hollywood billionaire

Chapter 139 One57

"It took Extell 16 years for you to see this stunning landscape."

Standing with his hands in his pockets in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Grand Salon Hall of One57#79 facing Central Park, Ryan Selhunt took a deep breath and sighed poetically. Second-hand houses that have been successfully traded and transferred.

"I thought One57 was started in 09 and completed in 14."

Han Yi, who was also standing by the window, replied casually. At this moment, all his attention was on the greatest man-made natural wonder in modern society under his feet.

central Park.

It's one thing to wander around with Yuzhen holding a cup of coffee, but it's a completely different feeling standing alone at a thousand feet high and overlooking it.

Gradually entering the height of summer, this magical 840-acre land has completely changed its appearance.Turtle Pond, which has been silent for a long time in the cold and desolate, once again burst into gurgling springs. Orange-tailed robins, Carlo reed wrens, and yellow-browed water thrushes that migrated from Shangzhou flitted across the lake, hovering over the heads of boating tourists, and sang energetically. Write their own summer prelude.

The sugar maple, pin oak and American elm standing upright on both sides of the east road are sprouting, and the dense green canopy once again covers the central avenue that runs through the north and south of the park, cutting the dazzling scorching sun in the afternoon into pieces of changing and jumping light. point.

A middle-aged groom from Estonia, waving a whip rope and wearing a pair of retro rhinoceros leather cowboy spikes, stood at the front of the tour carriage, proudly shouting today's ride price to passers-by.The beautiful models who moved from Los Angeles lay in groups on the hillside near Shakespeare Park, their eyes half-closed lazily, trying to coat their skins with a layer of popular fashion before the peak season of the fashion industry. wheat color.

Several graduate students from Columbia University sat around the spacious round table in Beilin, spread out the reading assignments assigned by the professor, and fell into the wonderful world compiled by Gramsey or Althusser accompanied by the warm spring breeze.Tourists from China have just entered the park from the entrance of Columbus Circle, looking around excitedly. Many people raised their cameras, trying to pass through the criss-crossing tree trunks, and photograph the majestic and shining steel forest around the park. , to capture this metropolis that perfectly blends nature and industry.

Their camera happened to be aimed at Han Yi on the 57th floor of 157 West 79th Street.

But what can be shown in the frame is only a reflective glass curtain wall.

These half-billion mansions on Billionaires Street have a feeling of being out of dust and fireworks in the world, which is vividly reflected in this small detail.

Han Yi can use the god's perspective of the construction mode of "City Skyline" to examine everything like a big player who can dominate everything.But the mortal beings under their feet couldn't even notice his existence.

When busy ordinary people are running on the aging streets of Manhattan, exhausting their energy for the high urban rent, 135 people are sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of One57, looking at the city and thinking about which street corner can be squeezed into one. An office building that reaches straight into the sky.

"The time to break ground was indeed 2009, but the preparatory work actually started in 1998."

Ryan Selhunter earnestly introduced the background story of Extell real estate development One57, telling the hardships and difficulties that have been carved and frozen by time, and it is also one of the gentle means to make home buyers further accept the sky-high price of tens of millions of dollars.

"In Manhattan, if you want to build a tall building like One57, it is not as simple as applying for a building permit from the city government, and then convening a construction team to dig directly. In order to allow residents to step on... the heads of everyone around them, to ensure 360 The high-degree surrounding landscape will never be obstructed and disturbed, and Extell also needs to spend a lot of effort and financial resources to purchase the space rights of the surrounding buildings.”

"In the federal territory, the owner of each piece of real estate also owns the space rights of the real estate, that is, the exclusive right to develop the vertical space above the land. Generally speaking, in other places, as you know... For example, Bay In Foley Hill, space rights are less important. Because everyone is on the hill, the view is unobstructed, and the land supply is relatively plentiful.”

"But in Manhattan, or Brooklyn, air rights become very important, because the peninsula is not going to get bigger, unless de Blasio or his successor suddenly decides to spend trillions of dollars all the way to reclamation to the Statue of Liberty."

