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Outfoxed! Rupert Murdoch paid 20% over ask for Manhattan co-op

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In the wake of his Fox News empire’s $787.5 million legal settlement, the details of media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s most recent multi-million dollar real estate transaction have come to light, The Real Deal reported.

According to records, Murdoch paid nearly 20 percent above his new Central Park South co-op’s asking price — or $5.2 million — compared to its original price of $30 million when it went on the market in January.

Murdoch signed a contract in February on the 6,500-square-foot unit at 150 Central Park South, known as The Hampshire House. The unit previously belonged to the estate of late hedge fund titan Julian Robertson Jr., who died in August 2022. Previously the unit also belonged to singer and philanthropist Alice Tully, who was known for her art collection and parties that she hosted in the unit.

Joanne Douglas of Douglas Elliman represented the seller and Deborah Grubman of Corcoran Group represented the buyer.

The apartment features seven bedrooms and five bathrooms, a library with a fireplace, a media room and a windowed kitchen. The living room also includes three arched doorways that open onto a terrace overlooking Central Park.

The 37-story co-op was converted in 1949, and amenities include white-glove service with doormen, concierge and laundry services, a health club and daily housekeeping services (which are provided at an extra charge).

Back in October, Murdoch took a loss of $2.5 million on a Flatiron condo he sold at One Madison, which he originally purchased for $15 million in 2014 and then sold for $12.5 million.

Murdoch also has another unit on the market at One Madison, a 7,000-square-foot penthouse, asking $46 million.

Dominion Voting Systems sued Fox News in 2021 after the conservative news channel aired false stories claiming that the company’s voting machines were vulnerable to hacking and had flipped votes from President Donald J. Trump to Joseph R. Biden Jr. during the 2020 presidential election. Dominion originally asked for damages of $1.6 billion in their lawsuit, but the ultimate payout of $787.5 million the company will earn from Fox marks one of the largest ever received in a defamation case.

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Email Lillian Dickerson