The Most Expensive Homes In Finance

The kings of Wall Street really do live like kings.
From 57-acre Hampton estates to Georgian mansions in the middle of Manhattan, bankers and hedge funders have locked down some of the most valuable real estate in America.

And don't think the recession is slowing them down.

Purchases in the past year include investor Eddie Lampert's $40 million Florida mansion; hedge funder John Paulson's $49 million Aspen home; Oak Hill Capital founder Robert Bass's $42 million Fifth Ave apartment; and Oaktree Capital Management's Howard Marks' $52.5 million adjoining duplexes on Park Ave.

Cliff Asness's Greenwich mega-mansion - $10 million

Hedge funder Cliff Asness purchased a 7,795-square-foot home in Greenwich, CT, in 2003 for $9.6 million, which has 8.5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. But that wasn't large enough, so Asness is expanding his property.

Jamie Dimon's Westchester retreat - $17 million

Jamie Dimon's 34-acre country estate in Westchester's elite hamlet of Bedford, New York, is the ideal country retreat. Nestled in a wooded area, his 1930s mansion has 10 bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, and three half bathrooms.

Steve Cohen's sprawling Greenwich estate - $17.85

Steve Cohen and his wife paid $14.8 million for a 35,000-square-foot mansion on 14 acres in Greenwich back in 1998. In 2008 he proposed adding 1,145-square-feet to his house turning it into a massive estate.

The home has a basketball court, an indoor pool, formal gardens, a tennis court, and a two-hole golf course.

Paul Tudor Jones' waterfront Greenwich property - $18.4

Paul Tudor Jones was one of the first hedge fund billionaires to buy a home in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Back in 1994, he and his wife paid just under $11 million for a Tudor home on Greenwich's Belle Haven peninsul a overlooking Long Island Sound. They tore down the house in 1998 and built a new mansion which seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. The house reportedly has a 25-car garage, tennis court, and more.

Daniel H. Stern's Fifth Avenue penthouse - $20 million

Daniel H. Stern and his wife purchased a 13-room duplex at 990 Fifth Avenue in August 2011 for $15 million. The home, which has five-bedrooms, 6.5-bathrooms, and sprawling views of Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, previously belonged to Philanthropist Samuel P. Peabody.

George Soros' Westchester retreat - $22 million

Billionaire hedge funder, philanthropist, and investor George Soros and his wife own this massive Westchester estate, in Katonah, NY.

They added an adjacent 63 acres and a 19-room mansion to their existing property in 2003. They reportedly paid around $21.5 million for the neighboring property they bought from "Jurrasic Park" author Michael Crichton.

Boaz Weinstein's old school Upper East Side penthouse - $25.5 million

Boaz Weinstein purchased one of three Upper East Side apartments owned by the late reclusive copper heiress Huguette Clark in May 2012. He and his wife purchased the top floor (the 12th) apartment at 907 Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park for $25.5 million--$1.5 million over the asking price. Weinstein's apartment is massive, with 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and separate quarters for the staff.

Vikram Pandit's full-floor apartment over Central Park - $30 million

In 2007, Vikram Pandit purchased a 10-room Manhattan apartment that belonged to the late actor Tony Randall for $17.9 million. Similar units in this coveted building have been going for $20 to $30 million, according to StreetEasy. And Elizabeth Sample, a broker with Southeby's in Manhattan, estimated the value of Pandit's giant apartment to be about $30 to $35 million.

Stephen Freidham's giant Fifth Avenue penthouse - $36 million

Stephen Freidheim purchased a beautiful 6,500-square-foot Fifth Avenue penthouse for $26 million last year, according to Curbed. The penthouse at 1020 Fifth Avenue occupies the 13th and 14th floors. Elizabeth Sample, a real estate broker from Southeby's in Manhattan who specializes in high-end properties, estimated the value of Frediham's penthouse apartment to be about $35 to $37.5 million.

Carl Icahn's Lily Pond Lane Hamptons estate - $40 million

Billionaire Carl Icahn's East Hampton property on elite Lily Pond Lane is a seven-acre estate, with two tennis courts and three houses. According to Trulia, nearby homes have been going for around $20 million, but Icahn's neighbor Bernard Goldberg just listed his similar waterfront home for $40 million, meaning that the value of Icahn's home could be in a similar range.

Gene "Tiger" Sykes' La Belle Vie, a giant mansion in Bel Air - $40 million

Gene "Tiger" Sykes of Goldman Sachs paid $40 million for La Belle Vie, a 35,000 square-foot mansion in Bel Air, California, in June 2011. Sykes, who has been called the most influential M&A banker working today, apparently paid for the place in cash. The 35,000 square foot mansion was built for Iris Cantor, a philanthropist, by her late husband Bernard Gerald Cantor (who founded Cantor Fitzgerald). Sykes' opulent home has a media room, three kitchens, a staff wing, a billiards room, tennis court, beauty salon, a wine cellar, a gym, a pool, eight bedrooms, and 21 bathrooms.

Eddie Lampert's exclusive Florida home - $40 million

In March 2012, Eddie Lampert bought a $40 million mansion on Florida's ultra exclusive Indian Creek Island. Located in Florida's Biscayne Bay, the seven-bedroom Italian-style mansion measures 17,000-square-food and sits on 2.7 acres.

