Roughly three months after rumors — or should we say rumours? — circulated about former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plans to apply for the same job in London, he has bought a sprawling estate along the River Thames for nearly $26.5 million, or £17 million.
The seven-bedroom home is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of London and used to be owned by a English author George Eliot, according to the Daily Mail. The historic mansion is located on the exclusive Cheyne Walk.
The mansion was built in 1715 and includes a massive, statuesque staircase. A Baroque mural — painted by Sir James Thornhil, who also decorated the dome at St. Paul’s Cathedral — adorns the ceiling, according to the website.
Bloomberg, 73, outbid three other potential buyers of the mansion, paying an extra £1 million — or $1.6 million — than the asking price. Bloomberg already owns a $31.1 million home in Knightsbridge, also in London.
The former mayor is the richest person in New York state, according to a MarketWatch list late last year. He has a net worth of $33.7 billion. [Daily Mail] — Claire Moses