Another day, another rich person dropping crazy cash on amazing real estate. This time, the multi-millionaire is Hard Rock Café founder Peter Morton and the place is Manhattan. The restaurant mogul spent $25.5 million on two separate condos in the West Village's celebrity enclave 150 Charles Street. Morton's neighbors include Jon Bon Jovi (who bought a $12.9 million four bedroom unit last month).
Peter Morton was born in Chicago in 1947. His father founded the Morton's Steakhouse chain in Chicago in the 1950s. Peter Morton made his fortune when he founded the Hard Rock Cafe. His first Hard Rock Cafe opened in London in 1971. Global expansion began in 1982 and Morton went on to open Hard Rock Cafes in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, San Diego, Las Vegas, Honolulu, and Sydney to name just a few. In 1995, Morton spent $80 million to build and open the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. That same year, he sold the Hard Rock Cafes to Rank Group. In 2006, Morton sold the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to former Studio 54 owner Ian Schrager's Morgan's Hotel Group.
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Morton's new digs come just months after Morton's century-old Hamptons house was destroyed by fire. The house, located in East Hampton, was a Tudor style oceanfront mansion with 10 bedrooms. It was the home Morton shared with his three children. Fortunately, no one was injured in the fire.
The Charles Street condo building is the ultimate in luxury living. It has a 75-foot lap pool, hot tub, sauna, gym, and massage room. The property has 40,000 square feet of landscaped common area as well as private terraces. Most units have views of the Hudson River. The interiors of the 91-unit building were designed by Alan Wanzenberg, who also worked on 15 Central Park West, the city's most expensive building. It doesn't take just big bucks to buy a unit in this building, it does to rent one too. One owner is renting a three-bedroom unit for $35,000 a month.
West Village residents fiercely fought 150 Charles Street. Residents mounted several campaigns to stop its construction, citing that its size would dwarf buildings adjacent to it and block sunlight to entire neighborhoods. The opposition didn't amount to much as the Witkoff Group developed condo tower was fully sold out when it was still just a steel frame. The building took seven years to build from planning to completion.
Morton's units are on the 12th and 14th floors. Oh and by the way, Peter Morton has a net worth of $500 million.
