Mysterious Hungarian Interested in €20 Million Villa Next to Putin’s Alleged Mansion
Photo: Drumelia.com 2025-07-02
Just half an hour’s drive from Marbella is La Zagaleta, one of the most exclusive villa parks not only in Spain but in all of Europe. Surrounded by a fence, protected by armed security guards, featuring golf and tennis courts, riding stables, helipads and other fancy fixtures, the 900-hectare site is home to around 200 luxury villas. According to a Spanish real estate agency, a Hungarian billionaire is also interested in a building in La Zagaleta, which is now being advertised for €20 million. We asked several Hungarian billionaires whether they were the mystery buyer interested in the villa.
Discretion is, of course, the most basic service La Zagaleta offers to the super-rich who choose to buy property there. However, rumors persist. It’s believed that Beyoncé, David Beckham, George Clooney, Hugh Grant, Rod Stewart, and even Vladimir Putin have all bought properties in the Spanish villa park. Most recently, according to one Spanish realtor, a Hungarian billionaire is also planning to purchase a 1,700-square-meter, 7-bedroom, 9-bathroom modern mansion. The prospective buyer’s identity remains a mystery.
La Zagaleta is a vast piece of land in Southern Spain near the small town of Benahavis. In the 1980s, the land was known as Baraka (blessing) and was used as the hunting estate of Adnan Khashoggi, a notorious Saudi arms dealer known for his opulent lifestyle. However, in 1990, the Spanish state confiscated the land from Khashoggi as a tax debt and sold it at auction. The 9 million square meters of land was then bought by the late Spanish-Swiss banker Enrique Perez Flores, who renamed it La Zagaleta, which means young shepherd girl in Spanish. The following video shows aerial footage of the land:
The exclusive villa park is fenced and protected by armed guards, has several golf and tennis courts, a riding stable, staff on call 24 hours a day and, of course, a helipad for the convenience of its wealthy residents.
A few days ago, a Spanish real estate agency, Drumelia, published the first part of its Talks podcast series, in which Drumelia’s owner and CEO Artur Loginov promoted the La Zagaleta villa complex. In the episode, Loginov talked about 10 billionaires who were interested in a luxury villa that costs €20 million: 2 Austrians, 1 Norwegian, 1 German, 1 American, 1 Hungarian, 1 Mexican, 1 Swede, 1 Nigerian and 1 Indian.
Who Could It Be?
Lőrinc Mészáros, Hungary’s richest man, is of course the first suspect, especially considering that he has been seen visiting the Spanish seaside town for years. Moreover, the football team he manages, Puskás Akadémia – based in Felcsút, Viktor Orbán’s hometown –, regularly goes to training camps in Marbella.
The Spanish realtor also mentioned that the prospective buyers’ wealth ranges from 1.2 billion to €42 billion. According to a yearly publication by Perche Kft., “The 100 richest Hungarians,” Lőrinc Mészáros’s wealth is over €3.556 billion, well within the range mentioned in the podcast.
We asked Lőrinc Mészáros’s press office if he was the Hungarian billionaire who viewed luxury villa and, if so, was he convinced to buy the property, but we did not get a reply.
We also contacted the press officer of Hungary’s second richest man, Sándor Csányi (€2.05 billion) and Mészáros’ business partner, László Szíjj (with €0.93 billion, the 6th richest person in the country) about the property. Only Csányi’s press officer responded, saying that it was not the OTP president who was interested in the Spanish luxury villa. Szíjj did not respond, but it is unlikely that he is the potential buyer as his wealth is lower than the range specified.
The property in question is advertised as “a unique luxury mansion with panoramic views” and is being offered by Drumelia for €19.9 million. Built in 2015, the 1700 square meter villa stands on a 4,651 square meter plot. It has seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms, plus a gym, games and cinema room, spa, swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, wine cellar and a garage for six cars.
The villa was designed by Tobal Architects and furnished by Taylor Interiors. Furnishings include Smania, Fendi, Manutti, and Technogym furniture, as well as Bang & Olufsen TVs and speakers. It also has a separate apartment with a kitchen, two bedrooms, a living room, and a bathroom, where you can accommodate (not so close) friends or staff.
The photos and brochure available on the Drumelia website give an idea of the size of the property: the games room alone, with pool tables and the like, could fit an average apartment. The basement swimming pool could house a whole school group.
Details from the interior of Casa Valentino, Source: Drumelia.com
Armed Guards, Helipad
The mysterious Hungarian billionaire is probably not only enchanted by the luxury of Casa Valentino, as they can buy similar villas almost anywhere. But the fact that the property is located in a quasi-special small town with armed guards to keep order and limit access to the property is certainly a bonus. This precludes tourists or curious journalists from accidentally strolling by and taking photos or videos of the owner relaxing.
The exclusivity of La Zagaleta is precisely this: super-rich property owners can hide in plain sight, with the utmost discretion provided by the complex and its staff. Of course, this comes at a price: Casa Valentino, which is being viewed by the mysterious Hungarian billionaire, is being advertised by Drumelia for €19.9 million, but the prospective owner will also have to pay:
- €1.393 million in “transfer” taxes,
- €159,000 in lawyers’ fees,
- almost €16,000 in notary fees,
- almost €8,000 in registration fees,
- and around €4,000 in bank fees.
In other words, €21.48 million will have to be spent on the purchase of Casa Valentino, and the owner of the villa will then have to pay €10,559 in property taxes to the local Spanish municipality and € 2,290 in monthly common charges to the La Zagaleta residential complex to cover the professional staff, security and stables.
Putin’s Neighbours?
At the center of the aforementioned golf club is a 500-square-meter clubhouse that was the home of Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, who owned the La Zagaleta site before 1990. The parties hosted here earned him the nickname “the Great Gatsby of the Middle East.”
The property was bought around 2010-2012 by a consortium of six people and has since been home to Club de Campo La Zagaleta, with golf courses and a membership fee of €100,000 annually.
The consortium that runs the golf club is said to have some connection to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Unconfirmed reports claim that the largest and most expensive villa in La Zagaleta, the Roca del Rey (the King’s Rock) is owned by Putin through an intermediary.
The name is no coincidence: the villa sits on top of a hill in the south-west of the luxury residential area, which is strategically located and offers panoramic views, reportedly of Gibraltar and the coast of Africa.
Allegedly, Putin bought the predecessor to the mansion (through a strawman) for over €15 million in 2012, had it demolished, and built what is now La Roca del Rey. Today, the property is estimated to be worth €45-50 million.
Completed in 2015, the new building stands on an 18,000 square meter plot of land, with a floor area of 6,000 square meters. It reportedly has 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool, jacuzzi, cinema room, piano bar, private helipad, a 245 square meter outdoor swimming pool and a garage that fits 22 cars. The southern slopes of the plot are said to be planted with Pingus vines, which are used to make wine in the villa’s cellar.
The article is based on a two-part series originally in Hungarian, which can be found here and here.
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