Robert Downey Jr appears to have transformed $13.4m estate into a personal zoo

Published on Oct 18, 2023 at 3:59 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

Last updated on Oct 19, 2023 at 1:56 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Kate Bain

Robert Downey Jr appears to have transformed $13.4m estate into a personal zoo

Hollywood actor and TV star, Robert Downey Jr, has transformed his Malibu estate into a wildlife refuge – and it needs to be seen to be believed.

The 58-year-old Dolittle star bought a seven-acre plus compound in Malibu in 2009 for $13.4million.

But after moving into his pad, he’s also made it home to the four-legged members of his family as he created an animal sanctuary.

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The residents: alpacas, cows, goats and pygmy goats, pigs, chickens and his two cats, Montgomery and D’Artagnan. 

It includes sprawling roaming greens for his much-loved menagerie in addition to multiple homes for humans.

The famous family man lives with his wife Susan and their two children, Exton, seven, and Avri, five in the main property.

The ranch-style three-bedroom and four-bathroom home sits at the estate’s northern end at the end of a tree-lined driveway.

Previously owned by actor and model, Kelly Harmon, she redecorated and breathed new life into the home before selling.

Her touches include the remaining bleached oak floors and limestone designs.

She also converted an existing barn on the estate into a two-bedroom guesthouse.

The lush landscaping throughout is paired with a multiplex basketball and tennis court.

However Downey’s adds to the home are far more futuristic.

They include building a space-age, single-storey second “Binishell” home with domed windows.

Popular in the late 1970s,

The 6,500-square-foot home was built in 2013 just as the Iron Man trilogy was coming to an end.

“We wanted to try something that hadn’t been done before,” his wife, Susan said to the New York Times Style magazine.

“Plus, we love a character.”

Creator Dante Bini discovered that he could make a home in an hour by by “topping a nylon-coated neoprene air bladder with wet steel-reinforced concrete, then slowly inflating it.”

He hoped his creation would solve the global housing crisis.

Situated near the home that Robert Downey Jr and his family live in it has a large pool area accessed via sliding doors.

The futuristic bungalow is surrounded by succulents and manicured bushes.

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Venture slightly further afield and fenced pastures, horse stalls and riding rings house his beloved animals, allowing them to roam freely.

Because Robert Downey Jr is a lover of the good life, a vegetable garden is located near the residences.

ATVs to navigate and work the land sit alongside Downey’s expensive collection of cars. 

Robert said he felt right at home taking the Dolittle role.

“I basically live on a rescue farm, and I look out and the alpacas are looking at me, and I’m like, “All right!” And it’s a new adventure, something new to try, new degree of difficulty,” he said.


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Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the experienced content creator and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms and coveted brands. When her OOO is on you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym or exploring the city she loves.