A historic property in the upper east side of Manhattan, New York, was recently bought by a South African for a staggering $57 million (about R1 billion), according to the Daily Mail UK.
Sprawled over 2 800m² in East 68th Street, a block-and-a-half from Central Park, the 8m wide home boasts six bedrooms, staffrooms, a private indoor pool and a sauna.
At $6,200 per square foot, it is the most expensive price ever for an Upper East Side townhouse, according to seller Ryan Serhant.
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 also include Jeffrey Epstein and his disgraced former partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, whose apartment was on East 68th Street.
The new owner will have a number of high-profile neighbors including Woody Allen, Drew Barrymore, Bill Murray and Samuel L Jackson who all stay on the Upper East side.
Read: Sold! A whopping R106 million for this luxurious Clifton property
The house was originally listed for $50m but increased in price due to the furnishings.
According to non-profit organization, the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts, 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.
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.
The sale reportedly took a year to conclude.
“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.
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Photos: Ryan Serhant/Instagram