A penthouse apartment at the Place 57 Condominium On East 57th Street owned by talk show diva Oprah Winfrey has sold to London-based hedge fund partner Mark Hillery and his wife Melissa for $7.9 million, sales person Anjollie Feradov of SKNY Real Estate, who represented the buyer, told The Real Deal today.
Hillery, who works for Brevan Howard, Europe’s largest hedge fund manager, “recognized the value that New York real estate represented compared to other world capitals,” Fedarov said. “[They] were looking for a New York home that they felt was a good representation of the excitement of the city.”
The Hillerys are planning a “high-end” makeover to the 36th-floor unit, which features 2,530 square feet of wall-to-ceiling windows and a 768-square-foot terrace. They are going to “open up some of the spaces and take advantage of the magnificent views,” Fedarov said.
Oprah purchased the penthouse in January 2008 for $7.1 million under the name Sophie’s Penthouse LLC, which reportedly referred to her late cocker spaniel. It is currently vacant. Oprah spends most of her time at her 42-acre estate in Montecito, Calif., according to news reports.
Mark Schoenfeld, senior vice president at the Corcoran Group, had the listing. He declined to comment on the deal.
A spokesperson for Oprah could not immediately be reached for comment.