A millionaire dog is selling Madonna’s former Miami mansion (yes, really): take a look inside Gunther the German shepherd’s inherited US$31 million waterfront villa, complete with chefs
- The Tuscan-style villa with views of Biscayne Bay is on sale for US$31 million – but the property is just one of many luxury assets owned by Gunther’s US$500-million trust
- Gunther goes on trips to Milan and the Bahamas, and his trust’s managers have also bought sports teams, from men’s football to women’s swimming
Gunther the German shepherd spent a recent morning playing with his tennis ball, rolling in the grass, slobbering a little and napping a lot. Later, he had a “meeting” with the property agents selling his Miami mansion that his handlers bought from Madonna.
As crazy as it sounds, Gunther VI inherited his vast fortune, including the eight-bedroom waterfront home once owned by the Material Girl singer, from his grandfather Gunther IV. At least that’s what the handlers who manage the estate say.
The Tuscan-style villa with views of Biscayne Bay went on sale Wednesday, November 17, for US$31 million – a whopping mark-up from the purchase two decades ago from the pop star for US$7.5 million. The home also boasts a gilded framed portrait of Gunther IV over the living room fireplace.
The dog’s lineage dates back decades to when Gunther III inherited a multimillion-dollar trust from late owner German countess Karlotta Liebenstein when she died in 1992. Since then, a group of handlers have helped maintain a jet-setting lifestyle for a succession of dogs. There are trips to the Milan and the Bahamas, where the latest Gunther recently dined out at restaurants every evening – his handlers like to make sure he’s well socialised.
A chef cooks his breakfast each morning made of the finest meat, fresh vegetables and rice. Sometimes he enjoys caviar, but there’s never any kibble in sight. He travels by private jet, works on obedience skills daily with his trainer and sleeps in a lavish round, red velvet bed overlooking the bay.
“He lives in Madonna’s former master bedroom,” said property agent Ruthie Assouline, who nabbed the listing with her husband Ethan for the 0.5-hectare (1.2-acre) property in a row of a half-dozen waterfront homes next to a public county park and on the same street where Sylvester Stallone once lived.
