Joan Rivers' penthouse in Manhattan went up for sale in February after Rivers' sudden and tragic death last September and it has now been sold for $28 million.
The late comedian's lavish triplex apartment has been sold to "Middle East royalty," sources close to the family have told CNBC. The Upper East Side apartment had multiple offers, but when the royal family made their $28 million offer, the deal finally closed earlier this week.
"I see a lot of Middle Eastern buyers aggressively looking at the end of the high-end of the market," said Charlie Attias, a luxury broker, according to NY Daily News. "They want to diversify and they always want to be putting their money all over the world. They feel like New York is pretty well priced compared to London and taxes are much less than in cities like Paris."
Real estate broker Leighton Candler, of the Corcoran Group, marketed the home on behalf of Joan's daughter Melissa, according to the Daily Mail. Since the penthouse boasted 5,000 square feet, three floors and four-bedrooms, Joan's daughter Melissa was able to have her own apartment within the triplex.
Corcoran real estate group officially confirmed the sale of the penthouse on their site. "One of New York's most legendary apartments," the site reads. "This coveted Penthouse is changing ownership for the first time in 25 years."
Joan once joked and described the Upper East Side place as "where Marie Antoinette would have lived if she had the money." It was built in 1903 and was located right off of Fifth Ave at 1 East 62nd Street.
Joan Rivers purchased this home in 1987 following the death of her husband. Joan passed away unexpectedly on September 4, 2014 at the age of 81 while undergoing a routine endoscopy.
"By the time I moved in, I had a whole new life," Joan told People in 2010. "This apartment totally saved me. It's funny how things turn around."
The identity of the buyers has not yet been revealed and it is unclear where exactly they live in the Middle East. All that is known is that they made the deal extremely fast and most likely paid cash.
