TALK OF THE TOWN: Simon Cowell’s mystery £15m mansion and the hour-long commute that makes him want to stay in his £1m Holland Park home
When he bought a £15 million mansion in suburbia, it appeared Simon Cowell was finally ready for a quieter life. Interior designers were hired following the purchase of the property in South-West London in October 2018 and the music mogul was expected to move in seven months later.
Now friends wonder why Simon, pictured below with partner Lauren Silverman, hasn’t moved from Holland Park, where he has lived for 20 years, and why the £1 million renovation project has not begun. Mind you, Simon was never one to act quickly: he started dating Lauren in 2013, and friends are still waiting for them to marry.
It is no secret Simon, 60, invests considerable sums from his estimated £385 million fortune in property. He has bought homes for ex-girlfriends Terri Seymour and Mezhgan Hussainy in the past.
Simon Cowell, pictured with his girlfriend Lauren Silverman, right, has bought a £15 million home in south west London, but the music mogul is reluctant to move from his £1m Holland Park home as it is close to his office
Simon Cowell lives in a £1m home in Holland Park, west London, which is only a short distance from his office
But friends are now asking why he wanted the £15 million house. ‘It is such a strange buy,’ says one close associate. ‘He hates traffic and loves the fact that his Holland Park home is so near to his office. The journey from the new house to work could take him over an hour.’
A friend said plans to move to the new property had been delayed by the coronavirus crisis, adding: ‘It now looks like it will be 2022.’
The name’s Branson…
Richard Branson has been called many things – but a spy? The claim came after a failed plot to topple Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro last week. Maduro tried to link Branson, to the plot’s alleged leader, Jordan Goudreau, who was head of security at a concert organised by the Virgin tycoon.
Maduro said: ‘Branson has worked for the US and UK intelligence agencies for years.’ A spokesman for Branson called the claims ‘baseless’.
Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro last week tried to link Richard Branson, pictured, to a plot to topple him, claiming the Virgin boss was worked for UK and US intelligence agencies for years. A spokesman for the airline mogul said the claims were ‘baseless’