Late Informercial Pioneer Ron Popeil’s Beverly Hills Home Lists for $25 Million

By Wendy Bowman

He might not be a household name today, but if you watched late-night television in the 1950s and beyond, you likely came across Ron Popeil’s handiwork as a legendary TV pitchman for his direct-response marketing company Ronco. Think the Veg-O-Matic, the Pocket Fisherman, and Mister Microphone—“Hey good lookin’, we’ll be back to pick you up later”—and, of course, the Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ Oven, where you could just “Set it and forget it.”

But wait, there’s more! Popeil—whose iconic catchphrases were parodied by everyone from Dan Aykroyd to “Weird Al” Yankovic and Gallagher—sold Ronco in 2005 for $55 million. However, he was still closely associated with its products and later marketed inventions like his 5-in-1 Turkey Fryer through a new company, Ron’s Enterprises.

Now, a little over five years after he passed away at age 86, the Beverly Hillsestate that he occupied for more than two decades has just hit the market for $25 million. Linda May and Drew Fenton of Carolwood Estates hold the listing.

Designed and built by noted architect Jack Warner in the mid-1990s for Hard Rock Cafe cofounder Peter Morton, the Italian-style villa was acquired by Popeil and his wife, Robin, in 2002 for $7.5 million. Sitting behind gates on over two acres at the end of a cul-de-sac, just minutes from Sunset Boulevard, it offers a total of eight bedrooms and 11 bathrooms in roughly 14,600 square feet across two levels.

A double-height foyer featuring a winding staircase beneath a 30-foot skylit, vaulted wood-paneled ceiling flows to a sprawling living area with a stone fireplace and tall French doors opening to a covered terrace. From there, a professional kitchen where Popeil tested many of his famous household gadgets transitions to a formal dining room. A screening room is equipped with a projection booth, a gym comes with a sauna, and a wine cellar holds more than 600 bottles, while an upstairs primary suite has a fireplace, a private balcony, and an office alongside dual bathrooms and closets.

A large, rectangular swimming pool bordered by shaded terraces and manicured gardens anchors the backyard, overlooking city-to-ocean views. Beyond is a broad lawn, plus an upper flat pad “offering exceptional possibilities for a pickleball court, expansive grassy play area, citrus grove, or farm-to-table garden,” per the listing.

Contessa Popeil, one of the couple’s two daughters, related to The New York Times that selling the property is bittersweet and a highly emotional experience. “It’s just a truly special place for us,” she said. “And we just hope the next owners are able to create the same depth of memories and joy.”