Michael Bloomberg pays £16m for seven-bed second home in Chelsea, London
They say that the rich and powerful are moving out of central London in favour of Canary Wharf, but former Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg has just shelled out £16m on a seven-bed 18th Century mansion in the heart of Chelsea.
Bloomberg once called London his “second home”. Clearly not content with the £12m pad he already owns in Cadogan Square, the Bloomberg-founding billionaire beat off three other bidders for a second London home, paying an extra £1m over the asking price.
Bloomberg may be buying the home, once owned by George Eliot, to make escaping back home from work easier, as his company is building new European headquarters right next to Bank station.
The media magnate is moving to Chelsea’s exclusive Cheyne Walk, counting ex-football star Sol Campbell and ex-Goldman Sachs partner Hugues Lepic among his glamorous new neighbours.
If that’s not enough, the period property was painted by Sir James Thornhill, who also worked on St Paul’s Cathedral.
Talk about being steeped in history…