The world’s richest man Carlos Slim has splashed out a remarkable $44 million on a house in New York.
The Mexican tycoon, who leapfrogged Microsoft’s Bill Gates to top the rich list, bought ‘Duke Semans’ in Manhattan from fertilizer magnate Tamir Sapir.
Built in 1901 for the famous Duke family, the mansion spans 19,500 square feet over eight levels and boasts 12 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms and 11 marble fireplaces.
Once Mr Slim passes the gothic-inspired entrance to his new house, he will be presented with a stunning marble floored foyer.
There’s a doctors office on the basement level while levels six and seven can be accessed by a private elevator. But there’s NO GARDEN.
Located opposite the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Duke Semans was described by an early critic as he ‘the most important example of Beaux-Arts residential architecture in the city’ before being officially landmarked in 1974.
Mr Sapir bought he house in 2006 for $40 million from the Duke dynasty which owned the house for more than a century. Rock star Lenny Kravitz had also registered interest in the property but couldn’t work a deal out, leaving Sapir to purchase the property.
It’s thought to be the only remaining private mansion on Fifth Avenue, a millionaires’ paradise named by Forbes as the world’s most expensive street.
In the past Calvin Klein, Madonna and Michael Douglas have all had offers for house on Fifth Av rejected.
Mr Slim is worth a reported $53.5 billion having made his money from the Mexican communications industry with the 70-year-old recently expanding his business portfolio by investing in the New York Times.
The $44 million sale represents good business for Slim with Duke Semans put on the market in January for $50 million.
