by a covered veranda across the courtyard from the main structure. Their three-car garage, office, fitness center, kitchen, living room with fireplace, and mosaic-tiled staircase were all built in the early 2000s. They also feature two guest bedrooms, three baths, two fireplaces, a living room with a fireplace and a dining room.
An olive grove and gardens adorn the grounds, as well as an al fresco lounging terrace with a fireplace. As well as a riding ring, a four-stall stable, and a large barn, there is a dressage area and tack room for equestrians.
There are still many other Santa Barbara properties owned by DeGeneres and de Rossi, including the oceanfront compound and two charming Montecito cottages that are currently for sale for a little over $5.8 million, as well as the aforementioned oceanfront compound. Also last November, they purchased Tom Ford’s former Bel Air estate for $29 million. It is reported that the Herd family still maintains a luxurious primary residence in Austin, Texas.
