Durban - A South African buyer recently purchased a historic property in the upper east side of Manhattan, New York, for a staggering $57 million (about R1 billion), according to the Daily Mail UK.
The buyer reportedly viewed the property over FaceTime in an off-market deal.
The 2 800m², 8m wide home, which has six bedrooms, staffrooms, a private indoor pool and a sauna, is in East 68th Street – a block-and-a-half from Central Park.
It is the most expensive property in the upper east side, says seller Ryan Serhant.
“SOLD and CLOSED for $57M today at 36 East 68th, the most expensive price per foot ($6 200) ever achieved for a townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan,” Serhant said on his Instagram.
According to the report, the sale took a year to complete.
The seller, who is not identified, is an entity with ties to Felice Lasalvia di Clemente, an executive at an Italian chain of grocery stores, Bloomberg reported.
The seller paid $16m for the townhouse in 2012.
Previous residents include former Fox boss Roger Ailes, who was accused by several women, including esteemed news reporter Megyn Kelly, of sexually harassing them.
Other previous residents include Jeffrey Epstein and his former recruitment general, Ghilane Maxwell, whose apartment was on East 68th Street.
The house was originally listed for $50m but increased in price due to the furnishings.
According to the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts, a non-profit, the apartment was built in 1879 and redesigned in 1932.
Italian artisans were hired by the sellers to work on the apartment’s interior structure, according to Loy Carlos of Serhant.
IOL