Billionaire Thomas Peterffy, head of the world’s largest electronic brokerage, just bought a $22 million unit at 810 Fifth Avenue.
Peterffy and Lynne Wheat bought an 11th floor co-op in the building, according to records filed with the city’s Department of Finance. The unit was listed for $24 million, and the seller was the estate of art collector Jan Cowles.
Brown Harris Stevens’ John Burger and Siim Hanja and Stribling’s Linda Maloney had the listing.
The 11th floor apartment has four bedrooms and 50 feet of frontage on Central Park. The living room includes large wall space for displaying art — and the home includes an eat-in kitchen with a butler’s pantry.
The sales comes as the UES co-op market has faced headwinds amid the slowdown. Swelling inventory and highly amenitized condo projects have left buyers awash in options. At the same time, financing restrictions and board approvals have made co-ops a less appealing option for some.
Peterffy is the founder and CEO of Interactive Brokers Group, an electronic platform that processes equities, futures and foreign exchange trades. With an estimated net worth of $16 billion, Peterffy ranks 59th on Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. Peterffy owns his stake in the firm through IBG Holdings, which controls about 82 percent of the company. A spokesperson for Peterffy didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Built in 1926, 810 Fifth Ave was designed by architect J.E.R. Carpenter. The 13-story pre-war building has only one apartment per floor and doesn’t allow financing for purchases. Its former residents include Nelson Rockefeller, William Randolph Hearst and Richard Nixon before he headed to the White House.