The $85 Million Penthouse Nobody Wanted – Except Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair

The convicted Chinese fraudster Guo Wengui, who used the aliases Ho Wan Kwok and Miles Kwok, is trying to sell his Manhattan penthouse again.

It's listed for $24 million – way down from the original $86 million asking price.

Guo was once accepted into the super exclusive co-op board at the Sherry-Netherland on Fifth Avenue. It's rumored that a glowing letter from former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who had even dined in the apartment, helped him get in.

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Guo paid $67.5 million for the penthouse, where he lived in 2015 while waiting for political asylum that never materialized. 

Guo quickly became the co-op board's worst nightmare. In 2015, he lived in the penthouse he paid $67.5 million for while waiting for political asylum that never materialized.

A mysterious fire broke out while agents were still at the penthouse. Although the penthouse is stunning, the fire left it in poor condition, which, according to the Post’s sources, is one of the reasons the price dropped so dramatically. 

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Guo tried to sell the home for $86 million the same year he bought it but couldn't find a buyer. The late Gilbert Haroche, a co-founder of Liberty Travel, assembled the 15-room apartment.

The full-floor penthouse, spanning 7,000 square feet, has six bedrooms, 100 feet of frontage overlooking Central Park, and panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline. The apartment also features three large terraces with city views. According to the listing, the fire damage has been repaired, creating a clean, white space.

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In a 2018 interview with Gimme Shelter, Guo portrayed himself as a civic-minded billionaire determined to destroy the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). But his story is complex.

Guo made his fortune in real estate in China, thanks partly to his relationship with top Chinese intelligence official Ma Jian. 

He has bragged about owning 60 custom-made Brioni suits and handmade Louis Vuitton shoes but said he doesn't care about "things" because he's a Buddhist.

"But the CCP wanted to take everything away from me – my wealth, my freedom and my dignity," he said. "All of this helps show that they can't."

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