Inside Sylvester Stallone's $35M Palm Beach Estate

Sylvester Stallone's Palm Beach home is in one of the priciest spots in the country.

Inside Sylvester Stallone's $35M Palm Beach Estate

Don't call this house expendable. "Rocky" and "Rambo" star Sylvester Stallone and his wife, Jennifer Flavin, purchased a waterfront estate in Palm Beach, Florida, for $35.375 million in late December 2020.

That's probably more than Rocky earned during his entire (fictional) boxing career, but the price tag isn't surprising, given the extra-exclusive location and wealthy neighbors, which include radio king Howard Stern and a multitude of billionaires who own homes in the area.

Want to see where the movie star lives? We have a ringside seat.

It's a Compound

The estate includes a mansion, guest house, guest pavilion and a pool house, all of which is located on 1.5 acres of beachfront property.

In total, the compound has 13,241 square feet of living space, seven bathrooms and 12 bathrooms.

Stallone Took Out a Mortgage

According to the West Palm Daily News, which first reported on Stallone's new digs, the actor financed part of the sale with a $15 million, 30-year mortgage, meaning his down payment was over $20 million.

With 2020's average mortgage rate of about 3 percent, Stallone pays around $63,000 in interest each month.

That's an incredible amount of money, but it's something that Stallone can easily afford. Can you guess how much he's worth?

He's Worth Around $400 Million

He doesn't need to save up to upgrade the kitchen.

Stallone is worth around $400 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

The actor directs, stars in and produces almost all of his movies, which means he gets a larger cut of the profits.

Is This His Main House?

Living in Florida is just one of the ways the ultra-rich can skip out on paying more taxes, thanks to the state's lack of income tax rates.

But we're not sure if this is Stallone's main place of residence. He still owns a multimillion-dollar, 15,400-square-foot-house in Los Angeles' Beverly Park neighborhood, widely reported to be the 74-year-old's main mansion.

In March 2020, he sold a Mediterranean-style vacation property in La Quinta, California, for $3.35 million, for a loss of $1.15 million.

Ties to Florida

This estate was an expensive purchase, even for someone like Stallone. But the action star knows Florida well. He studied acting at the University of Miami, then left for New York City before getting his degree.

While in college, he had a small part in a stage play base on Franz Kafka's "The Trial." After the performance, Stallone enlisted the help of a friend who worked on the student newspaper, the Miami Hurricane, to get into the paper's office so he could write his own review.

"It went something like this: 'The other people in the show were OK, but Stallone explodes onto the stage and leaves nothing but a burning hole in everyone in his wake,'" Stallone told the university in 2015.

The Italian Stallion

According to the Miami Hurricane, there were several urban legends about Stallone's time at Miami University and why he didn't graduate, despite being just three credits shy of a diploma. They include Stallone bringing a fake bazooka to class, beating up teachers to train for "Rocky" and making a pornographic film on campus.

Stallone did film a softcore skin flick, but he made the film, "The Party at Kitty and Stud's," in 1970 while he was in New York City. It was later retitled "The Italian Stallion" after Stallone found success with "Rocky." At the time, Stallone was broke and sleeping in a bus station.

"It was either do that movie or rob someone because I was at the end — at the very end — of my rope,” he told Playboy in 1978, as recounted in Rolling Stone. "Instead of doing something desperate, I worked two days for $200 and got myself out of the bus station."

It also wasn't really X-rated.

From Bullied Kid to Action Hero

When Stallone was delivered at birth on July 6, 1946, doctors misused forceps on the newborn and severed a nerve, causing partial facial paralysis and left him with slurred speech.

His childhood was an unhappy one. His parents divorced when he was young, and he spent some time living in foster care. But he was ambitious and determined to make a life in movies work. Bullying and a turbulent home life caused behavioral problems. By the age of 12, he had been kicked out of 13 schools and turned to bodybuilding at age 15.

After moving to New York, he found a small, unsustainable amount of work as an extra and a few starring roles in small movies, like "The Lords of Flatbush" and "Death Race 2000."

Of course, all of that changed with "Rocky."

The Kitchen

The estate's main house has a large kitchen, with wide plank hardwood flooring, stainless steel appliances, a double-wide fridge and an expansive stove.

The Dining Room

Stallone bought the home from Ronald G. and Cindy McMackin, owners of Pan-Pacific Mechanical, a California-based construction company.

The McMackins built the home in 2014 and listed it for $37.85 million in 2020.

Stallone never would have been able to afford the home if it weren't for "Rocky" and a story about $18,000.

Turning $18,000 Into an Empire

Everyone knows the underdog story of "Rocky." And a lot of people know the rags-to-riches story about how "Rocky" was made, with film studios trying to buy Stallone's picture from him so they wouldn't have to cast the unknown actor.

According to legend, United Artists lowballed Stallone with an $18,000 offer after he refused to sell the script or let someone else star in the picture. Even though he was so broke he allegedly sold his dog for $50, Stallone accepted the offer but also retained a 10 percent ownership in the movie.

But what if it was all just marketing?

Yo, Check Out the Living Room!

According to a 2006 article by former a former Hollywood Reporter editor that cites several United Artists executives, the story about the studio not wanting Stallone in the movie and lowballing him with $18,000 was pure marketing and the press ate it up.

