The Rise and Fall of the $46 Million Mansion Nobody in Texas Wanted: Champ d'Or

It cost about $46 million to build. It was once listed for $72 million. And for ten years, nobody in Texas would buy it. Champ d'Or, the "Field of Gold," was built by CellStar founder Alan Goldfield and his wife Shirley in Hickory Creek, north of Dallas. It was a French chateau modeled on Vaux-le-Vicomte, the palace that inspired Versailles. It had a 78-foot dome, a mirrored ballroom, a two-story closet designed after the Chanel boutique in Paris, a bowling alley, a theater and a gold-plated elevator. The Goldfields turned down an early $44 million offer. Then the offers stopped. D Magazine asked whether it was "The Biggest Little Teardown in Texas," and in 2012 the biggest house in Texas went to auction for a fraction of what it cost to build. This is the rise and fall of the mansion nobody wanted: how a failed minor league pitcher from Brooklyn built a billion-dollar cell phone empire, how his wife built him a palace, and how that palace ended up as a wedding venue called The Olana. Would you have bought it? Tell us in the comments. CHAPTERS 0:00 The Auction 2:27 The Pitcher from Brooklyn 6:12 Field of Gold 9:46 The House That Ruined Its Owner 11:53 For Sale Before It Was Finished 17:37 Going, Going 20:16 The Second Time Around 22:41 Rent the Palace 26:48 What Nobody Wanted SOURCES D Magazine – The Biggest Little Teardown in Texas? (2009): https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-ceo/2009/may-june/the-biggest-little-teardown-in-texas/ Concierge Auctions – Amazing Grace of Champ D'Or: https://www.conciergeauctions.com/blog/amazing-grace-of-champ-d-or-luxury-home-critics-said-wouldnt-sell Denton Record-Chronicle – Goldfield Megamansion Finally Sells at Auction: https://dentonrc.com/news/hickory_creek/goldfield-megamansion-finally-sells-at-auction/article_66a995a7-a795-5a40-948b-aea2b6c7b4ce.html Trulia – $46 Million Texas Mansion on the Auction Block: https://www.trulia.com/blog/46-million-texas-mansion-on-the-auction-block-for-10-3-million/ Texas Monthly – How Much for the Biggest Mansion in Texas?: https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/how-much-for-the-biggest-mansion-in-texas/ CandysDirt – French Country Retreat (Formerly Champ d'Or) Hits the Market (2015): https://candysdirt.com/2015/07/11/back-french-country-retreat-formerly-champ-dor-hits-market-bigger-better-17-5/ Dallas Morning News – Champ d'Or Sold at Auction Again (2017): https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2017/07/05/champ-d-or-reportedly-the-biggest-house-in-texas-sold-at-auction-again/ CandysDirt – Champ d'Or Sold Again, to Become Entertainment Venue (2018): https://candysdirt.com/2018/09/21/joan-eleazer-sells-champ-dor-again-hickory-creek-estate-to-become-entertainment-venue/ Dallas Morning News – Neighbors Push Back on Hotel Plan (2019): https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2019/06/14/neighbors-push-back-on-plan-to-add-hotel-restaurant-to-massive-denton-county-mansion/ CultureMap Dallas – Champ d'Or Expands as Wedding and Event Venue (2019): https://dallas.culturemap.com/news/real-estate/06-21-19-champ-dor-estate-olana-wedding-venue-hickory-hills/ Denton Record-Chronicle – Champ d'Or Land Deal Aimed at Funding Resort (2022): https://dentonrc.com/news/hickory_creek/champ-d-or-land-deal-in-hickory-creek-aimed-at-funding-resort/article_f65e469c-5040-542b-9cfc-371003f55d31.html PaperCity – Lavish Texas Mansion Turned Wedding Venue: https://www.papercitymag.com/fashion/weddings/french-chateau-mansion-olana-dallas-transformed-wedding-venue/ Encyclopedia.com – CellStar Corporation: https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/cellstar-corporation Champ d'Or Estate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_d'Or_Estate #Texas #Mansion #TexasHistory