A Getty oil heir's former San Francisco penthouse lists for $20M
Among Getty oil heirs, a former San Francisco penthouse is back on the market for $19.98 million. William Paul "Billy" Getty sold the Russian Hill residence to broadcasting tycoon Charlton Buckley in 1998 for $15 million—a city record—and the Buckley family has now listed the preserved spread.
The listing tests whether a landmark 1990s showpiece can still command top dollar in a market where billionaire buyers have pushed records far higher. For more celebrity and trophy listings, see our Luxury Real Estate & Dream Homes coverage.
Key Takeaways
- Billy Getty combined two adjacent Royal Towers co-op apartments into a roughly 6,000-square-foot penthouse dubbed "The Cyber Palace."
- He sold the fully furnished home in 1998 for $15 million to Charlton Buckley, setting a San Francisco sales record at the time.
- The two-bedroom, four-bath unit is now listed at $19.98 million with Kristin Cashin and Jenn Davis of Christie's International Real Estate Sereno.
- Panoramic bay, bridge, and skyline views come with more than 2,000 square feet of wraparound terraces.
- Monthly HOA fees run $10,690, covering a 24-hour attended lobby, fitness center, and heated pool with a retractable roof.
Who Owned This Getty Oil Heir's Former Penthouse?
William Paul "Billy" Getty acquired two adjacent apartments atop the 24-story Royal Towers co-op in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood in the mid-1990s. Over three years, he worked with designers Stephen Weaver and Craig Leavitt to merge the units into an industrial-chic showpiece.
Harper's Bazaar dubbed the finished spread "The Cyber Palace" in March 1998. Later that year, without ever having lived in it, Getty sold the residence fully furnished to retired broadcasting tycoon Charlton Buckley for $15 million.
The deal easily surpassed the city's prior benchmark: romance author Danielle Steel reportedly paid $5 million to $6 million for the Spreckels Mansion in Pacific Heights in 1990. Buckley's family preserved the home for nearly three decades before bringing it back to market.
What Makes the Russian Hill Penthouse Distinctive?
The open layout showcases hand-tinted concrete slab floors, mohair-covered walls, retractable fiberglass shoji panels, and 24-karat gold leaf accents. Vast walls of glass frame views of San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, Alcatraz, and the downtown skyline.
An 18-foot gilded foyer off two key-secured elevators opens to a large living room with a fireplace. The dining area features an integrated wet bar and a built-in tufted leather banquette, while the corner primary suite includes a walk-in closet and a bath with a vanity built from repurposed steel mesh screens.
According to Robb Report, the $10,690 monthly HOA charge also covers on-site management and a newly remodeled fitness center alongside the building's glass-enclosed heated pool.
Why Is the Home Listed Now at Nearly $20 Million?
After nearly 30 years in the Buckley family, the penthouse has surfaced at $19.98 million—a meaningful markup from its 1998 sale price, but still well below today's loftiest San Francisco transactions. The $15 million record set by Getty's sale has been eclipsed several times since.
Most recently, billionaire Laurene Powell Jobs reportedly purchased a $70 million mansion in Pacific Heights off-market. Getty himself paid $20 million earlier this summer for a home in Dallas's Highland Park area, underscoring the family's continued footprint in trophy real estate.
For buyers, the listing offers a rare chance to acquire a time-capsule luxury residence whose provenance and preserved interiors trace directly to one of America's most storied oil dynasties.
How Does This Sale Compare to San Francisco's Luxury Records?
When Buckley bought the penthouse in 1998, the $15 million price was unprecedented for the city. Today, the $19.98 million ask reflects both appreciation and the premium attached to an architecturally distinctive, view-rich co-op with celebrity lineage.
Yet the gap between this listing and the market's current ceiling remains wide. Pacific Heights and other enclaves have seen nine-figure deals reshape expectations, even as Russian Hill retains its reputation among San Francisco's most coveted addresses.
Whether the penthouse fetches its asking price will signal how collectors and high-net-worth buyers value preserved design pedigree versus newer trophy compounds elsewhere in the Bay Area.