Qatar PM is $47M buyer of Rosen’s UES mansion

After being shut out of pricey co-ops across the city, the prime minister of Qatar has finally found someone willing to let him into a New York City home: RFR Realty President Aby Rosen. The New York Post reported that Rosen’s townhouse at 22 East 71st Street, previously reported to be in contract for $47 million, was sold to Sheik Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani.

The deal for the 22,000-square-foot, five-floor townhouse, listed for $75 million in 2008, was conducted in “huge secrecy without a broker,” a source told the Post. The townhouse is one of the largest in Manhattan, according to Sotheby’s International Realty brokers Meredyth Smith and Serena Boardman (Rosen’s sister-in-law), who listed the property and eventually chopped the asking price to $50 million before taking it off the market in May. The Post said Rosen once turned down a $60 million-plus offer for the building.

Sheikh Hamad had reportedly tried to purchase Denise Rich’s 765 Fifth Avenue co-op, which eventually sold for $54 million to David Geffen, but was rejected by the board because of his two wives and large entourage. Similar reasons compelled the co-op board at 907 Fifth Avenue to reject his $31 million bid for two apartments owned by Huguette Clark that were later picked up by private equity head Frederick Iseman. [Post] — Adam Fusfeld