Late pharma exec’s UES co-op listed for $55M

High-dollar deals at 4 East 66th Street include Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen

The late Howard Solomon with 4 East 66th Street (Getty, Sotheby's International Realty)
The late Howard Solomon with 4 East 66th Street (Getty, Sotheby's International Realty)

Months after a historic co-op sale, another unit at 4 East 66th Street has been listed for a massive ask.

The unit at the Upper East Side property was listed for $55 million, the Wall Street Journal reported. The home, situated at the edge of Central Park, belonged to late pharmaceutical executive Howard Solomon and his widow, Sarah Solomon.

The square footage of the apartment wasn’t reported, but the five-bedroom pad includes multiple wood fireplaces, large spaces for entertainment and dining room seating for 30.

French architect Robert Couturier renovated the apartment, which the couple purchased in 2004 for $25 million. Sarah told the outlet she’s looking to part with the apartment because it’s too large for her to live in by herself.

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Howard died in January at 94 years old. During his career, he was a partner at private equity firm Hildred Capital Management and served as CEO of pharmaceutical firm Forest Laboratories. Sarah is a former executive with the Metropolitan Opera.

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Sotheby’s International Realty’s Serena Boardman and Maria Bazo have the listing.

The building, known for high ceilings and views of Central Park, has a track record of high-dollar deals. In 2016, hedge funder Daniel Nir sold his apartment there for $52 million. More recently, financier J. Christopher Flowers and his wife purchased a unit for $43 million.

But the deal that really set the stage for the building was a pair of apartments that traded in July for $101 million; when considered together, the transaction represents the most expensive co-op sale in New York history.

The apartments belonged to the late Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft. He spent $25 million for the penthouse apartment in 2011, but it’s unclear how much he paid for his other apartment at the 16-unit building.

Julia Koch, wife of the late billionaire David Koch, was the buyer of the apartments.

— Holden Walter-Warner