Liquid Death Founder Bought a Hilltop Malibu House – Robb Report

Canned water, wrapped in packaging that makes it look like beer? It may be unconventional, but it’s also proven wildly lucrative. In less than five years, Los Angeles-based Liquid Death has built a $700 million valuation from it, along with a substantial amount of hype. The Washington Post has called the viral brand “a mind-set,” while The New Yorker noted that the decidedly irreverent marketing — one of the company’s slogans is “Murder your thirst” — was designed to “appeal to punks who are ‘straight edge’ — eschewing drugs, tobacco, and alcohol.” In any case, the company has rocked the industry — it’s now the fastest-growing water brand in the country, per Forbes.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the brand’s founder Mike Cessario does not have a background in bottling water. He’s a 41-year-old marketing expert who previously worked for companies like Street League Skateboarding and VaynerMedia.

A longtime Southern California local who has lived in the beach communities of Malibu and Manhattan Beach, Cessario has put some of that liquid success to residential use, paying $10.5 million for a hilltop house on Point Dume, one of Malibu’s most coveted neighborhood pockets.

Built in 2001 and hidden behind gates and a long driveway on a 1.2-acre lot, the Mediterranean villa-style home packs five bedrooms and six bathrooms into nearly 6,800 square feet of living space. Highlights include towering ceilings, hardwood floors and large windows throughout; the kitchen offers commercial-grade stainless appliances and a built-in breakfast nook, while the living room and formal dining room both spill out to a wraparound deck kitted out with a fire-pit and a spacious al fresco dining area.

Four of the home’s five bedrooms are located on the ground floor, all of them equipped with ensuite bathrooms. Upstairs, the enormous master suite encompasses nearly all of the home’s second floor, packing in a large bathroom and walk-in closet. Adjacent to the suite is a large bonus room that could be a executive-style private office, and the master also sports a private ocean-view deck with its own separate yoga studio.

Out back, the landlocked estate boasts some of its best attributes. The verdant grounds include a big swath of grassy lawn, a rectangular swimming pool and a separate jacuzzi set directly underneath a gazebo laced with bougainvillea.

On one side of the house, a patio includes a fire-pit and fountain. And there’s also a manicured garden equipped with a whimsical bridge and open-air living room.

The property also includes pathways and meandering trails that wind their way through lush, subtropical landscaping interspersed by native sycamore and oak trees. Hidden in a corner of the yard, obscured behind a giant palm tree, is an accessory structure complete with its own full bathroom and kitchenette that “could be a guest suite, office, cabana or studio,” per the listing.

Best of all, the property is a brisk walk to the beach and enjoys views of the Santa Monica mountains, the ocean and a long strip of the famously scenic Malibu coastline.