Billionaire Ken Griffin’s $238 million Manhattan penthouse is one of the most expensive homes ever sold in the US: Inside the sprawling 23,000-square-foot residence with 16 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms

When billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin paid $238 million for a Manhattan penthouse, he wasn't simply buying one of New York's most luxurious apartments. The Citadel founder was purchasing one of the most expensive homes ever sold in the United States, in a deal that immediately captured attention across the luxury real estate world.

Griffin bought the enormous residence at 220 Central Park South, located on Manhattan's famed Billionaires' Row. The four-storey penthouse spans approximately 23,000 square feet and occupies the 50th through 53rd floors of the skyscraper. Architectural Digest described it at the time as America's most expensive apartment.

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A $238 million home above Central Park

The scale of Griffin's Manhattan residence is extraordinary, even by billionaire standards. The penthouse was created by combining several apartments inside 220 Central Park South. The centerpiece was an approximately 11,000-square-foot duplex covering the 50th and 51st floors. Griffin then combined it with three additional apartments on the 52nd and 53rd floors.

The result was a sprawling private residence high above Manhattan, with direct views toward Central Park. According to Architectural Digest, the property includes 16 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms, five balconies and a terrace overlooking Central Park.

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For Griffin, the purchase represented the kind of trophy property that is increasingly associated with the world's wealthiest buyers.

Inside 220 Central Park South

The building itself was designed by renowned American architect Robert A. M. Stern and developed by Vornado Realty Trust.

The 66-storey skyscraper was planned with 118 luxury residences, while apartments located above the 40th floor in the main tower were designed as duplex and quadplex homes. The building's direct Central Park South frontage is one of its biggest selling points.

But the amenities are almost as striking as the residences.

Residents have access to a swimming pool, spa, fitness center, squash and basketball courts, a golf simulator, yoga and Pilates facilities, library, lounge, dining room and children's area. There is also a full-time doorman and concierge, along with an on-site parking garage.

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The building even has parking spaces priced at around $750,000 each, underscoring the extraordinary level of wealth associated with the property.

Why Billionaires' Row attracts the ultra-rich

220 Central Park South is part of Manhattan's Billionaires' Row, an area that has become synonymous with some of the world's most expensive residential properties.

The neighborhood's appeal comes from a combination of factors: Central Park views, a prime Midtown location, privacy, security and the scarcity of enormous apartments in Manhattan.

For ultra-high-net-worth buyers, properties such as Griffin's penthouse offer something that traditional New York apartments cannot easily provide — the scale of a mansion combined with the location and views of a skyscraper.

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Ken Griffin's real estate shopping spree

The $238 million Manhattan purchase was also part of Griffin's wider luxury real estate spree.

At the time, Architectural Digest reported that Griffin had spent more than $200 million on land in Palm Beach, Florida, where he planned to build a home. The publication also reported that he had purchased a $122 million property in London, which was described as the city's most expensive sale in a decade.

Donna Olshan, president of Olshan Realty, described Griffin as a “global trophy hunter” and said he had bought what could arguably be New York's top building.

One of America's most expensive homes

What makes Griffin's Manhattan property particularly remarkable is not just its $238 million price tag.

The purchase placed the residence among the most expensive homes ever sold in the United States, while its enormous size and location made it one of the most recognizable trophy properties in New York.

At 23,000 square feet, the home is larger than many standalone luxury mansions, yet it sits dozens of floors above one of the world's most famous urban parks.

The $238 million purchase ultimately became a defining example of Manhattan's ultra-luxury housing market — where billionaires can spend hundreds of millions of dollars to own not merely an apartment, but an entire mansion in the sky overlooking Central Park.