Manhattan triplex fetches $60M in biggest co-op sale since 2015

Home near Central Park received $20 million more than asking price

2 East 88th Street and Jacqui Safra (Google Maps, Getty)
2 East 88th Street and Jacqui Safra (Google Maps, Getty)

Talk about mispricing. An Upper East Side triplex sold last week for $60 million, the most expensive Manhattan co-op sale since 2015 and a whopping $20 million more than the asking price, as five billionaires slugged it out for bragging rights to the 7,000-square-foot penthouse.

Jacqui Safra, a banking scion who has produced Woody Allen films, sold the home in a private, all-cash deal, according to Mansion Global. The buyer of the penthouse, at 2 East 88th Street, hasn’t been identified.

The 12-room unit spans the 14th, 15th and 16th floors and includes a two-level wraparound terrace, a staff wing, a gym and two floors for entertainment.

It was shown for just a single day back in May. A contract was signed within 24 hours. Nikki Field of Sotheby’s, who represented the seller, said she showed it to seven billionaires and received five offers.

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Safra lived there for 30 years with his significant other, producer Jean Doumanian. The 81-year-old decided to sell because they weren’t often at the home. Safra told Field he hadn’t even been to the third floor in several years, according to the publication.

Actress Bette Midler sold her own triplex penthouse in the same Carnegie Hill neighborhood just a few months ago. Her initial asking price was $50 million and it ultimately sold for $45 million.

[Mansion Global] — Holden Walter-Warner