New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has sold his longtime apartment at New York’s iconic Plaza hotel for $22.5 million. The off-market deal comes shortly after Kraft purchased a new Manhattan spread at 220 Central Park South on nearby Billionaires’ Row.
Kraft purchased the Plaza apartment for $14.74 million in 2007, when a portion of the iconic hotel was being converted into a condominium, according to property records.
Kraft couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. The identity of the buyer couldn’t immediately be determined.
Details of the Plaza unit are sparse, since it wasn’t publicly listed for sale. Located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, the French Renaissance-inspired Plaza dates to the early 1900s. The condos have drawn notable buyers over the years, including fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and London developer Christian Candy. Candy sold his unit for $32.7 million in 2017, while Hilfiger sold his unit for $31.25 million in 2019, records show.
In the book “The Plaza: The Secret Life of America’s Most Famous Hotel” by Julie Satow, Kraft recalled touring the building when it was still under construction. He had a “nostalgic connection” to the hotel, Satow wrote.
Having led the Patriots to a record-breaking 11 Super Bowls, Kraft drew on his players’ jersey numbers to help him determine which unit to acquire, according to the book.
“They said I could have any apartment I wanted, so I was thinking I would do the 12th [floor] because that’s Brady,” he told Satow, referring to former quarterback Tom Brady. However, once he decided to buy two units and combine them, there was only one available floor—11.
“So I went from Brady to Edelman,” he said, referencing former wide receiver Julian Edelman.
The Plaza’s condos have lost some of their luster in recent years as newer, taller towers have sprung up in the area around Central Park South.
Less than a month ago, an entity tied to Kraft purchased two units at 220 Central Park South for a combined $34 million, property records show. The newer building, designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, has drawn big-name buyers including the entertainer Sting and hedge funders Ken Griffin and Dan Och.
Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994 after amassing wealth as the chairman and chief executive officer of the Kraft Group, a privately held business that includes manufacturing, real estate and sports assets. Kraft was recently shown taking a shot with former Patriots coach Bill Belichick on Netflix’s “The Roast of Tom Brady.”
He has an extensive portfolio of luxury homes, including a penthouse in Palm Beach, Fla., which he bought for $23.75 million in December 2022. In 2021, he bought a property on Meadow Lane in the Hamptons for $43 million. He also owns a home in Chestnut Hill, Mass., records show.