Ex-Winnetka home of Nielsen founder has a buyer

The former Winnetka home of Nielsen Ratings founder Arthur Nielsen has a buyer after being on and off the market since 2021.

The home, priced at just under $7 million, has been listed as pending since June, according to public listing websites. It was relisted in April and went into contract the next month, but that deal appears to have fallen through.

Winnetka, about 16 miles north of Chicago, is among the city’s smallest and wealthiest suburbs and is home to one of the area’s most expensive listings, a 1902 home seeking $16 million. High-end sales are expected to slow this fall as mortgage rates rise and potential buyers opt to delay purchases.

Nielsen had the 17,000-square-foot Tudor-style estate, designed by architect Benjamin Marshall built in 1937. Marshall’s portfolio includes notable Chicago buildings such as the Drake Hotel, the Edgewater Beach Hotel, the South Shore Country Club and the Blackstone Hotel and Theater.

The 1.5-acre property is on a private road and includes a tennis court, wine cellar and swimming pool, according to the listing. David and Whitney Sinclair bought the six-bedroom, six-bath in 2008, renovated it, and listed it twice last year for $6.9 million before the listing was removed. Sarah Lyons of Compass, who represents the sellers, didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The Sinclairs replaced a three-season porch with a library and office. Other amenities include a butler’s pantry, an art gallery, a home gym, a putting green and a four-car garage.

Nielsen, born in Chicago, founded the A.C. Nielsen Company in 1923, where he further advanced the newly established field of market research for radio and television. In the 1950s, he created the Nielsen TV Ratings, which measured audience size and makeup of TV programs.

Read more

Chicago

Another Winnetka mansion sells for $5M

Chicago

Winnetka has two more $4M+ sales as market heats up