Jeffrey Epstein’s New York Townhouse to Sell for Roughly US$50 Million

The New York City townhouse of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is in contract to sell for roughly US$50 million, according to two people familiar with the transaction. If the deal closes, the townhouse would be among the most expensive homes to sell in New York over the past year.

The property had been on the market for just seven months, a reasonably quick turnaround for a townhouse with such a high-price tag, especially given the property’s connection to Mr Epstein, these people said. However, it sold at a significant discount to its original asking price; it came on the market for $88 million in July, and the price was later lowered to $65 million.

The property was the most valuable of Mr Epstein’s extensive property portfolio, which also included homes in Paris, New Mexico and Florida. Mr Epstein’s home in Palm Beach is in contract to sell to developer Todd Michael Glaser for an undisclosed sum, The Wall Street Journal reported in November, though the deal hasn’t yet closed.

Listed by Adam Modlin of Modlin Group, the Neoclassical Upper East Side townhouse dates to the 1930s, when it was commissioned by Herbert N. Straus, an heir to the Macy’s department store fortune. It was later used as a school and was formerly owned by Leslie Wexner, the billionaire retail tycoon and a onetime close associate of Mr Epstein.

Mr Epstein paid $20 million for it in 1998, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The house spans about 28,000 square feet across seven floors and has oak entry doors, imported French limestone with carvings, sculptural figures and ornamental ironwork.

Mr Epstein died by suicide in jail in 2019, before he could stand trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. The proceeds of the sale are slated to go to his estate, which has created a compensation fund to adjudicate claims from Mr Epstein’s alleged victims.

Former Aussie Rules player Jeff Chapman’s dream beach house, which has had its praises sung by The Independent in the UK, is back on the market with a revised – and more competitive – price guide.

The contemporary pavilion-style residence Alinghi, created by celebrated architect James Grose, was voted one of the top five beach houses in the world by the British newspaper and has been operating as a luxury holiday rental earning up to $7000 a week.

The one-time Melbourne forward and founder of Bennelong Funds Management, and his wife Carena Shankar, listed the five-bedroom getaway back in mid 2024 with hopes of about $8 million. The prestige property is now back with new agent Pauline Karatau of Ray White New Farm and the amended guide now sits at $6.5 million.

As part of the private 5ha Rocky Point estate, at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef overlooking Honeymoon Bay, the glamorous holiday home shares not only a private beach with just four other neighbours, but also a 30m saltwater pool, a full-size tennis court, a beach cabana with barbecue facilities and a full-time live-in caretaker on site.

Alinghi seemingly floats against the cliffs of North Queensland’s Capricorn Coast consisting of two pavilions and shallow reflections pools for ultimate serenity. Residence number 5 is home to a two-storey main pavilion with large living spaces spilling onto semi-enclosed areas framing enviable ocean views. Upstairs there are four bedrooms, including two with ensuites. The second pavilion is a private retreat housing the main bedroom suite with an additional study or wellness space.

Crafted by Grose to leave minimal impact on its natural environment, the house features external materials sourced locally including rich cedar, plus glass and Travertine stone specifically chosen to blend and weather with the landscape over time.

The low maintenance property is also relatively self sufficient thanks to water tanks collecting the region’s abundant rainfall. Despite it’s northern Queensland address air-conditioning is an after-thought due to the clever cross-ventilation design principles and deliberate orientation capturing ocean breezes that flow through the large footprint.

Alinghi’s external lightning has also been carefully designed to be low voltage with minimum impact upon the local wildlife including wallabies, echidnas, goannas, turtles and even a diverse range of native birds. From the private terraces throughout winter, homeowners can also track the migratory whales.

Alinghi is a 90-minute drive away from Agnes Waters and its sister town of 1770 (also known as Seventeen Seventy). It is approximately 120kms from Bundaberg, which is home to a well-serviced domestic airport.

Alinghi is listed for sale with a price guide of $6.5 million via Ray White New Farm agent Pauline Karatau on 0418 733 773.

Jeffrey Epstein’s New York Townhouse to Sell for Roughly US$50 Million

The late financier and convicted sex offender’s Upper East Side home originally asked $88 million.