The penthouse at 220 Central Park South that billionaire Ken Griffin bought last week may not have been the most expensive listing in the world (that honor goes to an empty lot above Beverly Hills), but at $238 million it set a record for the most anyone has ever paid for a home in the United States.
At 953 feet, the 79-story tower stands out along the Central Park South skyline. Griffin's penthouse—a combination of two units—encompasses approximately 24,000 square feet, according to the Wall Street Journal. The $238-million price tag dwarfs the previous record of $137 million, which hedge-fund manager Barry Rosenstein reportedly paid for a home in East Hampton.
Griffin, who founded the investment firm Citadel, is worth $9.9 billion, according to Forbes, and he seems to have a penchant for making a splash in the high-profile world of real estate. Another record he holds is paying the highest price for a condo in Miami: $60 million, for the penthouse at the Faena House, in 2015. He listed it along with another unit in the building for $73 million in 2016.
He also set a record in Chicago. The $58.75 million he paid last November for a four-floor apartment in a condominium building at 9 West Walton Street, known as No. 9 Walton, was the most anyone has paid for a residence in the city, the Chicago Tribune reports.
"He’s proud to live in Chicago, and proud to live in this building," the building's developer, Jim Letchinger, told the Tribune.
That begs the question of where Griffin will actually settle down, considering he owns sprawling apartments in New York, Chicago, and Miami, along with a $122 mansion in London.
Is there any stopping the spending? Perhaps. In Palm Beach last year, he paused construction on a house located on his 12-acre oceanfront parcel, citing higher than expected budget estimates.
Sam Dangremond is a Contributing Digital Editor at Town & Country, where he covers men's style, cocktails, travel, and the social scene.
