Andre the Giant’s ranch in Ellerbe, North Carolina is privately owned. The property has passed through several private hands since the wrestler’s death in 1993, and it is not owned by World Wrestling Entertainment or any corporate entity tied to the wrestling industry.1North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Andre the Giant to be Featured on N.C. Highway Historical Marker The current residents keep the land as a quiet homestead, and the identities on the deed are not published anywhere this article can confirm.
How Ownership Moved After Andre’s Death
Andre Roussimoff died on January 28, 1993, while in France for his father’s funeral.2North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Andre the Giant (K-69) He had placed his estate into a trust before he died rather than leaving it to pass through a standard will. His sole beneficiary was his daughter, Robin Christensen-Roussimoff. Concerned that Robin’s mother might take control of the money, Andre structured the trust so Robin could not access it until she turned 30, which happened in 2009. Trustees managed the estate’s assets on her behalf in the meantime.
At some point after Andre’s death, the ranch was purchased by James and Bonnie Sugg, who restored and improved the property. The Suggs later put the estate up for auction through the Swicegood Group, a North Carolina auction and real estate firm. Bidding came down to a Florida-based author and a Rockingham-area resident, but neither bid met the owners’ undisclosed reserve price. The property was assessed at approximately $358,000 at the time of the auction. The Swicegood Group eventually brokered a closing through post-sale negotiations.
One detail trips up almost everyone researching the ranch. Andre assembled roughly 194 acres along Big Mountain Creek during his lifetime, starting with a nine-acre purchase on August 22, 1978 and adding adjacent parcels through the following decade.1North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Andre the Giant to be Featured on N.C. Highway Historical Marker The parcel sold through the Swicegood auction covered roughly 46 acres. The original spread was likely subdivided at some point, with different parcels going to different buyers, which is why the two acreage figures circulate side by side.
Why the Current Owner Isn’t a Public Name
Specific ownership details are recorded at the Richmond County Register of Deeds. That office is where any confirmed answer about the present owner lives. The individuals who hold the deed today are not something this article can independently verify beyond what appears in those public records, and every owner since the Roussimoff family has kept the property private.
If you have a serious reason to identify the current owner, the Register of Deeds is the correct path. Casual curiosity does not give anyone a right to show up at the gate. The ranch is a personal residence, not a commercial property, not a museum, and not a landmark open to visitors.
Don’t Visit the Ranch Itself
North Carolina’s trespass laws allow property owners to restrict access to their land, and entering without permission is a criminal matter under state law.3North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 14-159.13 – Second Degree Trespass Fans occasionally drive out to Ellerbe hoping to see the house or the land where Andre scattered his final years. The people who live there now bought a home, not a tourist stop, and they are entitled to the same privacy as any other homeowner in Richmond County.
Where Fans Can Actually Go
On April 23, 2026, the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources dedicated a Highway Historical Marker honoring Andre the Giant at the intersection of NC 73 and Old NC 220 in Ellerbe.1North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Andre the Giant to be Featured on N.C. Highway Historical Marker The marker recognizes Andre’s years in Richmond County and sits on a public state highway, so no one has to cross a fence line to see it. For anyone making the trip, that marker is the sanctioned place to stop. The ranch itself belongs to whoever holds the deed, and the deed is the only document that answers the ownership question for certain.