After hearing one song from a relatively unknown artist, Amir “Cash” Esmailian packed everything in his Miami apartment that would fit into a single suitcase and set out for Toronto. His goal? To get closer to the performer he thought “would change the sound … the world of music,” he related to Complex magazine in a 2017 article . Today, some 10 years later, the Iranian-Canadian music producer serves as comanager of Abel Tesfaye — the Canadian music superstar now known internationally as The Weeknd — under the Canadian XO Records label he operates with Wassim “Sal” Slaiby.
Since then, Esmailian (also known as “Cash XO”) has been instrumental in the 2016 release of “Starboy,” The Weeknd’s third studio album that debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, received triple platinum certification and garnered a “Best Urban Contemporary Album” award at the 2018 Grammys. He also manages other big-name artists — Diddy, Doja Cat, French Montana, Belly, Bebe Rexha, Ty Dolla Sign and the Swedish House Mafia supergroup among them.
With all that rapid success under his musical belt, it’s no surprise that Esmailian enjoys living large. Back in 2016, he doled nearly $6 million for a newly built mansion in the Amestoy Estates neighborhood of Encino. He subsequently embarked on a full-scale bespoke tailoring of the 11,000-square-foot house to suit his needs. Five years later, the five-bedroom, nine-bath estate has returned to the market with a whopping $12.5 million price. Angel Salvador of The Beverly Hills Estates serves as the listing agent.
Sprawled across three-quarters of an acre, the whitewashed structure greets with gates and a long driveway spilling into a circular motorcourt, where there’s a massive Buddha statue on display. Fronted by a carport tucked away to the side for extra parking and dual two-car garages, the home’s double front door leads into a soaring foyer adorned with matching bridal staircases and a couple of 2-foot-tall green pandas tied to The Weeknd’s “Kiss Land” album.
