Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov has been revealed as
the mystery buyer who splashed out £390
million on Villa Leopolda, making it the world’s most expensive real estate
property, AFP reports on Sunday.
Built
for King Leopold II of Belgium in 1902, the
Belle Époque mansion was used as a summer retreat for the king. The property
has since changed hands a couple of times, and its previous owners include the
late Giovanni Agnelli, of the Italian marque Fiat, and Lebanese-born Swiss
banker Edmond Safra.
It was Safra's widow Lily Safra who sold the property to Prokhorov. Prokhorov made headline news in January 2007 when he and 25
others, including several Russian businessmen, were briefly involved in an
investigation into a suspected prostitution ring.
But the charges had since
been dropped due to a lack of evidence.
Ranked
by Forbes magazine as the 24th richest man in the world, with
reported fortunes of US$19.5 billion, the former head of Russian mining giant
Norilsk Nickel now heads Onexim Group, a Russian private investment fund with a
focus on mining industry and projects in energy, nanotechnology and real
estate.
via AFP / Luxist