Nicolas Berggruen has purchased the former Holmby Hills mansion of socialite Edith Mayer Goetz for $40 million, said listing agent Aaron Kirman of John Aaroe Group.

Berggruen, head of private equity firm Berggruen Holdings Inc. in New York and founder of West L.A. think tank Berggruen Institute, purchased the 20,000-square-foot home, with 11 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms, from Gary Wilson, former chairman of Northwest Airlines and the former chief financial officer of both Walt Disney Co. and Marriot Corp.

The roughly 2.2-acre estate, at 300 Delfern Drive, was once part of an almost 4.5-acre lot that was listed in October for $79 million. The property was later subdivided into two parcels.

The lot with the Georgian revival-style home Berggruen purchased was relisted for $45 million; the adjacent property at 320 Delfern is still available and listed for $37 million. That 2.2-acre property has a two-bedroom, 1,780-square-foot house.

Wilson bought the estate in 1990 from the estate of Goetz, the daughter of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio head Louis B. Mayer and wife of producer William Bill Goetz. She died in 1988.

Kirman, along with Jeff Hyland and Drew Fenton of Hilton & Hyland, were the listing agents. They also are representing 320 Delfern. Agent Linda May of Hilton & Hyland represented Berggruen.

In addition to the Holmby Hills property, Berggruen owns a reported nine units and maid’s quarters in the exclusive Sierra Towers on the Beverly Hills-West Hollywood border.

The news of the home acquisition was first reported by The Real Deal.

– Helen Zhao