Brazil’s second-richest man, Joseph Safra, has sealed an agreement to purchase the Gherkin at 30 St Mary Axe, EC3 for more than £710m.
The Safra Group announced it had reached an agreement with Deloitte, which was appointed as receiver to the building earlier this year.
A statement released by Safra said: “The acquisition of 30 St Mary Axe is consistent with our real estate strategy of investing in properties that are truly special – at the best locations within great cities.
“While only ten years old, this building is already a London icon that is distinguished from others in the market, with excellent value growth potential. We intend to make the building even better and more desirable through active ownership that will lead to a range of enhancements that will benefit tenants.”
Safra’s business empire has assets under management valued at more than $200bn (£125.9bn) and equity of $15.3bn.
His fortune was built originally from banking. But the Safra group is now invested in a range of business sectors in both North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
