Palatial NYC and NJ homes tied to a convicted Chinese fraudster now seek new owners one of them for a massive discount
Two properties tied to the Chinese billionaire and convicted fraudster Guo Wengui have resurfaced for sale — with storied pasts, if not staggering markdowns, that highlight their tainted histories.Guo’s full-floor penthouse at Manhattan’s Sherry-Netherland, which once served as his opulent home base, is now listed for $19.5 million, The Post has learned.
This marks a precipitous drop from its initial 2015 listing price of $86 million — and, even more recently, its $24 million price tag from just two months ago.Purchased for $67.5 million nearly a decade ago, the 15-room, 7,000-square-foot home boasts six bedrooms, panoramic views of Central Park and three terraces.
However, its grandeur has been marred by fire damage from a mysterious blaze that erupted as FBI agents arrested Guo last March on charges related to a billion-dollar fraud scheme.Sources previously told The Post that fire may have been set remotely, adding an air of intrigue to a property that had allegedly been outfitted to record its guests.
In July, a Manhattan court convicted the self-exiled businessman of defrauding his online followers through an investment and cryptocurrency scheme.Part of the funds were used to purchase a $26.5 million mansion in New Jersey — a property also now for sale — and a $37 million yacht.
He was found guilty on nine of the 12 criminal charges, including racketeering and money laundering.His sentencing is scheduled for Jan.
6, 2025, with the possibility of decades in prison or deportation back to China, where he faces additional charges.Despite some restorative work to address the fire damage, which appears in the listing’s marketing images, the penthouse remains in “white box” condition.
Guo, also known as Ho Wan Kwok or Miles Kwok, had hoped to flip the property soon after buying it.Serena Boardman of Sotheby’s International Realty holds that listing.The brokerage didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.Meanwhile, across the Huds...