Living large has long been part of the program for wheelers and dealers on the North Shore. But few did so on quite the same scale as Albert Lasker. Known as the father of modern advertising — Sunkist, Pepsodent, and Lucky Strike were among the brands he built — the German-born, Texas-bred Lasker had a 480-acre spread in Lake Forest, complete with a golf course rated one of the best in the world in 1939. His domain was subdivided years ago, and several outbuildings, including the coach house, were repurposed as fine residences on their own. Today, the David Adler–designed chateau where Lasker hung his hat is on the market for $4.5 million.

When he wasn’t pushing product, Lasker did his bit for the Republican Party, advising Warren G. Harding and helping defeat muckraker Upton Sinclair’s 1934 bid for governor of California. Lasker’s third wife, Mary, was no slouch either. In 1969 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for supporting cancer research.

The Lasker house, built in 1926 and esteemed by contemporary architect Robert A.M. Stern for its “combination of high style and informality,” is a 52-room affair in the French Renaissance Revival style. In its heyday, the estate kept a staff of 50 busy (a man would come to whisk the dew off the lawn with a bamboo blade). Set on over seven acres at 1352 South Estate Lane, the 25,000-square-foot mansion features 11 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms. Massive spaces abound, including a baronial entry hall and a 26-by-37-foot living room. So do dedicated storage rooms — curious spaces of the past, such as a linen room. Original details include parquet de Versailles flooring, antique paneling, and Delft tile. Mr. Lasker wanted nothing but the best, and Mr. Adler obliged, beautifully.