Alphonzo Edward Bell Sr. (September 29, 1875 – December 27, 1947) was an American oil multi-millionaire, real estate developer, philanthropist, and champion tennis player.

[1] Bell was a native and lifelong resident of Los Angeles, whose family had deep financial and historical ties to the area, and played a key role in the history and development of Southern California.

[2] Bell, known for his almost puritanical morality and honesty, used portions of his initial profits to develop upscale real estate communities in West Los Angeles, including parts of Westwood, Beverly Hills, and Pacific Palisades.

He became a visionary real estate developer, anticipating the influx of Hollywood elite and other wealthy residents who would be lured by the burgeoning film industry.

[2]: 28 For themselves and their young extended family, Bell and his wife Minnewa in 1921 built a showplace 42-room house on 1,760 acres (710 ha) in portions of the areas that are now Bel Air and Pacific Palisades which they called Capo Di Monte (Italian for "Top of the Hill").