Billionaire Bill Ackman in contract to buy a $22.5M Upper West Side penthouse

Hedge fund manager/billionaire Bill Ackman is set to buy a 13-room penthouse on the Upper West Side for close to $22.5 million, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Available for the first time in 40 years, the four-bedroom home at 6 West 77th Street was formerly owned by the late author, Nancy Friday. Ackman, who in 2015 bought the penthouse at One57 for $91.5 million as a “fun investment,” is the founder of Pershing Square Capital Management and has a net worth of over $1 billion.

As a combination of four separate apartments, the penthouse takes up the entire 17th floor and part of the 16th floor. Currently, the home is configured as a duplex apartment but has the flexibility and space to become even grander.

Terraces wrap around the upper level, measuring in total 3,200 square feet. Through tall glass doors, the living and dining area both have direct access to the outdoor space.

On the lower level, a library and dining room boast barrel-vaulted redwood ceilings. This floor features a master bedroom and a smaller bedroom, and a full kitchen. According to the WSJ, the home also has a secret room that can be accessed through a hidden panel in a decorative column.

The property, designed by Nathan Koran and erected in 1928, has canopied entrances at 6  and 16 West 77th Street. Because it sits on Central Park West across from the American Museum of Natural History, the building’s residents enjoy one of the best blocks in the city as well as impressive views of the museum, the Park, and Emery Roth-designed building, the Beresford.

The WSJ reported that the proceeds of the sale will help start the Nancy Friday Foundation, which will support emerging writers and animal welfare causes.

[Listing: 6 West 77th Street, #PH by Wendy Sarasohn and Jamie Joseph for Brown Harris Stevens]

[Via WSJ]

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• Will Bill Ackman Be Able to Pull off a $90M Condo Flip at One57?

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens