04 January 2023 , 14:29
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A stunning property expanding across 12,000 square feet has hit the market for the price of $5.99m (£4.88m).
The oceanfront home in Daytona Beach, Florida, US, belonged to late tycoon Ron Rice, who started out as a high school chemistry teacher and built a fortune by founding the suncream brand Hawaiian Tropic.
The massive property includes four bedrooms and five bathrooms, two outdoor pools, an indoor pool, and 200 feet of beach frontage.
Nicknamed a ‘party palace’, the estate hosted the tycoon's lavish parties known to be attended by the likes of The Beach Boys, Hugh Hefner and Donald Trump.
A recessed den, disco dance floor, spacious formal dining room, and indoor/outdoor bar and lounge offer endless spaces for entertaining.
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The property boasts 12,000 sq. ft, two outdoor pools, an indoor pool, and 200 ft of beach frontage (Jam Press/TopTenRealEstateDeals)Its interior features unique woodwork, expressive wall coverings and stone accents that provide a striking style.
Floor-to-ceiling windows and expansive outdoor decks offer unobstructed views of the pristine Atlantic beach.
Two of the opulent bedroom suites have their own private balconies, while the kitchen includes a massive wrap-around bar.
A mermaid-themed mural adorns one of the bathrooms.
The entire house is filled with Ron Rice’s extensive and eccentric art collection (Jam Press/TopTenRealEstateDeals)Ron Rice was born in 1940 in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains and grew up selling fruits and other goods on a roadside stand to help his father's income, according to the New York Times.
After graduating, with a science degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, he became a high school teacher.
Rice once told a TV interviewer: "I used to teach school and I used to make $4,300 a year.
The indoor pool (Jam Press/TopTenRealEstateDeals)"Four thousand of that was the teaching part, $300 was the coaching part. I did that for eight years.
"I could go back to that if I had to, but I’m not saying I want to go back."
He founded Hawaiian Tropic in 1969 and became the largest private manufacturer of sun care products in the United States.
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The brand would sponsor swimsuit competitions to seek brand promotion among women to serve as spokesmodels for its products.
The kitchen includes a massive wrap-around bar. (Jam Press/TopTenRealEstateDeals)"It’s fun," Rice said of his balmy lifestyle, adding: "And there’s a lot of extra toys involved, and a lot of fun times, and I drink a little better-quality wine, of course, but I’m still a country boy."
Rice died in May 2022 at the age of 81.
During his life, the entire house was filled with his extensive, eccentric art collection, including statues of wild animals and framed photos of his bikini models and celebrity friends.
At one time, Rice kept a wall of TVs tuned to different channels, powered by the largest satellite dish in Florida.
The property is featured on TopTenRealEstateDeals.com, and is available with Bill Navarra of Realty Pros Assured.