A recluse from the wealthy Rothschild dynasty is believed to have died after his Los Angeles home suddenly caught fire.
Firefighters responding to the blaze found a man's body inside a Hollywood Hills home just after 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
Authorities have not yet released the man's name, but several neighbors identified him as William Rothschild, a member of a prominent banking family. ABC7 reported.
Neighbors said Rothschild, who was in his late 70s, lived in a two-bedroom house with an Afghan hound.
According to the paper, they described him as a reclusive and eccentric billionaire who owned several properties on the same street and a large fleet of expensive vintage cars.
“It's very sad,” said Jim Moore, who lives nearby. “He was a good guy. A good neighbor.”
Some neighbors said they had never seen the reclusive Rothschild and thought the property was vacant.
The Rothschild family amassed wealth starting in the late 1700s by establishing banks across Europe.
Their fortune is estimated at about $1 billion.
The 825-square-foot house that burned down is estimated to be worth about $1 million, according to real estate listings.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear, and authorities said the incident was still under investigation.
Forty-five firefighters were called to the scene, and it took about 30 minutes to extinguish the fire.
The Los Angeles County coroner will formally identify the man and determine the cause of death, authorities said.
