Billionaire sports executive Mark Attanasio has reached a substantial settlement with state regulators after facing allegations of illegally excavating a protected coastal ecosystem in Southern California. Under the finalized agreement, the owner of Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers will surrender a multimillion-dollar oceanfront property to public ownership to compensate for unauthorized construction and extraction activities conducted near his private residence.
The resolution concludes a dispute that has been unfolding since 2024, when state officials first confronted the high-profile team owner over environmental infractions. The California Coastal Commission, the regulatory agency tasked with safeguarding the state’s shoreline and preserving public access, initiated enforcement actions after discovering heavy machinery operating without permits on sensitive public tidelands.
At the heart of the regulatory conflict were actions carried out by Attanasio’s corporate entity, 2XMD Partners LLC. The company deployed industrial excavators and other heavy machinery directly onto the shoreline along Lechuza Point, a scenic coastal area situated just north of Point Dume along the western perimeter of Malibu's Broad Beach.
The unauthorized operation was initiated to reinforce Attanasio's private beachfront estate, specifically to address and rehabilitate a failing seawall that protects the luxury property. Rather than sourcing appropriate materials through lawful channels and obtaining the required regulatory authorizations, work crews improperly utilized heavy machinery to quarry natural elements directly from the adjacent public shoreline.
Beyond the extraction of coastal materials, the project involved the erection of unpermitted infrastructure. Regulatory investigators documented that workers had constructed an illegal private beach staircase and placed an unauthorized revetment across a public access zone, which served to facilitate the movement of industrial machinery down onto the sand.
A detailed investigative report released by the California Coastal Commission in September 2026 outlined the extensive nature of the unauthorized beachwork. The findings revealed that heavy excavators were actively used to dig up coastal sand, natural beach cobbles, and large boulders directly from the intertidal zone, piling the extracted materials on the beach before mechanically depositing them behind the residential seawall as structural fill.
State environmental officials emphasized that the disruption took place within a delicate marine protected zone characterized by fragile rocky intertidal habitats. These specialized ecosystems serve as critical coastal environments that sustain an extraordinary level of biodiversity.
According to ecological assessments detailed in the commission's report, the affected rocky portion of Broad Beach provides an essential habitat for more than 1,000 distinct species of algae and invertebrates, alongside various native fish populations and sea stars. The removal of natural boulders and displacement of shoreline sediment inflicted significant damage on this sensitive biological community.
Following nearly two years of negotiations, the settlement imposes comprehensive corrective measures and punitive obligations on the billionaire team owner. Under the binding terms, Attanasio is legally obligated to completely dismantle and remove all unpermitted installations, ensuring that any barriers encroaching upon public access areas are cleared.
In addition to clearing unauthorized structures, Attanasio must execute a thorough habitat restoration plan. This mandate requires his team to carefully restore the missing segment of the boulder field that was excavated from the public tideland, returning the rocky intertidal environment to its natural condition.
The most prominent component of the penalty involves the permanent forfeiture of valuable real estate. To compensate the public for the environmental degradation, Attanasio agreed to surrender an entire beachfront parcel situated in eastern Malibu, transferring full ownership to the public at zero cost.
The surrendered parcel, located at Big Rock Beach east of Point Dume and positioned closer to the Pacific Palisades, carries an estimated market value of $2 million, having previously been listed for sale at that price.
State officials highlighted the strategic importance of acquiring this specific beachfront parcel, pointing out that public access along this designated six-mile corridor of the Malibu coast has historically been severely restricted. The inclusion of a dedicated public parcel is expected to significantly expand coastal recreation opportunities for residents and visitors alike.
The Coastal Commission noted that future infrastructure improvements may be implemented on the surrendered site, including the potential construction of a dedicated public staircase that would provide direct, safe foot access down to the water.
The regulatory body formally voted to ratify the penalties and finalized terms of the agreement. Reflecting on the outcome of the protracted legal matter, California Coastal Commission Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge characterized the comprehensive settlement as a major victory for the state's public lands and coastal preservation efforts.
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