Start The Slideshow

As The Observer recently reported, Sandy Weill’s apartment is going for the full $88 million, no ifs ands or buts about it. While Weill may be giving the money to charity, his broker, Kyle Blackmon is basically set for life.  After selling the place to Mr. Weill back in 2007 for $42.4 million, this deal is about to set him up with a nice Miami beachfront pad. And a yacht. And a beautiful wife. Pop that Dom, Mr. Blackmon, it’s celebration time.

The buyer, however, is hellbent on keeping his identity a secret, burying the deal beneath layers of legal cover. But really, come on. You’re about to spend $88 million on an apartment and you don’t think people are going to find out your identity? Come hell or high water, The Observer vows to reveal this mystery purchaser and we’re hot on his trail!

One small problem: a very well connected source in New York’s luxury real estate  industry tells us only two people in the world know the buyer’s identity. “I guarantee the only two people who know the buyer is: the buyer, and Blackmon,” he said.

Never fear, The  Observer has been making good headway in our search. Our source has just revealed that the buyer is Russian. But he’s not an oilman or a oligarch, our source says, but a chemist of all things. Our interest piqued, we looked into the matter. Turns out, an elite cabal of chemists have infiltrated the list of Russian billionaires in the past few years. From steel refining to uranium mining, these dudes are the brainpower behind Russia’s big industries.

So who is he, you’re wondering? Well, we haven’t exactly gotten that far… Yet. But come on, how many Russian chemists are there who can afford to drop $88 million like its hot? Not many. And, for your speculative enjoyment we’ve come up with a list. There is an overwhelming probability that one of these guys just shattered New York’s real estate record, and it’s only a matter of time before we find out precisely which Ruskie it was.