- T. Boone Pickens is selling his Texas ranch for $250 million.
- It’s one of the most expensive homes for sale in all of America.
- The ranch comprises 100 square miles of land and houses a number of different structures.
- Pickens said in a statement that he’s selling the property because it’s “the prudent thing for an 89-year-old man to do.”
Legendary investor and oilman T. Boone Pickens has decided to put his enormous Texas ranch up for sale, and it comes with an equally enormous price tag of $250 million.
Mesa Vista Ranch, which encompasses more than 100 square miles of land in the Texas Panhandle, has long been a hunting and golfing getaway for Pickens, who cited his age and health as the primary motivators for his decision to sell.
Pickens has owned the ranch for 46 years.
“Selling the ranch is the prudent thing for an 89-year-old man to do. It’s time to get my life and my affairs in order,” Pickens said in a statement.
"There are many reasons why the time is right to sell the ranch now, not the least of them ensuring that what I truly believe is one of the most magnificent properties in the world winds up with an individual or entity that shares my conservation beliefs."
The property has its own airport and a number of different accommodations, including the 12,000-square-foot Lake House, the 33,000-square-foot Lodge, the 6,000-square-foot Family House, the 1,700-square-foot Gate House, the 1,600-square-foot Pub, and the 12,000-square-foot Kennel, which has space for 50 dogs. There's also a separate, single-story structure where ammunition, hunting gear, rifles, and shotguns are stored.
Let's take a look around the massive ranch.
Welcome to Mesa Vista Ranch.
Mesa Vista Ranch covers some 64,809 acres of land in the Texas Panhandle, northeast of Amarillo.
According to a brochure that provides details about the listing, Pickens assembled the land in a series of purchases, beginning with about 2,900 acres in 1971.
Pickens said that much of the proceeds from the sale will go to the T. Boone Pickens Foundation, which funds various philanthropic efforts.
"I see this sale as a new beginning — for the new owners and for the recipients of my charitable giving the sale will spur," he said.
Mesa Vista is an oasis of luxury in the Texas prairie. It's being sold turnkey, which means that all furnishings and equipment — except for Pickens' personal belongings and art collection — are included in the sale.
There are a number of different structures. Pickens' childhood home was even moved here from Oklahoma in 2008.
Source: Wall Street Journal
The Lake House, pictured here, has 11,500 square feet of living space, plus 3,800 square feet of patios. The front door was once the entry to Bing Crosby's house.
The Lodge has 33,000 square feet in total, and the amenities include a wine cellar ...
... a library, a 30-seat media room, and a commercial kitchen. The Family House, located west of the Lodge, has five bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Outside, there's a lighted tennis court, a skeet/trap range and a golf course with two fairways. The Gate House, which is next to the golf course, has three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
There are many sculptures situated throughout the property.
... including at the kennel, which can accommodate up to 50 dogs. It has a veterinary lab, office, meat processing center, and an exercise area for the dogs.
This chapel on the north end of the lodge compound was built in 2007. It has a functioning bell tower and a waterfall feature in the back. Pickens married his fifth wife here in 2014, though they are now divorced.
Source: Wall Street Journal
It's an especially serene part of the ranch.
The ranch has its own FAA-approved airport with a 52,600-square-foot concrete tarmac.
The hangar also has a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment for pilots upstairs.
Mesa Vista is home to a variety of wildlife, including whitetail deer, mule deer, antelope, quail, and dove.
The fishing is also said to be excellent.
According to a brochure announcing the listing, Pickens has introduced a number of conservation practices that have kept wildlife plentiful on the ranch. It also notes that the staff would be interested in staying on with whoever buys Mesa Vista.
The $250 million listing price puts Mesa Vista Ranch among the most expensive properties in the country. Molokai Ranch, which comprises about a third of the Hawaiian island of Molokai, is currently on the market for $260 million.
Source: Business Insider
"In large part, this is a lifetime of work. And I intend for a lot more good to come from the sale of the ranch," Pickens said in a statement.
