Try, for a moment, to imagine yourself in the shoes of your average gazillionaire. (If it helps to affect the accent of a Russian oligarch or a Texan oil magnate, go right ahead. You can even try for Greenwich-bred hedge fund manager, but the subtleties of that one can be elusive.) You have long since left the millionaires behind, and even the decamillionaires are like quaint, countrified third cousins.
You have serious money to spend. You start with the easy stuff—a jet, perhaps a yacht, a very fast car, a truly fantastic wardrobe. These things are pretty easy to acquire—all you need is an American Express black card and a dream. Now it’s time to get a place in Manhattan. As it turns out, your options are somewhat limited. You need more than a pied-à-terre or a merely lavish spread. You’re in the market for a real showstopper, a perch from which to make your mark on the cultural life of the city. (That’s code for hosting seriously decadent parties.)
There is one home currently on the market that would break the bank and supply all the credit any money horse would need. The Milbank mansion on East 67th Street is one of the largest private residences in the city with a $45-million price tag. The house has a mirrored gym, wine cellar, grand ballroom, stone fireplace, massive bathroom that contains a mosaic tub and a gold-plated toilet and bidet. A sitting room opens onto a Mediterranean-style patio and a glass-roofed studio where Guccione used to paint. The fourth, fifth, and sixth floors all sport multiple bedrooms, fireplaces, and sitting rooms, and at the top of the stairs is a lovely, delicate stained-glass skylight. In case you lose count, that’s twenty-six rooms in all. If it’s a labyrinth, you may not want to ever find your way out.
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