Which Way, L.A.?
Keeping Up with the Shell Companies Next Door
"A new generation of hyper-luxury homes with stratospheric price tags is colonizing the most gilded hillsides and canyons of Los Angeles." That's according to the New York Times, in a series about shell companies that hide the real ownership of such properties--not just from celebrity hounds but local and international law enforcement. We hear about the "Starship Enterprise" and other monstrosities in Bel-Air and around the country.
By Warren Olney • • 24m Listen"A new generation of hyper-luxury homes with stratospheric price tags is colonizing the most gilded hillsides and canyons of Los Angeles." That's according to the New York Times, in a series about shell companies that hide the real ownership of such properties -- not just from celebrity hounds but local and international law enforcement. We hear about the "Starship Enterprise" and other monstrosities in Bel-Air and around the country.
Later on the program, an old hand gets a new job in Los Angeles: protecting children.
Photo: Mohamed Hadid's luxury home, dubbed "starship Enterprise" balances on the hilside above the home of Joseph Horacek
In this episode
2 storiesGiant Homes with Invisible Owners
In the posh LA suburb of Bel-Air, "Starship Enterprise" stands for a 30,000-square-foot, curved glass-and-steel mega-mansion being constructed in apparent defiance of building codes or the possibility of earthquake-induced landslides.
Read the story15 minLA's New Child Protection Czar
Every day, 40 infants are reported to be victims of abuse or neglect in Los Angeles County. Twenty thousand kids are in foster care — all too often a road to prison. To better protect children and youth from maltreatment, the County has created a new job and appointed a highly respected juvenile court judge to fill it.
Read the story9 min
