Château de la Garoupe

Château de la Garoupe

Château de la Garoupe is a luxurious palace (château) on the French Riviera, in the vicinity of Antibes, at the very tip of the Cap d’Antibes peninsula, close to Garoupe beach. It is one of the most famous properties in the region, renowned for its breathtaking Mediterranean view, a vast 10-hectare landscaped park, and architectural elegance. Those who chose this site for the palace knew exactly what they were doing. The estate includes the main mansion (approximately 1,300 m²), five additional buildings, a swimming pool, tennis court, jacuzzi, and fountains. It is closed to the public, but its exterior and the magnificent cascading staircase leading straight down to the beach are visible from the Sentier du Littoral coastal path.

Construction

Construction began in 1907.

Builder/initial owner: British MP Charles McLaren, Baron Aberconway, who purchased 1.6 hectares of land at the very end of the Cap d’Antibes peninsula.

Architect: English architect Ernest George, in collaboration with his pupil and partner Alfred Bowman Yeates. The building is in English style with a long façade, half-moon windows, and a long majestic staircase leading directly to the sea.

Expansion: later, in the early 20th century, the property was enlarged by the McLarens’ son-in-law, Lord Henry Norman, who added an extra floor, guest houses (some remained unfinished) and other improvements in line with the requirements of the time.

Owners, users and tenants

The history of this splendid building is shaped not only by the outstanding work of the architects but also by the personalities who were associated with the place in one way or another. The property has changed hands several times. They have always been people well-known in society, extremely wealthy and influential, remembered even after their death. Here are the main ones:

1. Charles McLaren and Laura McLaren (Baron and Baroness Aberconway)
   They were the original owners from 1907 until the mid-20th century. Laura personally tended the garden with 12-metre-high roses, irises and begonias; the garden participated in Côte d’Azur garden competitions. The building served the aristocratic family as a summer residence.

2. Florence Norman and Lord Henry Norman (the McLarens’ daughter and son-in-law)
   They inherited the magnificent property and owned it from the 1920s to the 1950s. The Norman family expanded the estate by adding guest houses.

3. From the mid-20th century to the 1990s
   The family heritage was used by tenants. The château was rented out and used partially or fully by celebrities, including composer Cole Porter with his wife Linda, and artist Pablo Picasso. Writer Ernest Hemingway and other cultural figures also stayed here.

4. 1996–2013 – “the new Russians era”
   In 1996, when the world was stunned by spectacular deals linked to the so-called “new Russians” who had suddenly acquired fabulous wealth, the property was purchased by influential Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky. The details of the deal are not public, but it was a time when many European aristocratic families were selling historic properties to cover maintenance costs – taking advantage of the fact that the newly rich were willing to pay prices that had previously been unimaginable. This decision was undoubtedly linked to the insanely high maintenance costs: the 10-hectare park, the splendid elite garden (with rare roses, pergolas, and decades-old exotic plants), and several buildings (including unfinished guest houses) required ever greater resources in the second half of the 20th century. After World War II, old-money elite families often faced taxes and inflation that turned such properties into a burden. The Russian oligarch bought it for between 8.4 and 22 million euros via intermediaries (e.g., the investment company Sifi and Jean-Louis Bordes as a front), optimising taxes and other acquisition costs. Berezovsky used it as a private residence while already being a critic of Putin – one of the first oligarchs who overestimated his own power and underestimated Putin as an opponent.

5. 2013–2023 – the post-Berezovsky period
   After Berezovsky’s death in 2013, when many details of the deals came to light, the palace became confiscated property of the French state. It became embroiled in money-laundering proceedings linked to Russian claims against the oligarch. Confiscated in 2015, it spent ten years in litigation with creditors (including Roman Abramovich and Aeroflot). Sold at auction in 2023 for approximately 65 million euros (despite a valuation of 158 million euros). Sums the previous owners could not even have imagined.

6. Since November 2023 the owner is Jan Koum, WhatsApp co-founder and billionaire, a U.S. citizen of Ukrainian origin. He purchased it through a real-estate company (SCI) and currently uses it as a private residence.

Jan Koum (born Ян Борисович Кум / Yan Borysovych Kum in Kyiv, 1976) left Ukraine at the age of 16 (1992) together with his mother, fleeing antisemitism and economic chaos. Since then no publicly known ties to Ukrainian politics or business – he initially lived in the United States in poverty, even receiving food stamps, taught himself programming, worked at Yahoo, and later founded WhatsApp. Knowing the corrupt ties between Ukraine and the Biden family, none are known with Koum. Politically he donates to both Republicans and Democrats (typical Silicon Valley practice) but is neither a major donor nor an active political figure. He rarely speaks about Ukraine, but positively – he supports Ukrainian refugees and donated money after the 2022 invasion (through private channels). In short: a pure tech billionaire with Ukrainian roots, but with no connections whatsoever to Ukrainian corruption cases, the Biden family, or the Democratic Party. As is well known, Joe Biden’s son Hunter sat on the board of Burisma Holdings, receiving a monthly salary of around $50,000. The company was engaged in natural gas and oil extraction in Ukraine (mainly in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava regions) and was directly linked to Mykola Zlochevsky – former Ukrainian Ecology Minister under Yanukovych (2010–2012), one of the classic post-Soviet oligarchs. During Trump’s impeachment it became known that Joe Biden, while still vice-president, allegedly pressured Ukraine to dismiss prosecutor-general Shokin, fearing it could affect his son’s business at Burisma. Later, however, it was claimed that Shokin was so corrupt that he never even intended to touch Burisma’s cases.

Public events associated with the palace’s history

Château de la Garoupe is linked to a rich social and cultural life, but, for example, information about the palace appearing as a central location in any film has not been found. Nevertheless, it has undeniably been a closed gathering place for celebrities.

Cultural and social events:

• Early 20th century: summer parties and garden exhibitions on the Côte d’Azur where Picasso, Hemingway, Cole Porter and others stayed. It was a favourite spot of “old money” and aristocratic elite on the French Riviera.

• The Berezovsky era: a symbol of new-Russian and oligarch luxury, connected with post-Soviet Russia’s economic chaos and luxury investments abroad.

• 2013–2023: judicial drama – the property as a symbol of money laundering involving the Russian government, Abramovich and French authorities. After Berezovsky’s death the palace became a “forgotten château”, but attracted media attention whenever “oligarch heritage” was discussed.

There is no direct evidence of films in which the building is the central object (unlike other Cap d’Antibes palaces, e.g., Château de la Croix-des-Gardes in Tender Is the Night). However, it is always mentioned in connection with stays by Picasso and Hemingway, aristocratic leisure, and as inspiration for literature and art about the Riviera. As mentioned, the media occasionally reminded the world of its existence, widely covering it in the press as an “oligarch palace” (Bloomberg, France 24, Nice-Matin). The 2023 sale to Koum was called a “billionaires’ battle for the Riviera”. It is visible from the walking paths and Google Maps views, but privacy prohibits any interior filming.

In any case, this palace with its history and events symbolises the charm of the French Riviera – from English aristocracy to oligarch scandals and tech billionaires.