Convicted con man Guo Wengui’s New York penthouse drops to $24 million

The Manhattan penthouse linked to convicted Chinese fraudster Guo Wengui is back on the market for $24 million, according to an updated listing from StreetEasy — a staggering drop from its original asking price of $86 million.

Guo is also known by his real name, Ho Wan Kwok, or Miles Kwok.

In any case, Guo was initially accepted by the notoriously stuffy board of directors of the Sherry-Netherland co-op, located at 781 Fifth Avenue, thanks to a letter from former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Blair had also dined at the apartment, according to some sources.

But Guo became the co-op board’s worst nightmare. He lived in the condo, with its sweeping views of Central Park, which he bought for $67.5 million in 2015, while awaiting political asylum that never came.

But in March 2023, the FBI arrived at dawn to arrest him for orchestrating a billion-dollar fraud. But while the FBI agents were still in the penthouse, a mysterious fire broke out.

Sources at the time told the Post they believed the fire was started remotely and that the entire apartment was wired to record guests.

Last July, the exiled businessman was convicted in a Manhattan court of defrauding his online followers in an investment and cryptocurrency scheme, in part to buy a $26.5 million New Jersey mansion and a $37 million yacht. He was found guilty on nine of 12 counts, including racketeering and money laundering. His sentencing was reportedly scheduled for November 19.

Guo faces decades in prison and/or deportation to China, where he also faces criminal charges.

The penthouse is beautiful, but it’s in disrepair after the fire, which is partly why the apartment’s price has dropped, sources told Gimme Shelter. Guo had first tried to resell the home for $86 million the same year he bought it, but there were no buyers. The home is a 15-room complex assembled by the previous owner, the late Gilbert Haroche, co-founder of Liberty Travel.

In a 2018 interview with Gimme Shelter from his art-filled penthouse, Guo portrayed himself as a civic-minded billionaire desperate to destroy the Chinese Communist Party. But his story was complicated.

Guo made his fortune in China, in real estate, partly through his relationship with a senior Chinese intelligence official, Ma Jian, who was later sentenced to life in prison for accepting $15.9 million in bribes from Guo. In the interview, Guo said the CCP wanted to “break” him. “But I don’t buckle under pressure. It makes me stronger,” Guo said.

“I have 60 custom-made Brioni suits and handmade Louis Vuitton shoes. I don’t care about anything. I’m a Buddhist,” he added in the interview. “But the CCP wanted to take everything from me: my wealth, my freedom and my dignity. All this shows that they can’t.”

The single-story penthouse is 7,000 square feet, with six bedrooms and 100 square feet of space overlooking Central Park, as well as panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline and three large terraces overlooking the city. Work has been done to create a white space where the fire damage occurred, according to the current listing.

The home includes a corner living room, a library with a bar, a formal dining room and a corner office, as well as several bedrooms and dressing rooms.

The broker of record is Serena Boardman of Sotheby’s, who could not be reached for comment.