Villa Hier, meaning 'Yesterday' in French, forms an intriguing conceptual pair with Villa Aujourd'hui ('Today'), both designed by American architect Barry Dierks on Cap d'Antibes. Located at 374 Avenue Mrs L-D Beaumont, the property was remodeled in 1951 by Dierks for the British arms manufacturer Anthony Edgar Somers. Dierks created new staircases, an entrance portico, a patio, a swimming pool, and a pavilion, while also modifying the garage and gardener's house.
The villa gained cultural recognition when it was used as a filming location for the 1988 comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin. Its elegant facade and Mediterranean gardens provided the perfect backdrop for the film's portrayal of Riviera high society. The property is listed on the Inventaire general du patrimoine culturel, France's national heritage inventory.
In 2008, Villa Hier was sold to Swiru Holding AG, a Swiss company, for an official price of 35 million euros. French investigators subsequently discovered hidden payments indicating the actual purchase price had been 127 million euros, with taxes evaded on the difference. The villa's ownership was linked to Russian billionaire Suleyman Kerimov, who was charged by French authorities in 2017 in relation to the use of figureheads for Riviera property acquisitions. The villa was briefly seized by tax authorities before the case was overturned in 2019.