As you’ve probably guessed by now, the buyer behind Brooke Astor’s $21 million apartment is in finance and like most 8 figure apartment-buyers, this guy is a hedge fund hot-shot. Daniel Sundheim, a portfolio manager at Viking Global Investors, made the costly Astor investment with his spouse, Brett, city records show. Brett, as in the female form, as in The Sun Also Rises. While slowly liberalizing, we’re not entirely convinced the Park Avenue co-op board would have approved the couple if Brett were in fact a he. There’s also the board’s curious history of turning down prospective buyers conspiring to get their grubby new money hands all over Ms. Astor’s place.
Mr. Sundheim proved his investment savvy in the purchase: originally listed for $46 million in 2008, they ended up paying just $21 million for the fourteen room spread. Spanning the entire sixteenth floor of the building and part of the 15th, the home leaves, well, nothing to be desired. Six terraces, five bedrooms, four exposures, three french hens, two master suites and one private elevator landing. Yes, Mr. Sunshine- er, Sundheim, now is your time.
