Los Angeles: The crypt above the grave of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe sold for $4.6 million on Monday, a week after its owner offered it up for sale on the internet auction site eBay.
The sex idol was buried at the Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles after she died in 1962 at age 36 of a probable overdose of barbiturates.
The crypt was owned by Monroe's ex-husband Joe Di Maggio who later sold it to entrepreneur Richard Poncher, who was buried in the tomb 23 years ago at the age of 81. His widow Elise Poncher put the tomb up for sale so she could pay off the $1.6-million mortgage on her Beverley Hills house.
eBay did not release the identity of the winning bidder. But since no deposits were required to place bids the seller could find it difficult to collect the $4,602,100 of the winning bid.
The sale of the crypt had attracted worldwide attention after Poncher placed it on the online marketplace with a starting bid of $500,000.
"Here is a once in a lifetime and into eternity opportunity to spend your eternal days directly above Marilyn Monroe," Poncher's eBay ad stated. "In fact the person occupying the address right now is looking face down on her."
The winning bidder will also have the honour of being buried next to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, who bought an adjacent tomb.
Other neighbours in the cemetery include actresses Natalie Wood and Donna Reed, musicians Buddy Rich and Frank Zappa, filmmakers Billy Wilder and Darryl F Zanuck, and writers Sidney Sheldon and Truman Capote.
Comments
0 comment