It was an intriguing deal in 2008, and it’s even more so now.
Nearly 10 years ago, a Russian oligarch paid a record sum to purchase a Palm Beach mansion owned by Donald Trump. Dmitry Rybolovlev paid $95 million for a home that Trump had purchased just four years earlier for only $41.35 million – a $50 million premium.
Why Rybolvlev would pay so much for a home in which he had no plans to live, or otherwise wanted, was never explained. Was it as a corporate investment? Was it for his children? Over the years, Rybolvlev’s spokespeople have given varying explanations.
What’s clear now is that in light of continued revelations about the Trump administration’s links and talks with Russian government officials, the peculiar land deal from 2008 is again a talking point in a town where Trump has his southern White House.
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