Wilbur Ross’s lavish Billionaires’ Row penthouse sells at a loss for $15.95M

UPDATE 10/16/17: Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross took a loss on his Billionaires’ Row penthouse, The Real Deal reports. After two years of trying to sell his over 5,500-square-foot apartment, the condo finally sold for $15.95 million. That’s a little over $2 million less than the $18 million Ross purchased it for in 2007.

The penthouse reportedly sold to an LLC connected with Sue Ann Arnall, the ex-wife of oil tycoon Harold Hamm. It was last on the market for $16.5 million.

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Now that billionaire investor Wilbur Ross is part of the Trump administration—he was confirmed as the secretary of commerce earlier this week—he seems to be even more desperate to unload his penthouse at the Briarcliffe, a tony condo building smack in the middle of Billionaires’ Row.

Ross’s duplex penthouse, which he shares with wife Hilary Geary Ross, was first listed back in 2015 with a $21 million price tag. (They bought it from another billionaire, Andrew Farkas, in 2007.) But it hasn’t budged since then, despite getting a price chop to $18.5 million at the end of last year.

Now, the Rosses have switched brokerages—from Sotheby’s to Corcoran—and are trying again at an even lower price. The penthouse is now asking $16.5 million.

Despite its location amid the glitzy towers of West 57th Street (it’s just a few doors down from One57), the Ross home is more old-school—the listing calls it “European-style,” which is evident in the decor found throughout the four-bedroom apartment. There are hand-carved moldings, five wood-burning fireplaces, a huge living room with a barrel-vaulted ceiling, and a formal dining room that “comfortably seats 30 guests,” according to the brokerbabble.

There’s also a ton of outdoor space—1,847 square feet of it, including a planted terrace—along with all of the other fancy amenities you’d expect. A gallery near the entrance (accessed via private elevator, duh) seems to have been the prime spot for Ross’s famed art collection, including pieces by René Magritte, who is apparently the billionaire’s favorite artist. (Who knew?)

• Listing: 171 West 57th Street #PH [Corcoran]