A condo nestled away in Trump Tower believed to be the inspiration for “50 Shades of Grey” protagonist Christian Grey’s glitzy sex lair got a $10 million haircut, thanks in part to plummeting demand for units in former President Donald Trump’s glassy Manhattan skyscraper, according to a new report.
Picked up by Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo in 2015 for a cool $18.5 million, the condo returned to market this month at a paltry $7.75 million two years after the Juventus soccer club forward unsuccessfully listed it in 2019 for $9 million. Boasting three bedrooms, a winding limestone foyer and windows overlooking Central Park, the 2,510-square-foot unit on 721 Fifth Avenue was purchased by Ronaldo before Trump announced his campaign for president.
Once Trump launched his campaign and amped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric, however, any association with Trump Tower became increasingly unattractive and by 2017, nearly 10,000 soccer fans signed a petition calling on Ronaldo to move out. In 2019, he listed the property for $9 million.
Property values across an entire portfolio of Trump-branded residential buildings have plummeted since Trump was elected president, with some residents selling at severely discounted rates. Even wealthy supporters of the former president are increasingly hesitant to buy as the properties tend to flounder on the market — in 2019, conservative actor Vincent Gallo paid $1.47 million for a unit that was once listed for over $3 million.
Earlier this year, residents of Trump Plaza Palm Beach formally erased the former president’s name from their building, after its condominium board unanimously agreed to change the legal name of the 32-story building, which is only a few miles away from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago private club and estate.
First reported by the New York Post, the latest price reduction brings the asking price down to just $7.75 million or $10.75 million less than Ronaldo paid for it. Prior to Ronaldo’s purchase, “50 Shades of Grey’’ author E.L. James used the unit as inspiration for the bachelor pad of Christian Grey, a BDSM enthusiast and sadist whose fictional romance with Anastasia Steele is the source of the best-selling books and movies.
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The three-bedroom condo boasts black-and-white limestone, wooden panelling and 8th-century parquet de Versaille floors. Scenes from the “50 Shades Of Grey” movies, including glimpses of an expansive bathroom and full-length glass shower, were shot in the actual Trump Tower condo.
The discounted sale is unlikely to set Ronaldo back too much — his contract with Juventus clocks in at around $64 million a year while his net worth is estimated at over $500 million.