Bruce Kovner's beautiful Georgian mansion in Manhattan - $41 million

Caxton Associates founder Bruce Kovner bought this beautiful Georgian mansion at 1130 Fifth Avenue for $17.5 million in 1999 and spent an additional $10 million on renovations, which created 12 bathrooms, a soundproof media room, a two-story master bedroom, a book vault, and more.

Robert Bass's classic Fifth Avenue apartment - $42 million

In February 2012, Robert Bass paid $42 million for the 12th floor apartment in the luxury building at 834 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The home previously belonged to Damien Mezzacappa.

Hala Ranch, John Paulson's palatial Aspen home - $49 million

John Paulson, the hedge-fund manager who scored billions betting against subprime mortgages in 2008, purchased a palatial home in Aspen for $49 million in June 2012 called Hala Ranch. Located on 95 acres in Aspen, the 56,000 square foot Hala Ranch is larger than the White House. It has 15 bedrooms and 27 bathrooms.

Howard Marks' adjoining duplexes on Park Ave - $52.5 million

Howard Marks, legendary investor and Oaktree Capital co-founder, bought two adjoining duplexes at storied 740 Park Avenue in May 2012 for $52.5 million, setting a record for the most expensive co-op ever sold in New York at that time. The duplexes total more than 30 rooms on the 12th and 13th floors of the building. All told, they have eight bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a private elevator, elliptical staircases, views of Central Park, two libraries, and seven fireplaces.

Phil Falcone's extravagant former porn mansion - $68 million

Hedge funder Falcone bought this incredible mansion for $49 million in 2008 from Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione, who had installed ridiculous features like marble columns with his face carved in them. Falcone and his wife are currently renovating the mansion, spending at least another $10 million to create a 25,726-square-foot palace complete with a 34-foot-long indoor swimming pool; a spa with a gym, sauna, steam room and small plunge pool; a dry-cleaning "press room" in the basement; a state-of-the-art security room; a personal movie theater; two sets of elevators; heated sidewalks to melt away ice and snow; and much more.

Ron Perelman's 57-acre historic East Hampton estate - $70 million

Billionaire Ron Perelman owns several properties around the world, but one of his most valuable properties may be his East Hampton estate dubbed "The Creeks," located on 57 acres on Georgica Pond. Perelman purchased the estate in 1990 for $12.5 million.

Henry Kravis's 26-room Manhattan penthouse - $90 million

Henry Kravis, the 88th richest man in America, owns a massive 26-room penthouse apartment on Manhattan's elite Park Avenue. The apartment has a gallery, library, ballroom, dining room, a recreation room that is 68 feet long, and wood-burning fireplaces in nearly every room.

Steve Schwarzman's luxurious Park Avenue duplex - $95 million

Steve Schwarzman lives in what's considered to be the best triplex in the legendary Manhattan building, 740 Park Avenue. Built in 1929 by the grandfather of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis--who lived there as a child--740 Park has just 31 residences that have, over time, commanded some of the highest real estate prices in New York history. Once owned by John D. Rockefeller, Schwarzman bought his apartment for around $30 million in 2000. Blackstone's CEO has 11 fireplaces, 37 rooms, 43 closets, a gym, sauna, steam room, billiards room, screening room, and servants' quarters. He bought the place in 2000, so it's worth much more now.

Daniel Loeb's 15 CPW penthouse - $100 million

Third Point LLC founder and billionaire Daniel Loeb bought one of the very best apartments at 15 Central Park West--one of Manhattan's most elite addresses--in 2008 for $45 million.

His 10,700 square foot penthouse features 360-degree views, servant's quarters, an expansive deck, and a library.

David Tepper's massive oceanfront Sagaponack estate - $60 million

David Tepper bought a $43.5 million oceanfront mansion in Sagaponack in 2011--and promptly tore it down so he could build one twice the size. Construction has been ongoing for the past several months, but the property is looking like it will be behemoth. Tepper's prime Hamptons property covers 6.5 acres and features 500 feet of ocean frontage.

Lloyd Blankfein's duplex at 15 Central Park West - $65 million

Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein paid $26 million for his duplex at the elite Manhattan building 15 Central Park West--in cash--back in 2010. The ultra-luxury condominium on the corner of West 61st St. and Central Park West has been home to to a laundry list of New York's most powerful bankers, celebrities, and assorted bold-faced names, from Sting to Denzel Washington and Former Citigroup CEO Sandy Weill to Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev. Elizabeth Sample, a broker with Southeby's who specializes in high-end properties in Manhattan, said that Blankfein's duplex apartment would be worth about $65 to $70 million.

Martin Zweig's triplex penthouse in Manhattan's The Pierre - $150 million

Investor, advisor, and financial analyst Martin Zweig has one of the most expensive residences in the U.S.: a triplex penthouse at the Pierre in Manhattan. The apartment has 16 rooms, 4 terraces and a 2,800-square-foot grand salon, the former ballroom of the Pierre Roof.

Ira Rennert's 110,000-square-foot Hamptons estate: the largest private residence in the US - $200 million

In the late 1990s, Ira Rennert built Fair Field, a 110,000-square-foot estate in Sagaponack that's believed to be the largest inhabited home in America. The house overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and sits on 63 acres of landscaped grounds. The 66,000-square-foot Italianate-style main house has 29 bedrooms, 39 bathrooms, a dozen chimneys, a 91-foot long formal dining room, a basketball court, a bowling alley, two tennis courts, two squash courts, and a $150,000 hot tub.

Source: Bloomberg

Jr Trader Alexander Kumanov

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