INSIDE JOB

Before Lachlan Murdoch paid $150 million for Chartwell, his sprawling Bel-Air estate, it was the scene of a famed jewel heist. Decades later our writer unravels the mystery—and uncovers a dark family secret of her own.

- BY JENNIFER CANNON

The 20-year-old George and his wife Martha, the author's grandmother, in 1942.

Embedded deep in the bones of a home are the irrevocable imprints, seen or unseen, of its previous inhabitants-memories made, secrets kept. The châteauesque manse on a hill at 750 Bel Air Road, in Los Angeles's exclusive enclave of that name, certainly holds its share. Much has been written about this house, which has been known as "The House of the Golden Door Knobs" and, more famously, "The Beverly Hillbillies House," and about its exquisitely designed grounds. But as fascinating as the architectural history of what is known today as the Chartwell Estate is, it pales in comparison to the history of its owners through the years.

On a leisurely drive past Chartwell, windows down, you might catch the subtle fragrance of tropical foliage, or of the redwoods (brought by the dozen from Northern California by the home’s third owner) that stand watch beyond the decorative lollipop tree-lined stone wall. In 2017 the estate was dubbed the most expensive home in America and broke real estate records when it went on the market for $350 million. Once known as Kirkeby mansion, after its second owner, Beverly Wilshire hotelier Arnold S. Kirkeby, it was eventually purchased by Lachlan Murdoch, executive chair and CEO of Fox Corporation and scion of media mogul Rupert Murdoch; Lachlan managed to snap it up for the bargain price of $150 million.

It’s less recognizable today, but the property’s original exterior, with stone posts and intricately wrought bronze gates, is well known among baby boomers and Gen Xers as the Clampett residence in the 1960s sitcom