Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch has been restored back into a ‘children’s paradise’ after it sat rotting following the pop star’s death.
Clinton friend Burkle was a financial adviser to Michael Jackson after meeting him at an event for under-privileged children in the mid-2000s.
Billionaire Ron Burkle purchased Michael Jackson’s Neverland for $22 million in December last year – and exclusive DailyMail.com aerial photos show the work he put in to make it a fairytale land once more.
The wealthy businessman has reinstalled carnival rides and repaired the train track, which wraps around the 2,700 acre estate.
Once home to the King of Pop, the ranch in Santa Ynez Valley, California, was inspired by J.M. Barrie’s novel ‘Peter Pan’ and featured an amusement park and zoo.
As can be seen in stunning exclusive images, Burkle has recreated the same theme with a slide, swings, spinning tea cups and pirate ship.
He even revitalized the infamous floral Neverland clock face and train station.
Burkle was a financial adviser to Michael Jackson after meeting him at an event for under-privileged children in the mid-2000s.
He snapped up the property at nearly $80million less than the asking price.
AFTER- BEFORE: Billionaire Ron Burkle purchased Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch for $22 million in December last year. Stunning DailyMail.com aerial photos show that he’s restored it back into a fairytale ‘children’s paradise’. The iconic Neverland clock has been filled in with beautiful shrubbery
AFTER- BEFORE: Burkle has recreated Jackson’s playful theme with a slide, swings, spinning tea cups and pirate ship. Many of the rides were sold off at auction. Burkle said of the purchase, ‘It was kind of a depressing place. It wasn’t the beautiful place that it was before. It just needed flowers and life in it again,’ he said
Michael Jackson is seen holding hands with his former wife Lisa Marie Presley as they walk with children at his Neverland Ranch, welcoming them for a three day World Summit of Children in 1995
In July, Burkle explained the Neverland purchase, stating that he was looking to buy the property next door as a new location for his luxury members only club Soho House, where he is the controlling shareholder, but decided it was too remote. Instead, he bought Neverland
Burkle even revitalized the infamous floral Neverland clock face and train station, planting flowers and hedges. Burkle was a financial adviser to Michael Jackson after meeting him at an event for under-privileged children in the mid-2000s
The wealthy businessman has reinstalled carnival rides, this wooden jungle gym and repaired the train track, which wraps around the 2,700 acre estate
Burkle is said to be worth at least $2billion and is the co-founder of venture capitalists Yucapia Companies, so he wasn’t strapped for cash when it came to renovating the estate completely
The estate had been on the market on and off since 2016. It had fallen into disrepair after police raided the ranch and charged the King of Pop with seven counts of child molestation. However, Burkle has brought it back to life, with slides like the one pictured
The 69-year-old businessman also appeared in the flight log for Jeffrey Epstein’s notorious private jet, the Lolita Express, being named three times on trips with Bill Clinton and actor Kevin Spacey.
A 2008 Vanity Fairy story claimed that ‘Burkle’s usual means of transport is the custom-converted Boeing 757 that Clinton calls ‘Ron Air’ and that Burkle’s own circle of young aides privately refer to as ‘Air F*ck One.’
President Obama also welcomed Burkle at the White House in 2016 when The Pittsburgh Penguins – the hockey team owned by Burkle, won the Stanley cup.
In July, Burkle explained the Neverland purchase, stating that he was looking to buy the property next door as a new location for his luxury members only club Soho House, where he is the controlling shareholder, but decided it was too remote.
Instead, he bought his friend’s ranch, which had been purchased by Colony Capital in 2008, whose chairman Tom Barrack was recently indicted for working as an agent for a foreign power and released on a $250million bond.
Burkle was welcomed to the White House by President Obama to honor the Pittsburgh Penguins 2016 Stanley Cup win. He is seen with Donald Trump in 2017
Burkle bought his friend’s ranch, which had been purchased by Colony Capital in 2008, whose chairman Tom Barrack was recently indicted for working as an agent for a foreign power and released on a $250million bond
Although Michael Jackson was sensationally acquitted, he vowed never to step foot in Neverland again and it was sold in 2008
The train tracks have been repaired and Burkle hopes to eventually get the train line up and running again
To the Wall Street Journal, Burkle explained that he wanted to give the ranch a facelift, repair the train station, which had been damaged by woodpeckers, fix the roads and eventually get the train line up and running again.
‘It was kind of a depressing place. It wasn’t the beautiful place that it was before. It just needed flowers and life in it again,’ he said.
Burkle is said to be worth at least $2billion and is the co-founder of venture capitalists Yucapia Companies, so he wasn’t strapped for cash when it came to renovating the estate completely.
The estate had been on the market on and off since 2016.
It had fallen into disrepair after police raided the ranch and charged the King of Pop with seven counts of child molestation.
Although he was sensationally acquitted, Jackson vowed never to step foot in Neverland again.
Once home to the King of Pop, the ranch in Santa Ynez Valley, California, was inspired by J.M. Barrie’s novel ‘Peter Pan’ and featured an amusement park and zoo
The ranch boasts 21 structures including multiple guesthouses and a 50-seat movie theater. There’s also a swimming pool with a cabana, a basketball court, and a tennis court set among the grounds
A carousel is seen at the mini amusement park where the landscaping has been restored with manicured hedges and trees
Bumper cars and hedges in the shape of the word Neverland are seen the King of Pop’s former estate
Previous photos show that the flower clock and train track were left in ruins, with the funfair completely ripped out, which previously had a Ferris wheel, carousel, bumper cars and amusement arcade, all of which were sold at auction.
According to the real estate listing, the ranch boasts 21 structures including multiple guesthouses and a 50-seat movie theater. There’s also a swimming pool with a cabana, a basketball court, and a tennis court set among the grounds.
Jackson famously gave the property fantasy touches for his young fans to enjoy when they visited but he was accused by multiple alleged victims of abusing them at the ranch.
He died aged 50 of a drug overdose at a different home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles in 2009.