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>>> IF SHERMAN McCOY LIVED IN
MANHATTAN, HE WOULD RESIDE AT 15
CENTRAL PARK WEST.
THE TOM WOLF NOVEL "BONFIRE OF
THE VANITIES."
WOLF'S GIFT WAS SUMMING UP.
NOW MICHAEL GROSS HAS DONE
LIKEWISE BY TAKING US INSIDE THE
MOST POWERFUL ADDRESS IN THE
WORLD.
THE BOOK IS CALLED "THE HOUSE OF
OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE."
IT CONCERNS ONE MANHATTAN
ADDRESS THAT HAS HOUSED THE
LIKES OF LLOYD FINE AND DENZEL
WASHINGTON AND A-ROD AND STING
AND JEFF GORDON.
ONE SOLD FOR $88 MILLION.
15 CPW WRITES, GROSS IS THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL, INSANELY EXPENSIVE
TIE CON-STUFFED REAL ESTATE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE 21st CENTURY.
THE BOOK OPENS WITH A BIDDING
WAR BETWEEN TWO TITANS.
>> ICAHAN WAS THE BACKER.
HE WAS THE AGING LION OF THE
FINANCE AND DAN IS THE YOUNGER
BREED OF CAT.
ICAHAN WANTED TWO APARTMENTS ON
THE 39th FLOOR.
PENTHOUSES.
HE DID NOT WANT TO PAY THE
PRICE.
$45 MILLION.
LOBE CAME IN AND PAID THE PRICE.
ICAHAN WENT BALLISTIC.
>> ARE THEY BOTH NEW MONEY?
>> I LIKE TO SEE IT OLD MONEY
VERSUS NEW MONEY.
I THINK IT REPRESENTS TWO POINTS
OF VIEW AND TWO KINDS OF WEALTH.
>> WHAT WAS THE TIPPING POINT
THAT MADE THIS THE "IT" BUILDING
WHERE PEOPLE AT THAT LEVEL
WANTED TO LIVE?
>>
A WHISTLE CAME OFF AND THEY CAME
LIKE DOGS WITH A PACK WANTING
THESE APARTMENTS.
OF COURSE, THERE WAS A MASTERFUL
MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO MAKE SURE
THE WORLD KNEW THIS WAS
HAPPENING.
>> IF YOU AND I LIVED IN
STEERAGE OVER THERE, IF WE PAID
ONLY 1.7 MILLION FOR OUR UNITS
DO WE GET TO HANG WITH STING?
DO WE GET TO HANG WITH DENZEL?
DO THEY WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH
US?
>> YOU HAVE TO TAKE A SEPARATE
ELEVATOR IN THE BACK OF THE
BUILDING BUT YOU SHARE THE
RESTAURANT, THE LOBBY, SO, YEAH,
YOU GET TO HANG WITH THEM.
>> I WAS THINKING OF RODNEY
KING, ODDLY ENOUGH.
CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?
WHAT'S INTERESTING IS WILL IS
SUCH AN ETHNIC MIX IN THIS
BUILDING AND THERE ARE SO MANY
CLUSTERS IN THIS BUILDING AND
EVERYBODY SEEMINGLY DOES GET
ALONG.
>> I CALL THEM THE TRIBES OF 15
CPW.
THE LARGEST TRIBE OF THE
ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT MANAGERS.
BUT THERE ARE FOREIGN TRIBES AND
RELIGIOUS TRIBES AND ECONOMIC
TRIBES, TECH GUYS, BANKERS.
AND MY FAVORITE IS THE FACT THAT
WE HAVE ARABS AND ISRAELIS
LIVING IN PEACE SOMEWHERE IN THE
WORLD.
>> GIVEN THE CONCENTRATION OF
WEALTH AND POWER IN THIS
BUILDING, SECURITY MUST BE A
CONCERN.
>> IT IS.
