Skip to main content

Joan Rivers' $28m NYC penthouse was bought by Muhammad bin Fahd who is 'ripping it to shreds

In July it was claimed Joan Rivers' Upper East Side apartment in New York City had sold to 'Middle Eastern royalty' for $28 million. Now DailyMail.com can reveal exclusively the buyer is Muhammad bin Fahd, the son of the late King Fahd and the former governor of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The 65-year-old prince has been remodeling the property - a 5,100-square-foot, four-bedroom penthouse - since the purchase, and neighbors are 'shocked,' according to an insider. 'Ever since Prince Fahd bought the home nearly two months ago, he has had designers and contractors in and out of the place,' a source tells DailyMail.com. 'He is ripping it to shreds. Everyone is surprised because the place had a certain French look, it was very specific, and one would think the buyer would be into that. And now he doesn't want that.' The property, which is only a half block from Central Park and walking distance to The Plaza, will look completely different from the way Rivers had it, said the insider. Joan, who passed away in September 4, 2014 from a surgery gone wrong, decorated her home in an orate fashion. There were crystal chandeliers, marble fireplaces and gilded walls. The Louis XIV-inspired rooms - which include both a former ballroom and music room - have 23-foot ceilings and antique columns. The penthouse also boasts two large entertainment spaces, which can accommodate 125 people. Joan once described the condo as 'where Marie Antoinette would have lived if she had the money.' 'The whole Palace Of Versailles thing is going,' said the source. 'It looks like all traces of Joan's style will be erased.' The insider added, 'It was not the look Prince Fahd wanted. So he is erasing what Joan did. It's kind of a shame. First Joan died. Now her condo is dying. But that is life, it is constantly changing. Still, it feels weird. Rivers bought the apartment in 1988, ordering a painstaking renovation, though holding onto some of the apartment's original period details. 'Joan sure did love her condo, it was her palace and she felt like the queen there. So it's pretty surreal that a real-life king is moving in now,' said the source. 'The Queen Of Comedy left and the Prince Of The Desert moved in. It's a lot for the neighbors to take in because there is usually not a lot of movement in that building.' A new look isn't the only thing Prince Fahd wants. 'He has asked if a private elevator can be installed,' said the source. 'There is already an elevator in the building. But he would like an elevator added. This is an unusual request. It is not known if it will be done yet.' It also appears that Muhammad won't be living there. 'He has said that the property is for his sons when they are in town, and for their families,' said the source. 'No one will be living in the property full time,' it was added. The insider also relayed that Prince Fahd predicted the unit will be occupied only about 'three to four' months out of the year. 'And it may even be less than that. It may only be two months,' the source said. Security is also an issue for the royal. The building has a full-time doorman. 'Muhammad wants security at the building 24 hours a day, seven days a week,' said the source. 'It is of very high importance. A must. But that is really not uncommon for billionaires. Security is always an issue with billionaires. Especially if a billionaire has a royal link

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Economist article on the fight against Boko Haram

Read this very interesting article by The Economiston the fight against Boko Haram and the alleged multiple deaths of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau. The article below.. How many times can one man die? At least four, in the case of Abubakar Shekau, the slippery leader of Boko Haram. Nigerian security forces celebrated his demise in 2009, 2013 and 2014, only for him to pop up again, disconcertingly animate, on camera. When Chad’s president said in August that his troops had killed Mr Shekau, the jihadist was resurrected once again, this time with a voice recording. “Woe unto liars that had claimed I am dead,” said the voice. “Nobody can kill me.” This relatively mild-mannered dispatch raised questions of its own. Most of what is known about Africa’s most notorious terrorist derives from his gun-wielding, slave-touting videos. If he were still at large, would he not release a film in his usual more robust style? Most probably, he is indeed alive. Whether he is injured is impossible...

Bode George asks Buhari to probe Tinubu, Fashola

PDP Chieftain Bode George has asked President Buhari to probe the administrations of former Lagos state governors, Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola. In a statement released yesterday August 19th, Bode George said Buhari cannot claim to be fighting corruption and not investigate the circumstances surrounding the controversial N78 million tundefashola.com website. "We are living in a very interesting time. There is an air of repugnancy everywhere most specifically in my state where the immoral stench and the dark odium of Mr. Babatunde Fashola’s administration is daily being unearthed. What is most disgusting and annoying in all these is the arrogant and the befuddled attempt of Mr. Fashola to justify the apparent reckless misappropriation of Lagos state taxpayers’ money to set up a personal web site. Fashola shows no remorse, no semblance of regret, no guilty nudging of conscience. Instead, he still attempts to ride a high horse, puffing and stomping in feigned seraphic innocenc...

Queen Elizabeth II becomes longest-reigning monarch on a day of characteristic modesty

She accepted it was a “special day” as she became our longest-reigning monarch, but the Queen was, as ever, the very embodiment of understatement. Appearing rather bashful about the attention being lavished on her as she made history, Her Majesty made only a passing reference to her entry in the record books, insisting: “It is not one to which I have ever aspired.” While everyone around her was, quite rightly, paying homage to her remarkable achievement, the Queenmade it clear that, as far as she was concerned, all she had done was to stay alive and healthy. “Inevitably, a long life can pass by many milestones,” she said. “My own is no exception. But I thank you all and the many others at home and overseas for your touching messages of great kindness.” Queen Victoria, the woman whose record she surpassed, was not mentioned in the Queen’s brief speech at Tweedbank railway station in the Borders, where Her Majesty was more preoccupied with the business at hand, namely opening the longes...