Former DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg Sells Beautiful Chalet Outside of Salt Lake City

Step into the private imagination land of the man behind Aladdin, The Lion King, Shrek, and Madagascar

Georgie Mihaila
4 Min Read
The Western-style property spans more than 1,300 square metres. It presides over a vast open plan living room with a fireplace, and superb panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Image Source: Engel & Völkers Park City

About 30 miles outside of Salt Lake City, nestled in a scenic Utah mountainside-turned-ski destination by the name of “Deer Valley”, there’s this beautiful, sprawling estate that was up until recently owned by former DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Katzenberg, once chairman of Walt Disney Studios (from 1984 to 1994), then co-founder and CEO of DreamWorks Animation, brought us movies like The Little MermaidBeauty and the Beast, AladdinThe Lion King as well as Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon — to name just a few of the biggest projects that marked his nearly four-decade career.

And in case you were wondering where the man got his inspiration, I think we may have just stumbled upon the answer.

Presenting his 7-bedroom, 10-bath chalet in Utah, a dream property that Katzenberg recently said goodbye to:

Jeffrey Katzenberg Villa_Park City (c)Engel & Völkers (2)
“DreamWorks” Co-Founder and CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg has sold his Utah chalet through Engel & Völkers Park City. Image Source: Engel & Völkers Park City

The “Family Trap”

Of course a property like this comes with the most adorable nickname. Apparently, since the chalet was never easy to leave and members of his family would always want to extend their trips here, Katzenberg nicknamed it the “Family Trap”.

And there were quite a few high-profile guests that have been “trapped” here over the years. Jeffrey Katzenberg had welcomed names like Bill Clinton, Cameron Diaz, Tom Cruise and Michael Jackson to his Utah estate.

Spanning approximately 410,000-square-feet on two separate lots, the estate is anchored by a 14,100-square-foot chalet with 7 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. 

Large windows frame the surrounding mountains to a spectacular effect, while the textiles and carpets incorporated into the interior furnishings reflect the typical webbed patterns of Utah’s indigenous people.

Jeffrey Katzenberg Villa_Park City (c)Engel & Völkers (4)
Image Source: Engel & Völkers Park City
Jeffrey Katzenberg Villa_Park City (c)Engel & Völkers (9)
Image Source: Engel & Völkers Park City

“This home is one of a kind. Built by a dream team of world-class architects and designers, it blends in perfectly with its surroundings and has an authentic ski home charm” said Paul Benson, Managing Partner of Engel & Völkers Park City, which mediated the sale.

Jeffrey Katzenberg Villa_Park City (c)Engel & Völkers (8)
Image Source: Engel & Völkers Park City
Jeffrey Katzenberg Villa_Park City (c)Engel & Völkers (7)
Image Source: Engel & Völkers Park City
Jeffrey Katzenberg Villa_Park City (c)Engel & Völkers (10)
Image Source: Engel & Völkers Park City
Jeffrey Katzenberg Villa_Park City (c)Engel & Völkers (6.1)
Image Source: Engel & Völkers Park City
Jeffrey Katzenberg Villa_Park City (c)Engel & Völkers (6)
Image Source: Engel & Völkers Park City

While the price of the sale was not yet disclosed, we know that it amounts to an 8-figure sum that set new records for local real estate. 

“With this closure we managed to secure the highest sale price in Utah in 2018,” said Paul Benson, Managing Partner of Engel & Völkers Park City. The Los Angeles Times placed the transaction at $11.6 million, but that has yet to be confirmed.

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With a decade-long career as a digital content creator, Georgie started out as a real estate journalist for Multi-Housing News & CPExecutive. She later transitioned into digital marketing, working with leading real estate websites like PropertyShark, RENTCafé and Point2Homes. After a brief but impactful stint in the start-up world, where she led the marketing divisions of fintech company NestReady and media publisher Goalcast, Georgie returned to her first passion, real estate, and founded FancyPantsHomes.com