Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who bought up a large portion of a city block to build a megamansion, just sold the properties to his ex-wife.
The parcels — 9-15 East 75th Street and 225 East 73rd Street — sold for $91.4 million, according to New York City Department of Finance records. The buyer is Dasha Zhukova, Abramovich’s ex whom he separated from a year ago.
Abramovich paid a total of $96 million for the four sites on East 75th Street, with plans to build a mega-residence. His earlier efforts hit a snag with the city’s Department of Buildings and the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The LPC later approved the plan to combine 11, 13 and 15 East 75th Street for a five-story, 18,000-square-foot home. Construction is reportedly underway.
Abramovich — who owns English soccer team Chelsea F.C. and a stake in steel giant Evraz — has a reported net worth of $11.3 billion. Earlier this year, his investor visa troubles stalled Chelsea’s plans for a bigger stadium. The club blamed it on the U.K.’s “current unfavorable investment climate.”