ESPECIALLY DURING THE GREAT
RECESSION WHEN LLOYD BLANKFEIN
AND SANDY NEEDED THEIR OWN
SECURITY DETAILS AND THERE WERE
ELABORATE PROCEDURES.
PEOPLE IN THE LOBBY, FOR
INSTANCE, WAS NOT ALLOWED TO
ADDRESS LLOYD BLANKFEIN BY NAME.
THEIR WHISKED THROUGH THE GARAGE
TO GET OUT.
THERE WAS AN OCCUPY VISUAL
ACROSS THE STRAIGHT, OCCUPY GOLD
MACHINE SACKS BECAUSE LLOYD
BLANKFEIN LIVES IN A DUPLEX.
>> YOU MADE ME WAIT UNTIL THE
FINAL CHAPTER TO HEAR ABOUT
A-ROD AND HOOKERS.
>> THE BOY HAD A VERY GOOD TIME.
FAVORITE STORY, TWO HOOKERS
COMING DOWN IN THE ELEVATOR
WHILE CAMERON DIAZ WAS GOING UP.
GO, A-ROD.
>> IF I LIVE IN THIS BUILDING AT
A TIME OF THE HOLIDAYS, HOW MUCH
AM I PONYING UP?
>> IT DEPENDS.
YOU KNOW, THE AVERAGE STAFF
WORKER WALKS AWAY WITH ABOUT
$22,000.
SOME OF THEM MAKE UP --
>> IN TIPS?
>> IN TIPS, CASH, BY THE WAY.
SOME OF THEM MAKE UP TO 100,000.
THE SUPER GOD KNOWS HE GETS PAID
$600,000 A YEAR.
>> THE RISK THAT YOU RUN IF
YOU'RE NOT -- SOMEBODY GAVE 90
GRAND, RIGHT?
>> YEAH.
>> SANFORD WEIL?
>> ONE YEAR AND THEN CUT IT IN
HALF THE NEXT YEAR AND THEY ALL
GOT REALLY GRUMPY.
>> THEY ENTITLED
TO THE 90 GRAND.
IF YOU DON'T PONY UP, YOU RUN
THE RISK.
A-ROD, HE WAS A TENANT.
HE LEFT THAT APARTMENT IN BETTER
CONDITION THAN HE FOUND IT BUT
THEY DIDN'T LIKE HIM.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
THE REALTOR LIKED HIM BUT THE
STAFF CALLED HIM A DOUC HHE.
>> THAT'S WHAT DID HIM IN.
WHAT'S STUNNING AT YOUR BOOK,
MICHAEL GROSS, THOSE WHO HAVE
SINCE SOLD THE UNITS, THEY ARE
MAKING A FORTUNE.
>> TRIPLED IN VALUE IN JUST A
FEW YEARS.
ASTONISHING.
>> ONE OF THE -- YOU KNOW, NOW
THAT I SPEND TIME IN NEW YORK
CITY I CAN'T HELP BECAUSE OF YOU
WALKING BY AND LOOKING UP.
AND I SEE THAT A LOT OF THE
LIGHTS ARE OFF.
HOW DO YOU EXPECT $88 MILLION
FOR A CONDO AND NOT SLEEP THERE?
>> WHEN YOU HAVE FIVE HOUSES AND
A PRIVATE JET AND A SEPARATE
WARDROBE AT EVERY HOUSE YOU
DON'T NEED TO BE ANYWHERE VERY
LONG.
THEY COME HERE FOR THE SEASON,
WHEN IT'S TOO HOT WHERE THEY
LIVE.
THERE'S AN ARAB PRINCE WHO ONLY
COMES DURING SUMMERTIME IN HIS
NATIVE COUNTRY.
>> AND THE $88 MILLION UNIT,
FAIR TO SAY THAT WAS A RUSSIAN
OLAGARK WHO BOUGHT IT FOR HIS
22-YEAR-OLD COLLEGE STUDENT