The World's Most Expensive House Sold To Russian Billionaire
A month ago we heard rumors that Russian billionaire Roman Abarmovich had bought the world's most expensive house on the French Riviera. Turns out that the rumor was true but the buyer was false. The Times reports that a mystery Russian billionaire who is not Abramovich paid 500 million euros (over $750 million) for Villa Leopolda, a Belle Époque mansion in Villefrance on the Côte d'Azur. The home is owned by Lily Safra, the widow of Edmond Safra, a Lebanese banker who was killed by an arsonist's fire in According to rumor, Mrs Safra held out for months as the eager mystery buyer kept raising the price for the historic villa which King Leopold II of Belgium acquired in 1902 and which was also once owned by Fiat tycoon, Gianni Agnelli. The mystery billionaire is now the owner of a turreted mansion and two guest houses on 20 acres of grounds with hundreds of olive, cypress and lemon trees tended by 50 gardeners.
[Thanks, Wayne!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
PA Aug 11th 2008 12:43PM
"arsonist's fire in Switzerland"? Wasn't it in Monaco instead?
Jay Aug 13th 2008 12:43AM
It was in Monaco that Mr. Safra perished.
And the villa does not have turrets. It was designed and built by the fantastic American architect Ogden Codman for himself in the early 1920's. The style is a wonderful pastiche of French and Italian architecture of the 18th century without a turret in site. And it certainly does not have 50 gardeners. If the entire staff numbered 50, it would include the entire indoor staff and security people.
And it was never owned by King Leopold- he might have owned the property before Codman bought it, but that's it.
You can read the Ogden Codman book for the correct info.
kaykhanittha Aug 13th 2008 4:30AM
This house really is incredible !
http://www.luxury-choice.com/PROPERTY/WORLD-MOST-EXPENSIVE-HOUSE-IN-SOUTH-OF-FRANCE-SOLD-TO-RUSSIAN-BILLIONAIRE-ROMAN-ABRAMOVITCH
OMG LOL Oct 1st 2008 4:02PM
HES NOT A BILLIONAIRE ANYMORE!! HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA