Trading Card Mogul Lists One Mag Mile Penthouse in Chicago

The mystery buyer of a $14.25 million Lincoln Park mansion now has a name — and another high-end property on the market.

Matthew Bayer, a Chicago trading card magnate, and his wife Joyce are the couple who paid just under the asking price for a 15,000-square-foot home at 400 West Dickens Avenue in 2024. The Chicago Tribune reported that they’re now trying to offload their longtime perch atop One Magnificent Mile, listing their 46th-floor penthouse at 950 North Michigan Avenue for $5.5 million after a recent price cut.

The Bayers first listed the six-bedroom, roughly 9,000-square-foot duplex penthouse in September for just under $6 million before trimming the asking price in January. The unit carries monthly homeowners association dues of $12,081.

Designed by Wheeler Kearns Architects, the condo has seven-inch-wide European white oak floors, Grigio Piesantina limestone, a Crestron lighting system and a sculptural staircase framed by floor-to-ceiling windows, according to the outlet. The great room includes a custom burl wood wet bar and glass wine room, opening to a private terrace. The Valcucine kitchen is outfitted with Sub-Zero and Miele appliances.

Upstairs, a second-level “wellness and entertainment sanctuary” features a sunroom with a marble-clad wet bar. The primary suite includes a sitting area and two custom walk-in closets. In total, the home has eight full bathrooms and three half baths.

Ryan Preuett and Tim Salm of Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty have the listing. The pair also represented the sellers of the Dickens Avenue mansion. It closed at $14.25 million, or about $950 per square foot. The previous owners — retired Chicago Trading Company executive Paul Kepes and his wife Monica — spent $20 million to buy the land and build the Lincoln Park property.

Susan Miner of Premiere Relocation represented the Bayers in that purchase. At the time, the home’s $15 million list price made it the second priciest listing in the city, following a Park Tower penthouse owned by billionaire Ken Griffin listed at $15.75 million.

The couple assembled their Streeterville duplex penthouse in stages between 2010 and 2014, a period when ultra-luxury condo development along North Michigan Avenue was still regaining its footing post-recession. Bayer is the CEO of MJ Holding Company, a distributor of trading cards, toys, games and various collectibles to more than 8,000 retail locations in North American, according to the company’s website. — Eric Weilbacher