Ryan Selhunter's success as a real estate agent and reality TV host lies in his ability to turn dry knowledge into witty anecdotes.While letting the customer listen with gusto, he will gradually agree with his ideas step by step and the sales words he wants to output.

"Because the space in Manhattan is too precious, we can't expand horizontally like Los Angeles. If you want to maximize the value of your real estate, going to the sky is the only way out." Ryan pointed to how little space was left. The ceiling of the first floor, said with a smile, "The New York City Planning Bureau has assigned different floor area ratios to each plot, R7, R8, R10, these numbers are not important, but what we need to understand is that each plot has its own Floor height restrictions. For example... look, the apartments on the Upper East Side can basically only be built up to the 35th floor.”

"What if a developer wants to build a building that exceeds the height limit of the lot? Federal law allows the owners of the lot to sell their space rights, and the developer can buy the space rights of the surrounding buildings. , and then superimpose them on their own plots."

"So, this is what One57 has spent 11 years doing." Hearing Ryan Selhunter's simple explanation, Han Yi, who didn't know much about real estate development, suddenly realized.

This sounds like an interesting industry.

Not only buildings can be bought and sold, but space rights can also be bought and sold.

Isn't that...

"Yes, for Extell Real Estate, repairing the house itself is definitely not the core difficulty. They are the largest developer in New York City. If there is a construction project that they can't do, no one can do it." Ryan - Selhunter nodded and added, "The acquisition of space rights is the most exhausting task. At the beginning, the space rights of the first or second plots may be obtained at a low price based on luck and negotiation skills, but When the other owners of the surrounding land know that you have the idea of ​​building a skyscraper—sorry, the checks are not written enough, you don’t want to start work.”

"And that's the great thing about One57. Gary Barnett, the founder of Extell Properties, didn't let these greedy people scare him. It took 11 years to negotiate and get it done. One57 becomes a 1004-foot ... 306-meter aerial work of art and the first slender tall building in modern New York."

"Slender tall building?" Han Yi frowned slightly, this was the first time he had heard of this word.

"Yes, in the building codes specified by New York City, buildings with an aspect ratio of 1:7 are slender and tall buildings. You see, ordinary skyscrapers, such as the Empire State Building, are very tall, but the land itself is wide enough. The aspect ratio is only 1:2.95. And One57 has reached 1:8."

"Maybe it's rude and inappropriate to say this... But from this perspective, the value that One57 can create per unit area is more than 2.7 times that of the Empire State Building."

"It's a very novel statement, please continue." Han Yi studied humbly with interest. His love for skyscrapers is an important reason why he regards New York as his favorite.Han Yi was very excited by the idea of ​​being able to learn about skyscraper real estate development, which might come in handy one day.

“However, for us—the homebuyers who want to actually live in it—it’s not that the aspect ratio is better, is it? With One57 leading the way, the super high-rise apartment plots on this street are getting better and better. It is getting smaller and smaller, and the storey height is getting more and more exaggerated. Looking to the east, 432 Park Avenue, the aspect ratio is as high as 1:15. And the one next to us, 57 West 111th Street, is actually 1:24! "

"Oh my god, these two buildings... really disgust me." Han Yi curled his lips, and the disgust overflowed from his eyes.In his view, 432 Park Avenue has damaged the New York skyline landscape more seriously than the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.It's like a thin, ugly pencil stuck in the heart of Fifth Avenue.

too ugly.

"Yeah, no New Yorker likes No. 432." Ryan Selhunter pointed to Han Yi in approval. Although he represented more than ten top-level apartments at No. 432 Park Avenue, there was only one goal today. Han Yi is satisfied, isn't it?In order to achieve this, his mouth, which can satisfy ordinary audiences and billionaires at the same time, can say something against his will.

"That's why I admire you very much, Mr. Han. You have your own aesthetics for architectural art, and you know what you want."

