Exclusive | Brunei’s Sultan in conversations to buy the iconic Pierre Hotel de NYC: sources

Brunei’s sultan is in talks to buy the Pierre Hotel in New York City, where Haward Lutnick’s secretary has an impressive Triplex Penthouse apartment, he has learned.

Hassanal Bolkiah, who is the Sultan and the Prime Minister of the Small Kingdom in the south -East Asia, is associated with Essam Khashoggi, brother of the missing Saudi Dear Dentan Dnan Khashoggi, according to a source close to the situation.

Khashoggi is the uncle of the journalist of the missing Washington Post Jamal Khashoggi, who was sacrificed within the Saudi Consulate in Turkey in 2018.

The Hotel de la Fifth Ave 795, overlooking Central Park, which was launched last year, has been the favorite of the Listers A and the Titans of the industry since it opened luxury doors in 1930.

The sale of 189 rooms, detailed space and restaurants of the hotel is complicated and far from an agreement made, he told The Post a source close to the situation.

The Sultan is a “strong contestant, but there are others,” said the source.

The 41-story building with limestone, with neo-Granian architecture modeled after Versailles, also has about 80 cooperatives.

The sale could be for the entire property, which is valued at $ 2 billion, said the source.

The agreement could involve some of the cooperatives, or all.

“At this point, no one is sure of how it will be played, but he is heading to one of these directions,” said the source.

The post contacted the Brunei Prime Minister’s office, his United Nations mission in New York and his Embassy to DC for comments.

The shareholders are owners of the property and have rented the Pierre to Taj Hotels and Palaus based in India since 2005.

Although Lutnick is a shareholder, he is not a member of the Council, sources said in The Post.

Lutnick and his wife, Allison, bought the Pierre Penthouse Triplex, the building’s crown jewel, in 2017 for $ 44 million, which was $ 81 million at their original price. The 12,000 -feet Skypad reached the market in 2013 for $ 125 million.

The couple have never lived in the building, according to sources ..

The Newmark Group Real Estate Runner, directed by Doug Harmon, co-head of capital markets for the firm, advises the sale of Pierre, told The Post sources.

Harmon recently led the Newmark team sold by Pierre’s neighbor, 800 Fifth Ave., a 33 -story luxury apartment building, in the Naphtali group for about $ 820 million earlier this year.

Harmon’s best offers include the sale of Peter Cooper Stuyvesant Town for $ 5.45 billion and Starrett City for $ 905 million.

Harmon refused to comment on Pierre’s agreement.

Lutnick was the largest individual shareholder in the Newmark group.

Newmark, now a publicly marketed company, is a spin-off of its former matrix company, BGC Partners, and most of BGC Partners’ voting power is by Cantor Fitzgerald.

Lutnick headed Wall Street’s financial services for three decades, and tragically losing his brother to the World Trade Center during the 11/11 horror attacks.

Last month, Lutnick handed the reins to their children “who are in learning positions” as it serves the Trump administration, reported the Wall Street Journal.

Cantor Fitzgerald did not return the comments applications.

Sources said in the publication that the one who buys the hotel will determine the destination of the cooperative owners, who will have to approve the agreement.

The new owner could close the hotel and eject the owners of cooperatives for a period of time or forever.

“Everything will be dropped on the washing. But nothing will happen without the shareholders voting,” the source said.

If cooperatives owners are started for wide renovation, they could spend five years before returning, according to sources.

It took the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, owned by the Chinese government, eight years to renew. The hotel finally plans to reopen this September after several delays.

“Everyone is afraid and no one speaks,” another source said, referring to cooperative owners.

However, the informed added that while some owners do not want to leave, the compensation they will receive will be worth it.

“Whatever the interruption, it will be worth it,” the source said.

Pierre has always been associated with glamor and sophistication.

Coco Chanel stayed here during his first visit to the Grand Apple in 1932. Sophia Loren also enjoyed staying at the hotel.

Other stars that called Pierre’s house included Audrey Hepburn, who celebrated his 1954 Oscar for “Roman holidays” at the hotel. In addition, the owner of the apartment, Elizabeth Taylor, married Eddie Fisher there in 1959.

The guests over the years have included Barbra Streisand, Joan Collins, Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld.

The iconic enclosure has also been in films such as “Oceans Eight”, where Anne Hathaway’s character checks to prepare for Met’s gala.

John Paul Getty, founder of Getty Oil, bought the Pierre in 1938, as he said he was called his only “active above.”

He turned part of the hotel into cooperatives.

Today, other high -profile cooperative owners include Fashion designer Tory Burch, the media heiress Shari Redstone, the musician Art Garfunkel and the former Disney chief, Michael Eisner.