One of Manhattan real estate’s worst-kept secrets is a secret no longer: The Wall Street Journal reports that Ken Griffin, the hedge fund billionaire who’s the richest man in Illinois, has closed on a penthouse at the Robert A.M. Stern-designed 220 Central Park South, a purchase that has long been rumored.
The final sale price: a whopping $238 million, which gives it the dubious distinction of being the most expensive home ever sold in the United States. It’s also close to the top of the list for the priciest home ever sold in the world, though according to the WSJ, a $361 million sale in Hong Kong still bests it.
The sale has not yet hit city records, but a rep for Citadel, the hedge fund that Griffin founded, confirmed the sale to the WSJ. According to the rep, Griffin is seeking “a place to stay when he’s in town” as Citadel expands its New York City presence.
Yes, you read that right—his 24,000-square-foot penthouse is essentially a $238 million pied-à-terre. (Maybe he’ll Airbnb it?)
Rumors about Griffin’s uberpricey penthouse purchase began swirling in 2016, as plans for the building became more concrete. But Steven Roth, the head of Vornado Realty Trust, which is developing the building, has kept most details about the project under wraps; he’s also reportedly vetting every resident of the building personally.
But closings began last fall, shedding some light on who is snapping up apartments in the luxury tower; since then, only a handful of apartments—all in the $12-$30 million range—have officially sold, per city records. Other rumored residents include Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler.
The previous record for the priciest closed sale in the city was held by One57, located a few blocks from 220 Central Park South; Michael Dell, the founder of the eponymous tech company, bought a $100.5 million penthouse there in 2015. While it seems unlikely that another purchase will best Griffin’s $238 million investment anytime soon, there are some that could come close, including the rumored $180 million penthouse atop the Crown Building.
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