"I can't talk about aesthetics, but I have my own logic."

Han Yi waved his hand and said lightly.

"If I'm going to buy the Upper East Side, I'm going to buy the most historically valuable heritage. And if I'm going to live on Billionaires Row, I'm not going to buy a poor imitation. The original that best reflects the character of the street , is what I want to buy.”

"Wow, I really... like this statement very much, the original version that best highlights the characteristics of Billionaires Street, this is indeed the label of One57." Ryan Selhunter folded his palms, expressing his understanding of the building. The background of sex is introduced into the next topic, "Most successful billionaires like you in the business world have built a rich legacy based on the pursuit of originality. Mr. Han, I must say, In this building, there are many, many elites, and maybe you can meet, get acquainted with, or even be introduced to as close friends in the swimming pool, spa, gym or library that is supported by the building in the future.”

"The person who monopolizes the entire two floors from the 89th to the 90th, although I can't reveal the name, but..."

"Michael Dell." This is a secret that will be made public in two years. Han Yi, who has lived through 2018, naturally knows the identity of the owner of the penthouse.Buying a house at One57 is mainly for inner satisfaction and joy in order to obtain maximum rewards, but the potential cooperation with these residents in the same building after purchasing the property is also a possibility that people can imagine.

"Why..." Ryan Selhunter was a little surprised, but returned to normal within a few seconds, and laughed loudly.In order to protect the identity of the inspector to the greatest extent, at this moment, only he and Han Yi are on the entire 79th floor, and many private topics that cannot be disclosed can be freely discussed.

"It seems that the circle of billionaires is really small. That's right, Mr. Dale. In another duplex apartment on the floor below him, Bill Ackman, the founder of Pershing Square Capital Management, also lives Man... no, 'living in' might not be the right word. Mr. Ackerman hasn't lived in the apartment once since he bought it for 9000 million, it looks more like he used the apartment as a value-added products."

Nothing a real estate agent says to a client is superfluous. The price tag of US$9000 million can highlight the high cost performance of the 79th-floor apartment they are currently in. At the same time, the fact that Bill Ackerman regards the apartment as an investment will further show Han Yi that One57 goes beyond residential properties financial value.

"Besides him, there is an investor from the same country as you."

"HNA."

"It seems that you know all the mysteries about this apartment, and I just need to shut up and show you all the rooms." Ryan Selhunter raised his eyebrows and joked, Han Yi said to The understanding of luxury apartment owners like One57 really surprised him a lot, but considering that HNA is originally a Huaguo enterprise, maybe Han Yi himself has inextricable connections with them.

"That's all I know."

Han Yi smiled, these are just a few high-profile ones among a series of failed investments by HNA in the United States... or asset transfers that were intended to be concealed. On the 88th floor and the 67th floor, HNA won the two top-level apartments of One57 in one go through the New York-based subsidiary company Pacific America.

and then?
Then, in the next few years, HNA, which is deeply involved in multiple crises, will start to sell its assets in the United States frantically under strict supervision. The sub-penthouse on the 88th floor sold for $2800 million, a loss of $2000 million, and the one on 67A also lost $1940 million.

In a completely ideal world, the best time for Han Yi to acquire One57 and the best acquisition target is of course HNA after 2018, but in reality Han Yi is not so stupid.There's no way he's putting himself in the Far East spotlight just to take advantage of $2000 million.

Even if the original price or even a premium is acquired from the wealthy American natives, they must not touch the extremely complicated low-sale assets such as #88 and 67A.

Only by keeping a respectful distance can we protect ourselves wisely.

"I just happened to hear about Mr. Dale and HNA in the circle, but I can say that I don't know anything about the other residents."

Thinking of this, Han Yi, who was not going to ask for further explanation, decided to ask about the origin of this apartment.

Not only must it have nothing to do with Huaguo Capital, but it must also avoid those groups and organizations that may have a potential impact on its development in the United States.

