Roman Abramovich, Russian billionaire and unabashed real estate whale, was set to break the record for the most expensive co-op ever sold, until the seller smashed his dreams and pulled out of the deal. But like any good rich boy, Abramovich didn't let the heartbreak slow him down, and it looks like the foiled sale led him to dream even bigger. The Post reports that Abramovich "secretly" purchased two townhouses on East 75th Street, and is in contract to purchase a third, with plans to combine the three properties into one enormous megamansion.
The houses in question are located at 11, 13, and 15 East 75th Street. Hiding behind an LLC, Abramovich purchased no. 11 for $29.7 million in October, and in December, he used the same LLC to buy no. 15 for $18.3 million. He's reportedly in contract to purchase no. 13, currently owned by Mark and Lori Fife, who paid $7.4 million for the house in 2000. The Post says that none of the sellers knew that the buyer was Abramovich, or else they would have asked for more.
The largest of the three properties is no. 11, measuring 21 feet wide and 9,495 square feet. Both nos. 13 and 15, Queen Anne-style houses that date to 1880, measure 17-feet wide. No. 15 is 7,286 square feet, while no. 13 comes in at 8,116. So Abramovich's mansionwhere he plans to live with his girlfriendcould be nearly 25,000 square feet, making it one of the largest (if not the largest) homes in New York City. According to StreetEasy, the largest home currently on the market is the 17,850-square-foot house at 24 East 81st Street, which is tiny compared to the rest of the country.
· Billionaire Abramovich buying up city block for mega-mansion [NYP]
· All coverage of Roman Abramovich [Curbed]
· Here Now, the 13 Largest Houses On the Market in America [Curbed National]
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