New York Society is gossiping that, after renouncing her US citizenship for tax purposes, Denise Rich has quietly bought an apartment on Central Park South.
Multiple sources say that wealthy socialite and songwriter Rich purchased a penthouse unit at 230 Central Park South for nearly $12 million in the name of a limited liability corporation. The spies buzz that she negotiated with the co-op board to permit the sale by agreeing to set up a bank account with a large amount readily available to cover maintenance expenses.
But Grammy-nominated Rich, 70, insists she is not the buyer — it was her real estate investor boyfriend, Peter Cervinka, who purchased the apartment. One source with knowledge of the sale said: “It is not in her name, but Denise bought the apartment under an LLC after renting it for a while, and agreed with the board to set up an escrow account to cover maintenance and other expenses while she’s out of the country. She said she won’t be spending much time there, but her daughter will be periodically staying there.”
However, a rep for Rich countered, “Completely untrue — Peter definitely purchased it.” Cervinka, who has also been described in reports as Rich’s financial adviser, owns homes in France and Kitzbühel, Austria. His attorney, Vincent A. Balardi, said, “PH17 at 230 Central Park South was bought by Peter Cervinka. Denise Rich has no ownership of that property. There is no escrow account linked to her that I am aware of.”
Rich — who this week hosted her annual, star-studded, black-tie Angel Ball benefit, which raised $3.7 million for cancer research — renounced her US citizenship in 2012, and she appeared on the Federal Register under her maiden name, Denise Eisenberg.
She planned to live in London, her lawyer said at the time, a move that was likely to save Rich millions of dollars in both US and foreign taxes, but also allow her to be near her two daughters and grandchildren who live there. She sold her sprawling Fifth Avenue apartment to music mogul David Geffen for $54 million in 2012.