In One57, where all kinds of dragons and snakes are intertwined, Han Yi needs to pay attention to a lot more than the developer's new houses with clear property rights at No. 864 Stella Della Road.

"When I walked in just now, my assistant should have asked you to sign an NDA, right?"

"It's signed, you can verify it." Han Yi knew why Ryan asked this question. Of course, the leaked guest information of those apartments that have not been sold can be used as gossip. After all, the New York Times has already taken the lead Announced to the world in one step.But the house they are in is a rare treasure that occupies an entire floor of One57, and the identity of the purchaser is perfectly protected and leak-proof.

And to do this, you must sign a non-disclosure agreement with every potential customer who comes to visit.

"It's okay, Mr. Han, as long as you sign it."

Ryan Selhunter glanced at the Apple Watch on his wrist, as if he was checking the time, and his tone sounded like he had given Han Yi enough trust, but in fact, the assistant's confirmation of the signing of the NDA agreement had already been confirmed by a text message way appears on the watch's home screen.

"The current owner of this apartment is Mr. Cora Aluko, an oil tycoon from Nigeria."

"Oh……"

In his previous life, he was very concerned about world news. Han Yi, who read the headlines of various media almost every day, immediately found the name and the major events related to the name from the information database in his mind.

Nigerian Petroleum Corruption Case.

The energy tycoon, who was listed by Forbes in the list of the [-] richest Africans, claims to be self-made and created the largest oil and gas energy company in Nigeria with his own efforts.But in fact, his history of prosperity is full of blood and filth.

Needless to say, just know that he and the former Nigerian oil minister Dizani Alison Marduk are jointly being investigated by the three governments of Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States for fraud and money laundering worth billions of dollars.

The details of the entire case, and Kola-Aluko's deep involvement in Nigerian government corruption, will not start to appear in the newspapers until mid-2017.However, since 2015, dozens of bank accounts have been seized, and Aluko, who is in urgent need of cash flow, began to actively sell most of the overseas assets he purchased.

One57#79 is one of them.

The corruption cases between senior African officials and African entrepreneurs should have nothing to do with me.Even if it is taken over at a low price in this way, it will not arouse anyone's suspicion.

Han Yi was making quick calculations in his mind while listening to Ryan Selhunter's vague introduction.

"Recently, Mr. Aluko's business operations have encountered some liquidity difficulties. What I can disclose is that Mr. Aluko has only paid a down payment of US$5090 million for this apartment with a transaction price of US$1560 million. , and the remaining 3530 million US dollars, he has loaned through Luxembourg's Havilland Bank... So far, Mr. Aluko's loan repayment plan has been four months overdue."

"It means..." Han Yi guided Ryan to say the key words.

"It means that Mr. Aluko has actually lost the ability to repay the loan. Both he and the creditor Havilland Bank are very eager to sell this asset."

"understood."

The key information revealed by Ryan gave Han Yi an instant grasp of the seller's psychological expectations.

Although the listed price is 5700 million U.S. dollars, Cora Aluko's psychological reserve price should be around 3500 million U.S. dollars.

As long as it can help him roughly repay the loan from Bank of Havilland.

Judging by normal circumstances, Ryan Selhunter should not have made such a hint, because it would be extremely detrimental to the seller who entrusted the assets to him.But in the current situation, Ryan's frankness is actually the best choice.First of all, in the late 2010s, New York’s luxury trading market continued to weaken, coupled with the influx of a large number of tens of millions of new houses at 432 Park Avenue, which further suppressed the appreciation space of One57’s second-hand houses. Cora- Aluko wants to sell the apartment at the listed price, which can be described as a fantasy.

In addition, the current predicament of the Nigerian energy tycoon can only be described as burning eyebrows.Let alone 3500 million US dollars, if someone can make an offer of 3000 million US dollars at this moment, I am afraid he will have to think about it for a while and then agree directly.Because the 3000 million U.S. dollars obtained through normal transaction procedures belonged to Aluko himself, and he had the final say on how much, how, and how long to repay Bank of Haviland.

