Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, formerly the world’s richest man, is asking $80 million for the Upper East Side mansion he bought for $44 million five years ago.
Slim is seeking to double his investment in the property at 1009 Fifth Avenue, at the corner of East 82nd Street, which is known as the Duke-Semans Mansion. Serena Boardman of Sotheby’s International Realty has the listing.
The ambitious asking price would make 1009 Fifth Avenue the priciest townhouse ever sold in New York City, according to the New York Daily News. It would eclipse private equity mogul J. Christopher Flowers’ $53 million purchase of the Harkness Mansion, at 4 East 75th Street, in 2006.
Slim acquired the property from Russian oil billionaire Tamir Sapir in 2010. The 20,000-square-foot, limestone and red brick townhouse directly faces the Metropolitan Museum of Art. [NYDN] – Rey Mashayekhi
Correction: A previous version of the story incorrectly identified the address. It Is 1009 Fifth Avenue.