He used his fortune to further develop his media empire of newspapers, magazines and radio stations, the profits from which supported a lifetime of building and collecting. In 1919, William Randolph inherited some $11,000,000 (equivalent to $186,000,000 in 2022) and estates including the land at San Simeon. George Hearst, William Randolph Hearst's father, had purchased the original 40,000-acre (162 km 2) estate in 1865 and Camp Hill, the site for the future Hearst Castle, was used for family camping vacations during Hearst's youth. Today, Hearst Castle is a museum open to the public as a California State Park and registered as a National Historic Landmark and California Historical Landmark.

Conceived by William Randolph Hearst, the publishing tycoon, and his architect Julia Morgan, the castle was built between 19.

Hearst Castle, known formally as La Cuesta Encantada ( Spanish for 'The Enchanted Hill'), is a historic estate in San Simeon, located on the Central Coast of California. Spanish Colonial Revival, Mediterranean Revival, other late 19th and 20th century revival styles