Billionaire Tony Fung puts Surfers Paradise penthouse on the market
IF you’ve got a cool $7 million in your back pocket, this Surfers Paradise penthouse could be yours. It was purchased by Asian billionaire Tony Fung — who never lived in it.
Lifestyle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News.
HONG KONG billionaire Tony Fung has decided the Gold Coast high life is not for him and is selling his potential castle in the sky — the penthouse in beachfront super-tower Soul.
Mr Fung has never lived in the four-level Surfers Paradise apartment, bought as a shell from receivers for $7 million three years ago and untouched since then.
The penthouse, which sits more than 220 metres above sea level and includes Queensland’s highest private pool and spa, is to be put on the market at $7.95 million.
Mr Fung is selling it because, while on the Gold Coast, he is content to live on his boat, the Asteria, or at Aquis Farm, his 447ha racehorse breeding property at Canungra.
In the wake of buying the 1040sq m penthouse at a 2015 auction, Mr Fung engaged architectural firm BVN to create a bespoke design and the apartment today has approval for a larger internal living area.
It already has six en suite bedrooms, a double-storey lobby, and a glass internal lift.
The Fung sell-off move comes weeks after developer Ron Bakir set a Gold Coast record for a penthouse when he sold his Chevron Renaissance home for $9.5 million.
The agent who handled that sale, Michael Kollosche, and Kollosche Prestige Agents colleague Jordan Williams are marketing the Fung penthouse.
The 77-level Soul was developed by the Sunshine Coast-based Juniper group and receivers took control of the property in 2012.
They decided in 2014 to strip the unsold penthouse bare, removing fittings and fixtures, before marketing it as an empty four-stack box.
Mr Kollosche said the penthouse space provided a blank canvas for the new owner to create a luxury apartment in any style or configuration they wanted.
“This really is a unique opportunity for the right buyer to partner with architects and interior designers to put their own stamp on what is a truly incredible space.
“The location, the views and the high-end luxury of the building deserve something very special.
“We will be marketing the property internationally, but we would also expect to see some strong interest from local buyers who understand the value and location.”
Mr Kollosche said the size of the penthouse would be one of the key selling points.
“At more than 1000sq m, it is 30 per cent bigger than the Australia 108 penthouse in Melbourne that sold for $25 million in 2016 and nearly four times bigger than the Opera Residences 280sq m penthouse, which sold for $27 million late last year.”
The Soul penthouse was the subject of a court case three years ago after Brisbane businessman Charlie Caltabiano failed to settle a $16.85 million contract on it.
He was ordered to pay $14.1 million in damages and $1.5 million in interest and legal costs.