Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murthy, met while studying for a master in business administration qualification at Stanford University in Silicon Valley. After marrying in a lavish ceremony in India, the couple planned to settle down in California and bought a penthouse flat in Santa Monica.
The flat, which the couple are reported to be visiting over the Easter holidays, is valued at $7.2m (£5.5m) by US property website Redfin and boasts sweeping views of the world-famous Santa Monica pier and the Pacific ocean beyond.
Murthy, the daughter of the billionaire founder of Infosys, the Indian tech giant, bought the penthouse apartment – one of four in the Waverly complex on Ocean Avenue – directly from the developer in June 2014.
Estate agents for the six-storey building, built in 2013, boast that the penthouses come with “large private outdoor terraces unlike anything ever seen before on Ocean Avenue”. Residents are promised the apartments will provide “the epitome of urban Santa Monica beach living” with “stunning views of the Santa Monica mountain” and where you “wake up to the sound of waves crashing against the shore”.
The building, designed by KTGY architects and with interiors by LA designers Marmol Radziner, offers an around-the-clock concierge and a fitness centre “stocked with the latest equipment for those looking to improve their cardiovascular or muscular endurance”. There is even a “pet spa” where residents’ “furry companions can get pampered”.
“All units face north so you don’t wake up with sun coming in your face and get to end the day capturing a stunning sunset over the Pacific,” the marketing material promises. Kitchens feature “polished Sea Pearl quartzite counters” and custom-built oak cabinetry with polished chrome hardware and stainless steel Thermador appliances. “The showers have glass walls designed with a tortoise shell mosaic pattern,” another estate agent says. “In the powder rooms, the countertops are deluxe marble and the vanity is custom-designed.”
Should the Sunaks wish to pop out for a bite to eat, the five-star Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel is across the street, offering campfire-inspired fire-pit dining. A 6oz filet mignon steak costs $54 or a plate of seared steelhead salmon is $36.
Santa Monica is the sixth most expensive address in the US, with median average house prices hitting $4.1m in November 2021, according to data from Property Shark.
Celebrities often seen on or around Santa Monica’s “muscle beach” include Ben Affleck, Reese Witherspoon, Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian and Kayne West.
