The "comeback billionaire," a.k.a. Jim Clark, is the new owner of the Bunny Mellon Mansion, which he bought for $37 million.
The 40-foot-wide mansion at 125 East 70th Street in Manhattan went on the market for $46 million in 2013. Originally, the house belonged to the late Bunny Mellon—from whom it received its moniker—and her husband, Paul.
Paul was a horse breeder, philanthropist and co-heir to the Mellon banking fortune; Bunny was the horticulturist responsible for the White House's Rose Garden. The new residents of their Upper East Side estate are Clark, the 70-year-old cofounder of Netscape, and his 35-year-old fourth wife, Australian Victoria's Secret model Kristy Hinze. Clark was deemed the "comeback billionaire" after a fruitful bet on Apple restored him to the Forbes list in 2012.
With 14 rooms and 11,100 square feet decorated in Neoclassic French style, the house is by today's standards both an opulent statement piece and a historic relic. Together, the Mellons collected and donated more than a thousand works of art, some of which hung in the library of the mansion. To describe her taste, Bunny Mellon was known to have coined the adage, "nothing should be noticed."
The house's exterior boasts a private garden with reflecting pool and gazebo, which can be seen from the beloved library. Inside are eight bedrooms, eight-and-a half-bathrooms, a chef's kitchen, wine room, study, library, and staff's quarters. Three stunning exposures admit sunshine.
Clark is said to have purchased the townhouse from Irish businessman Tony White and his wife Clare, who shelled out $22.5 million for the property back in 2006.
Photos courtesy of StreetEasy; Additional details courtesy of the New York Post