But if it continues to be overdue, next year, when this apartment enters the foreclosure market, Cora Aluko will not see a penny.

In the Dinghao real estate transaction market, there is no such thing as a rush to buy and sell. Extell Real Estate still holds nearly half of the apartment assets that no one cares about since the completion of the project.If you want to find a high-profile customer to buy a large order of more than 3000 million US dollars within a year, the hope is actually very slim.

You know, without Han Yi, the billionaire's last life, One57#79 finally passed the foreclosure process, and was delisted at a price of 3600 million US dollars after a full year and a half.

Now that there is a potential buyer like Han Yi who meets the standards in terms of strength and intention, Ryan Selhunter will of course try his best to get closer to the buyer's position and strive for a deal with the hammer.

"Before we talk about the price, Ryan, let's see the house first."

After figuring out the joints, Han Yi became the most calm and leisurely one among the parties involved in the transaction.He cleared his throat, patted Ryan Selhunter on the shoulder, and smiled broadly.

"Of course... As you can see, there is a 1500-square-foot salon under our feet. Converted to a square meter, it is almost 140." Ryan Selhunt switched to it almost instantly. Careful and professional introduction mode, "the living room area is on the right, and the dining area is on the left. Every layout, every piece of furniture, and even every vase you can see now is designed by the best Danish interior designer , completed by Thomas Juel Hansen. This strong Nordic minimalist design style fills every corner of the apartment."

"The design concept of #79 is not only to spread the largest scale on a plane, so that its owners can experience the unique sense of spaciousness in Manhattan, but also achieve the ultimate extension in the presentation of vertical space. There is no fancy The suspended ceiling, a snow-white ceiling without any flaws, supports the 270-degree world-class landscape in front of us. No, it is not world-class, because there is no real estate in the world that can match it in terms of landscape.”

Standing in the center of the salon, Ryan Selhunter invited Han Yi to experience the visual shock brought by the 270-degree glass curtain walls on three sides with him.

“We are literally standing at the midpoint of Manhattan. I mean, Billionaires’ Row is Billionaires’ Row not just because the surrounding space rights are easier to buy and the houses can be built higher. The success of Billionaire's Row depends on only three factors: location, location, location.

"Here, One57, especially the one-floor panoramic apartment like #79, you will never miss any landmark in New York. North, Central Park, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, those so-called 'old money' ...Look, we can only survive under our feet. To the west, the Hudson River, Columbus Circle, and to the east, the East River, Long Island Sound, and Fifth Avenue. Mr. Han, here, is the center of the universe. "

"For most people, this full-scale open space, which can be called a banquet hall, is enough for a family to live in. Think about it, how many bedrooms can be divided into a full 1500 square feet of space ?But at One57, in our penthouse, it's just the beginning of grand living. #79 has what could almost be called a perfect north-south life flow, going from north to south along the corridor, from the dynamic zone to the The quiet zone is slowly delaminating."

"The southeast side of the salon hall is the entrance we just came in. There are three elevators leading to a semi-open foyer. If you care more about privacy...or Feng Shui, you can make a sliding door here to separate the living area from the living area. The porch is partitioned."

Working in any of the top residential areas in the world cannot avoid dealing with Asians, and as long as you deal with Asians, residential Feng Shui is a knowledge point that must be understood and even mastered.Of course, in recent years, Asian architectural concepts and living aesthetics have become popular all over the world. So far, basically every rich man and their interior designers will measure luxury houses from the perspective of Feng Shui, and then make appropriate structural modifications.

“To the west is our kitchen space with breakfast room facing the Hudson River. Beautifully finished Diamond Cascade granite countertops and backdrop, Dornbracht faucets, external exhaust hood, and fully integrated Miele and Subzero professional kitchen appliances. You You may rarely use these facilities yourself, but your personal chef should really like the full armor we have equipped him."

