A gadget-obsessed Russian dating app entrepreneur who converted the basement of his London mansion into a Batman-inspired 'Batcave' has listed the property for almost £30 million.
The Batcave Inspired by The Dark Knight
Sergey Frolovichev, who amassed his wealth by driving the growth of dating services Bumble and Badoo, purchased the house on Greenaway Gardens in Hampstead for £13.35 million. He has since invested an estimated £15 million and five years into dismantling and rebuilding the high-tech cellar in the style of the fictional billionaire vigilante, Bruce Wayne, in his quest to create the ultimate 'man cave'.
In DC Comics and the numerous film, TV, and video game adaptations since, Batman constructs the Batcave as an underground lair beneath his mansion, serving as a secret base for his crime-fighting alter ego. Mr Frolovichev drew particular inspiration from the Batcave design featured in his favourite film, 2008's The Dark Knight, where Christian Bale donned the iconic cowl to battle Heath Ledger's Joker.
The mansion even boasts its own superhero-style secret entrance: a set of retracting floorboards in the sizeable games room that reveal a hidden staircase. Awed guests will descend a corridor lined with display cabinets, leading to a workshop or studio space—buyer's choice—that heavily borrows from the film's set design. This space would be perfect for a prospective buyer to tinker with their next crime-fighting gadget or, more likely, struggle with a challenging PowerPoint presentation.
Luxury Features and Amenities
Beyond the Batcave, the property includes a swimming pool that can rise from the floor or be drained and covered to serve as a dancefloor, as well as a car stacker. The main bedroom spans the entire width of the mansion, featuring two private roof terraces large enough for sun loungers, two walk-in dressing rooms, and a pair of ensuites. Five additional ensuite bedrooms are spread across the first and second floors, alongside a staff studio or bedroom on the lower ground floor.
The mansion also offers six reception rooms, a triple-height entrance hall, a study, a kitchen with adjoining pantry, a media room, a health spa, a steam room, and a sauna. A passenger lift provides access to all levels, and a lower ground terrace leads to the games room with a cocktail bar. In total, buyers can expect 14,501 square feet of interior space and 7,921 square feet of external terraces to the rear, accessed via large triple-glazed sliding doors.
A Project to Complete
However, there is one catch: the buyer will need to finish building it themselves. Extensive work has been carried out to bring the neo-Georgian home, originally built in 1934 by architect Charles Henry Bourne Quennell, up to standard. But currently, it is in 'shell and core' condition—fully plumbed, wired, and heated courtesy of an energy-efficient ground source heating system, underfloor heating, and MVHR ventilation. Each system is controlled through nearly four dozen control panels in a subterranean plant room that rivals a mid-sized office block in size and complexity.
Agents Draper London state that the house is future-proofed and even has its own well in the designer back garden. Mr Frolovichev, who has called the UK home for the last two decades, is ending the rebuild to let someone else finish the job he started.
Background of the Owner
Mr Frolovichev moved to the UK in 2005 alongside billionaire Andrey Andreev, his business partner at Bumble's parent company, then called MagicLab. The company was sold to US asset management firm Blackstone for $3 billion in 2019. He has since permanently relocated to Italy with his wife and two children while waiting for the restorations to be completed, and no longer plans to return to the UK.
At £29.95 million, the property is not cheap. Buyers should also anticipate an additional £5-7 million above the asking price and another 12 to 18 months for a full fit-out, including developing the Batcave to their own specifications. Once finished, this billionaire's playhouse is expected to be worth at least £40 million. Draper anticipates that a similarly minded tech entrepreneur will be among the potential interested parties.
Craig Draper, managing director of the estate agent, says any buyer will have full access to the original plans and can call upon SHH, the architects involved in the project, to finish the job—or they can do it all themselves. 'This sale offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create one of the finest new residences in Hampstead,' he said.
