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SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Sen. Mitt Romney has sold his oceanfront mansion — of car elevator fame — in La Jolla, California, for a whopping $23.5 million.
The La Jolla Light reported that Romney, a one-time Republican presidential nominee, completed the sale June 30, according to the San Diego County recorder's office.
Romney and his wife, Ann, bought the property, including a 3,000-square-foot home in 2008 for $12 million. They tore down the house to build an 8,150-square-foot mansion with five bedrooms, six bathrooms and 65 feet of ocean frontage. Romney's campaign in 2012 said the car elevator was necessary to create a four-car garage to accommodate his many children and grandchildren.
In the 2012 presidential election, the car elevator came under attack by the Barack Obama campaign and its surrogates looking to paint Romney as a megamillionaire out of touch with the concerns of ordinary Americans.
Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm sharply criticized Romney at the time over his opposition to the auto industry bailout and his personal wealth, saying that in his world "the cars get the elevator, the workers get the shaft."
The sale price of Romney's house made it the fifth-most expensive home sale in San Diego County and the third-most expensive for La Jolla, according to the La Jolla Light. Romney revealed the sale in late June during a virtual discussion on infrastructure sponsored by the Salt Lake Chamber.
The Romneys sold the house to William and Marisa Rastetter. Rastetter, a scientist, entrepreneur and venture capitalist, is the chairman of Neurocrine Biosciences.
Romney considered selling the house near the end of its reconstruction. Several neighbors and conservationists opposed the project, saying the design was out of place for La Jolla.