"I don’t have to tell you how the press feeds on the underdog story," said Gabe Sumner, then head of marketing at United Artists. "It filled up space on entertainment pages, and in columns looking for something for the next day. They ate up the idea that this actor loved his work so much, and was willing to sell it for a nickel and a dime in order to make it, blah, blah, blah. It all became part of the underdog fabric that brought people in. Period. They just totally bought into it."

Stallone's people said they stand by Stallone's version of events. We can't say for certain which one is real, but the story behind "Rocky" absolutely contributed to its legendary status.

Watch the Pool from the Living Room

Why put on "Demolition Man" again when you can watch your pool from the comfort of your living room? We're sure that's just a photoshop or a blown-up listing photo on the TV, though.

The living room features floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors that open up to palm trees and manicured grounds.

The Office

The entire Bermuda-style house has been decorated with a mix of modern and midcentury modern furniture.

The Master Bedroom

The master bedroom is very large. French doors open up to a balcony overlooking the water, while two S-shaped sculptures hang from the plank board ceiling.

Waterfront Living

The estate sits on 250 feet of beachfront on the bulkhead-lined Lake Worth Lagoon, that body of water where everyone in Palm Beach seems to want to live.

Stallone's house is near the inlet, just a short boat ride away from Peanut Island Park.

The Master Bathroom

When Stallone is done after a rough day on the job — the actor performs many of his own stunts — he can soak his sores in this large freestanding tub, and enjoy the views.

In 2013, Stallone ruptured his peroneal tendon while filming "Escape Plan" with Arnold Schwarzenegger, which resulted in 60 stitches.

The Master Closet

The mansion has a walk-in closet and dressing room bigger than most kitchens, with a mirrored, marble-topped central island, hardwood floors and doors leading to an outside balcony.

Not Over the Top

Despite the mammoth price tag, this extravagant property isn't over the top.

And if you're wrestling with the price tag, consider the Palm Beach real estate market. The average home price of a house in Palm Beach was about $7 million in 2020, and a limited supply of homes is driving up prices.

But the clientele is so rich, they can afford the costs, which means prices just keep going up.

The Guest Bedrooms

In 1995, Stallone made a three-picture deal with Universal promising him $20 million per film, which would have made him one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood.

Instead, that deal was never actualized. At the time, Stallone's other movies were poorly received at the box office, and Universal killed the deal.

The Gym

The gym was probably updated since Stallone purchased it. We're thinking it likely includes weight training equipment since we know Stallone still hits the weights. Of course, he's not as diehard about it as he used to be.

While filming "Rocky III," Stallone had such a stringent, high-protein diet and hardcore workout plan that he would become lightheaded on set and have to do handstands to get the blood flowing to his head, the actor revealed on Instagram.

"During the period, I only ate very small portions of oatmeal cookies made with brown rice and up to 25 cups of coffee a day with honey and a couple of scoops of tuna fish," the actor wrote.

A Bearable Guest House

The guest house is adjacent to the pool and has a giant, waving bear statue with a gold medallion. Do we know why that's there? No. Do we like it? Yes.

More properties should have waving bear statues.

The Guest Bathroom

After the $20-million-per-picture deal with Universal dissolved, Stallone hit a career low point in the 2000s, with a string of commercial failures.

He took some time off and made a career comeback in 2006 with "Rocky Balboa," which premiered 30 years after "Rocky."

It made $156 million worldwide on a $24 million budget.

The Entertainment Room

The guest house has this cool entertaining area with a triangular ceiling that looks a bit like abstract art.

A very long widescreen television is mounted on the far wall, near some classy midcentury modern furniture.

The Wet Bar

There seems to be an unwritten rule in real estate development: If there's a separate house or structure by the pool, it needs a bar. This one is no different.

But it's unlikely Stallone uses this very often. The actor isn't known to be a big drinker.

Stallone Is Still Writing His Dream Project

Stallone has been working on a movie about the life of Edgar Allen Poe since the 1970s. It's his dream project, but it hasn't come into fruition for one reason or another. But he still has piles of pages and notes about the project.

In 1985, Stallone told People he could "identify with Poe’s tragic loss of people, his drive and his loneliness." Unfortunately, that statement would become even more true several decades years later.

Tragedy and Loss

Stallone had two boys with his first wife, Sasha Czack. Seargeoh Stallone has been diagnosed with autism and has led a private life, save for his appearance in "Rocky II" as a newborn.

Sage Stallone tragically passed away in 2012 at the age of 36 due to heart failure. Drugs were ruled out, and his death was ruled to have happened by natural causes.

He has three daughters, Sistine, Sophia and Scarlet, all of whom he had with Jennifer Flavin.

Expensive, Even for the Area

Even for the area, the mansion is expensive. It is 1,316 percent more expensive than surrounding properties, according to realtor.com.

The estate has a price of $2,672 per square foot. Roughly 110 square feet of this compound equals the average home price in America, which is about $295,000.

Palm Trees and Boats

The estate is covered in waving palm trees and tropical plants.

The lake is dotted with boats, and this property has a dock as well.

The Pool

The estate has a keyhole-shaped pool which is central to the property.

The line of palm trees breaks by the spa, where the view of the lake goes unobstructed.

A Spa by the Beach

The spa is located close enough to the beach that you can skip stones into the lake.

There's a firepit as well to add some cozy ambience at night.

Still Working

Stallone is still making movies and has shown no signs of slowing down.

"The Expendables 4" and "Samaritan" are just a few of his recent projects.