Magic Enthusiast Randy Pitchford Buys Hollywood's Famous Magic Castle

Gearbox executive Randy Pitchford loves magic, so much so that he recently splashed out to purchase the famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, home to the Academy of Magical Arts.

The LA Times reports that the deal should close by the end of the month, though a purchase price was not disclosed. Pitchford, the grandnephew of a master magician known as The Great Cardini, is a member of the academy and learned some of his magic skills at the castle. He also married his wife there.

"Basically everything I know about entertainment started at the Magic Castle," Pitchford told the Times. "I feel like I owe my career to the Magic Castle."

Pitchford is buying the castle in the wake of recent reports about sexual assault, sexual harassment, and race and gender discrimination at the castle.

The castle, located on Franklin Ave. in Hollywood, is an Edwardian manor built in 1908. It was sold to the Glover family in 1961, and Pitchford is buying it from them. The castle is open to visitors, but only for those invited by an academy member.

The castle was making money until the pandemic, which forced it to shut. Plans were apparently in place for the academy to buy it from the Glover family, but it never worked out. Pitchford declined to share the purchase price for the castle until the deal closes by the end of April.

You can watch Pitchford do magic in the video above. He is best known for sleight of hand tricks.

Gearbox's latest game is the Borderlands spinoff Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, which released in March. The company, which is now owned by Embracer Group, also runs a publishing business.