WORLD RENOWNED REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER AND CLOSE FRIEND OF MICHAEL JACKSON
Los Angeles, Calif. (July 1, 2009) – Michael Jackson spent his final days in the house that Hadid built. International real estate developer and close friend of Michael Jackson, Mohamed Hadid, spent some of Jackson’s last days with him, and, is now speaking out about Jackson’s health and state of mind during the last few weeks before his untimely death. Hadid designed and built the 22,000-square foot mansion rented by Jackson. Now in an effort to show a side of Jackson that the public did not get to see – his role as a loving father whose children brought him tremendous joy -- Hadid is sharing never-before-seen photos of Jackson with his children as these were some of Jackson’s happiest moments.
“Michael
and his kids were just over for dinner three weeks ago. Our families got
together regularly as our kids are about the same age, and we even spent last
Thanksgiving together. He was healthy and strong and very excited about starting
his new tour in London,†said real estate developer, Mohamed Hadid. “His death
comes as a complete shock to us. There was no indication whatsoever that he
might not be healthy. He was an extremely kind and generous person and will be
missed, but my family and kids will continue to be there for his children and
family during this difficult time and beyond,†he added. Michael Jackson’s rented Carolwood home in Holmby Hills is located in the Westwood district of Los Angeles, Calif. and was designed and built by Hadid Development and Mohamed Hadid. The 22,000-square-foot mansion is located on one and one-half acres of land, is valued at $40 million, and is where Jackson spent his last days with his three children. Hadid and his family had previously lived in the mansion, which he built in 1999, for three years before selling it to a private investor. Jackson was leasing it for $100,000 a month from the investor, who purchased the property from Hadid in 2004.
Originally,
Jackson was interested in purchasing another Hadid home located at 630 Nimes
Road in Bel Air also known as “Le Belvedereâ€, which is currently on the market
for $85 million and is where Hadid currently resides. But Jackson decided that
50,000 square feet was more space than his family needed and decided to rent the
22,000-square-foot Carolwood home instead, which he felt better suited their
needs. According to Hadid, Jackson spent his final Thanksgiving holiday with his family and Hadid’s family at the Nimes property, where he expressed thanks for his three healthy children, all of the love from his fans around the world, and his close friends whom he cherished greatly. Hadid played host for several days and nights, as they spent a long Thanksgiving weekend at his home. They enjoyed family dinners, breakfasts and lunches together, shared stories, laughed and told jokes, and watched some of their favorite old movies together in Hadid’s 60-seat opera house-style home theater. “Michael loved spending quality time with his children,†recalled Mr. Hadid. “This is when he was the happiest,†he added.
Incidentally, a photo of the
50,000 square-foot Nimes property in Bel Air that Jackson was originally
interested in buying and where Hadid currently resides is featured on AOL as one
of “America’s Most Expensive Homesâ€. Holmby Hills, Bel Air, and Beverly Hills
form the "Platinum Triangle" of Los Angeles, which houses the United States'
priciest and most exclusive neighborhoods. The "South Mapleton Drive", "North
Carolwood Drive" in Holmby Hills and "Nimes Road" and "St. Cloud Road" in Bel
Air, are the most prominent and famous residential streets in all of the
platinum triangle.
Many Hollywood megastars and
industry executives such as television producer Aaron Spelling, former Hollywood
power couple Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston and Playboy founder Hugh Hefner
(whose home is better known as the Playboy Mansion) currently reside or have
previously resided in the area. In the 1950s, Walt Disney built his dream home
in the “Platinum Triangle†which featured a miniature steam railroad, complete
with 300 feet (91 m) of track and a 90-foot (27 m)-long tunnel.
For more than 30 years, Hadid Development and Mohamed Hadid have offered unsurpassed vision and development acumen to the world. From his beginnings in Washington, D.C. developing and building unique office developments, residential developments and Ritz Carlton Hotels around the world, Hadid expanded his work to redefine exquisite estates in Aspen, Mexico, and now Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Holmby Hills.
Focusing on projects considered
by many to be insurmountable, Hadid’s insight coupled with his fusion of
business desire, elegance, perfection, and the belief in stretching the realm of
possibility, has led to his creations. Mohamed Hadid, has developed more than 15
Ritz-Carlton hotels with his company Hadid Development, and travels regularly to
Europe to shop for antiques and accessories. For more information on Hadid
Development or any of the Hadid properties, please visit www.mohamedhadid.com.
To set up an interview with Mr. Hadid, please contact Kristi Dunn at (310)
991-0795.
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