“Across the kitchen are three guest bedrooms. They say they are guest bedrooms, but they are all ensuite with custom vanities and bathrooms. White quartz ceilings, built-in medicine cabinets, white Dolomites floors and walls, and Dornbracht and Graff made faucets and other accessories. These bathrooms alone, Mr. Han, cost no less than $20 each."

"Not only that, the corridor we are in itself is actually built according to the standards of the gallery. Although it is said that there are no decorations on both sides, imagine that there are Monet, Cézanne and Caravaggio hanging here. If those Guests who love art and collections can spend a whole day just in the corridor.”

“Occupying the entire east wing of the house, my favorite part, and the part you’ll use the most in the future, is the master suite. It contains a 22-foot dressing room and two master bedrooms designed by Thomas Yule. - Custom designed by Hansen, there are only two floating bathrooms in the world. The reason why they are called floating bathrooms is that they really float...over the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the Freedom Tower."

Opening the shower room in the master bedroom suite, which is larger than the entire bedroom of ordinary people, Ryan Selhunter raised his arms, stopped the introduction, and left a moment of tranquility for Han Yi, allowing him to see the entire Midtown and Lower Town. The magnificent picture of the city is unobstructed.

Looking up, Manhattan is shining with colorful lights even in the daytime, contributing to the bright skyline of tall buildings.The Empire State Building with a long history stands majestically, complementing the modern skyscrapers.The prosperity and vitality of the middle city and the lower city seemed to come before Han Yi's eyes, breaking the boundaries of time and presenting the pulse of the city in front of Han Yi.

As far as the eye can see, there are magnificent scenery with unique style.It is a picture that spans time and space, giving Manhattan a timeless charm in this ever-changing era.

“Wet room with steam shower, full-scale Jacuzzi, inlaid washbasin in Nerovoda marble, radiant heat walls and floors, Italian bean paste marble slabs and, of course, fittings by Dornbracht has joined hands with Graff to deliver."

“Our residences are equipped with a state-of-the-art multi-zone climate control system, through well-designed vents and linear diffusers, every room has constant heating and cooling throughout the year. Not only that, if you choose to live in One57, you For the butler team in Beverly Hills, only one person at a time is required to handle the details, because the Park Hyatt Hotel will provide a 24-hour butler-style concierge service. You can book private restaurants and banquet halls in the building, cooking kitchens, Library with billiards room and aquarium, art studio, private cinema, fitness center, yoga studio, and even a pet cleaning room. Any living facilities you need can be enjoyed without leaving home.”

"Also, when you visit One57 or the Park Hyatt now, you go through the public entrance on 57th Street, but the building's residents have a hidden entrance on 58th Street, so there will be no prying eyes on your homecoming route. Tourists or paparazzi."

Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the master bedroom, this protruding east wing allows the north-south views of the entire Manhattan to converge in this ridiculously large private space.If you look to the left, you will see Central Park, and if you look to the right, you will see Times Square. This kind of weirdness and wonder that seems to have changed the world and changed the world when you turn your head is something that no viewing platform that is open to the public can provide.

"This is what we call the pinnacle of gracious living, Mr. Han."

Ryan Selhunter took a step forward and paralleled Han Yi, drawing a successful conclusion to today's commentary.

"And the so-called peak standard has been raised a lot by One57."

Ryan was full of magnetism, as if in the voice of a documentary narration, Han Yi glanced at Central Park in ecstasy, walked to the king's bed, and stared blankly at the gray-white velvet quilt and pillows that were smooth and clean without any trace of life.

Through the dream filter of time, he can see that one morning in the future, when he wakes up from the clouds in Manhattan, the indescribable and peerless beauty beside him is still sleeping peacefully.

This time, the face was clearer than before, but also more contradictory.

It kept changing and jumping like a lantern, which disturbed him a little.

"I'll give you a call later, Ryan."

Han Yi put his hands in his pockets and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Antoine Gachet, the asset manager of my family office, he will discuss the details of the offer with you."

(End of this chapter)