The Billionaires in Robert A.M. Stern Buildings

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (also known as RAMSA) has built some of the most notable buildings in the country in the last ten years – including many of our Related rentals! No surprise then that his most high-profile projects – namely, 15 Central Park West, 220 Central Park South and 520 Park Avenue– have attracted some of the most prominent people in the world. Below, we've rounded up a selection of the biggest names residing in those buildings right now (including, of course, how much they paid).

15 Central Park West

15 Central Park West 

Known as the "Limestone Jesus," 15 Central Park West was the original RAMSA billionaire building, attracting business titans, movie stars and a handful of foreign billionaires when it opened in 2006 (it even inspired a book; "House of Outrageous Fortune" by Michael Gross). The building once held the record for the most expensive New York City sale ever (Dmitry Rybolovlev's purchase of an $88 million penthouse in 2012 for his then 22-year-old daughter from Citibank CEO Sandy Weill). Since then, 15 Central Park West has seen its status eclipsed somewhat by other, flashier buildings with even more shocking sales (i.e. 220 Central Park South...more on that below). But even thirteen years later, the building continues to have one of the most famous addresses in New York, and is still home to some incredibly prominent names.

Lloyd Blankfein: The CEO of Goldman Sachs was an early buyer in the building; in 2006, he and his wife Laura paid almost $26.5 million for a duplex penthouse unit, which they still own.

Sara Blakely: The self-made Spanx billionaire and her husband,  Marquis Jets founder, Jesse Itzler, paid $12.11 million for a 37th floor pad in 2008 – despite the fact that she is terrified of heights. According to Gross' "House of Outrageous Fortune," Blakely was so terrified of being that high up, she hired Navy SEALs to map out escape routes from the apartment. The purchase worked out well for the couple in the end, however; they sold it for $30 million in 2014, nearly tripling their investment.

Denzel Washington: The movie star reportedly paid $13 million for a three-bedroom, four-bathroom apartment back in 2006.

Bob Costas: The sportscaster and former Olympics host and his wife Jill Sutton paid $11 million for an eight floor unit in 2007 that they still own.

Robert De Niro: The movie star and his (now ex) wife reportedly rented a $125,000-a-month 6,000-square-foot apartment in the building while his own place up the block at 88 Central Park West was under renovation after a fire. Other prominent renters of the unit? A-Rod (though he only paid $70,000-a-month).

Sting: The musician paid nearly $27 million for a pad adjacent to Blankfein's in 2008; he sold it in 2018 for $50 million, but didn't go far; he reportedly bought another unit at nearby 220 Central Park South (another RAMSA project)...

220 Central Park South

220 Central Park South: Speaking of, the secretive building is perhaps the most talked about in real estate circles at the moment. Namely because it holds the record for the most expensive home sale in United States history. Even before that sale closed, however, mystery and intrigue surrounded the building due to the secretive nature of how it was marketed. Not a single listing was released and virtually no one in the real estate industry or beyond got a look inside – unless they were a potential buyer of course. Now, thankfully, we can all enjoy a little peek as several units have been placed on the rental market.

Ken Griffin: By far the most famous sale in the building went to the hedge funder, who paid a record $238 million for his unit in January. Not much is known about the unit, except that it spans about 24,000 feet. This wasn't Griffin's first record-setting home purchase either; he's also paid $58.75 million for a condo in Chicago; $60 million in 2015 for a penthouse in Miami; $250 million assembling land parcels for a home in Palm Beach; and $122 million for an apartment in London.

520 Park Avenue

520 Park Avenue: Not just anyone could have designed the tallest building on the Upper East Side, and no doubt it helped that Robert A.M. Stern's name was attached to this ultra-lux building, which stands discreetly on Park and 60th Street. 520 is perhaps the most under-the-radar of the famous RAMSA buildings in New York – and no doubt its ultra-private residents want to keep it that way. The building only has 33 apartments over 54 stories, including an (unlisted) crowning triplex penthouse that is reportedly asking $130 million.

James Dyson: The inventor and entrepreneur best known for his vacuum cleaners reportedly paid $73.8 million for a six-bedroom penthouse with a balcony in 2018.

Frank Fertitta: The former owner of Ultimate Fighting Championship reportedly paid $70 million for another six-bedroom penthouse, which spans 9,138 square feet.

Bob Diamond: The former CEO of Barclay's moved over to the East side from his former perch at 15 Central Park West, which he sold for $50.55 million in 2017. His 520 Park Avenue penthouse, which he scooped up in 2018, was a much more modest $31.1 million.

In addition to these incredibly high profile projects, Stern is also known for his work designing many other buildings in the United States as well, including quite a few by Related. These include 261 Hudson, The Westminster, Tribeca Green, Abington House, 70 Vestry, Tribeca Park and One Bennett Park.