The former home of billionaire Darwin Deason is listed for $17.5 million. The home is one of the most expensive listings in Texas for the month of May.
Matthew Yarnell / Compass
A four-story penthouse just outside of Highland Park is on the market following the death of a wealthy Dallas businessman.
The penthouse used to be home to Darwin Deason, the billionaire founder of Dallas-based Affiliated Computer Services. Deason built up the residence over the course of his time living in the building, said Jeffrey Lester of Compass, the penthouse’s listing agent.
The penthouse at 8181 Douglas Ave. has five bedrooms, six full bathrooms, seven half baths and upwards of 14,000 square feet.
Matthew Yarnell / Compass
The penthouse at 8181 Douglas Ave. has five bedrooms, six full bathrooms, seven half baths and upwards of 14,000 square feet.
Matthew Yarnell / Compass
The penthouse at 8181 Douglas Ave. has five bedrooms, six full bathrooms, seven half baths and upwards of 14,000 square feet.
Matthew Yarnell / Compass
“His vision for it when he first started building it was he loved his yacht, and being on his yacht,” Lester said. “He wanted that European look, but if you look at it closely too, all that wood, it kind of feels like a yacht, besides feeling like maybe a boutique hotel in Paris or somewhere like that.”
Article continues below this ad
The penthouse on the top floors of 8181 Douglas Condominiums is over the top and there’s no apologies for its design, Lester said. The residence was listed for $17.5 million on May 2, according to Zillow. The penthouse was the second most expensive listing for May.
The penthouse could appeal to someone who is used to living in high rises and would prefer living in Preston Hollow as opposed to a mansion or Uptown, Lester said.
A penthouse listed for $17.5 million was built by Xerox investor Darwin Deason and was inspired by his yacht.
Matthew Yarnell / Compass
The building near the Dallas North Tollway was acquired by Deason when it was a commercial space, Lester said. Deason transformed the property into a condominium space and reserved the top floors for his personal home.
The penthouse has five bedrooms, six full bathrooms, seven half bathrooms and more than 14,000 square feet. The top three floors include several living spaces, kitchens, an exercise room, elevators, a terrace, wine rooms and bars.
Article continues below this ad
The bottom floor of the penthouse — and ninth floor of the building — was added to the penthouse as Deason’s private residence within the full space.
Deason had owned the penthouse since 2006, according to the Dallas Central Appraisal District. The penthouse is valued at $7.13 million for tax purposes, according to the appraisal district.
The building at 8181 Douglas Ave., near the Dallas North Tollway, was acquired by Deason when it was a commerical space. He transformed the building into condominiums.
Matthew Yarnell / Compass
Deason was born in Rogers, Ark., in 1940. He first came to Dallas after getting a job at a company that later became MTech. Deason became CEO of the company when he was 29 years old.
After the business was purchased by another company, Deason founded Affiliated Computer Services, which provided IT and service outsourcing solutions, in 1988. The company grew to be a Fortune 500 company with about $6 billion in annual revenue.
Article continues below this ad
The printing company Xerox acquired ACS in 2010 for $6.4 billion, following the settlement of a shareholder lawsuit protesting the price of Deason’s voting shares, according to previous reporting from The Dallas Morning News. Following the sale, Deason became the largest individual shareholder of Xerox.
Darwin Deason, the billionaire founder of Dallas-based Affiliated Computer Services, was known for his “hustle” mantra. He died on Dec. 2 at 85 years old.
Courtesy of Doug Deason
Deason was also a philanthropist — gifting millions to Southern Methodist University — and a political donor to several conservative causes.
He died in December 2025 at the age of 85.
Following Deason’s death, some of his properties have been listed for sale, including the Dallas penthouse.
Article continues below this ad
Deason also owned a sprawling cliffside palace in La Jolla, Calif., that was last listed for $92.5 million before the listing was removed in May, according to Zillow. The mansion, called The Sand Castle, is a beachfront property that overlooks La Jolla Bay. The estate stretches over 35,750 square feet.
The mansion, called “The Sand Castle,” is a beachfront property that overlooks La Jolla Bay.
Compass The Luxury Division / The Dickinson & Clark Team
The penthouse at 8181 Douglas Ave. was one of the most expensive home listings in Texas in May, according to the Houston Association of Realtors, which tracks home home listings across the state.
The most expensive home listing in May was a mansion listed for $22 million that was designed by the architect I.M. Pei, who is famous for designing landmarks like Dallas City Hall.
Article continues below this ad
The four story penthouse at 8181 Douglas Ave. overlooks Highland Park.
Matthew Yarnell / Compass
The top 10 list from the Houston Association of Realtors — which covers April 30 to May 27 — also includes seven other homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area:
4259 Bordeaux Ave. in Highland Park for about $15 million.
4436 Belclaire Ave. in Highland Park for about $13 million.
4225 Beverly Drive in Highland Park for about $12.8 million.
4343 Rheims Place in Highland Park for $12.5 million.
700 El Paseo St. in Denton for $11 million.
5214 Royal Lane in Dallas for about $11 million.
5110 Park Lane in Dallas for about $10 million.