Revealed: Nigerian Among The Richest Property Owners In The UK

It is a central London apartment block with a price tag that only the world’s richest can afford to pay.

But owners of the lavish apartments at the Candy & Candy development One Hyde Park are notoriously shy about revealing their identities.

Now a six-month investigation has revealed that oil baronesses, Kazakh singers and Arab sheikhs are all members of the small and exclusive club of owners.

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Exclusive: One Hyde Park apartments are owned by a roll call of the some of the world’s richest people
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Neighbours: Naomi Campbell’s boyfriend Vladislav Doronin is reported to own an apartment there, along with the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, who has a £12million property there

The exclusive residential glass tower in Knightsbridge developed by property tycoons Christian and Nick Candy is believed to be the most expensive apartment block in the world.

Christian Candy owns separate flats worth £31million and £26.2million on the tenth floor.

His brother Nick, who recently married Holly Valance, also owns a penthouse in the block.

In total the Candy brothers and other members of the Project Grande consortium – the company that developed One Hyde Park – reportedly own eight apartments.

Among their neighbours is Project Grande partner and prime minister of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani.

He owns an apartment spread over the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth floors worth £12million.

The list reveals a diverse selection of the world’s richest people including billionaires, the investigation by Vanity Fair has shown.

Property tycoons: The block was developed by Nick Candy, pictured with wife Holly Valance, left, and his brother Christian Candy, pictured with his wife Emily, right
Property tycoons: The block was developed by Nick Candy, pictured with wife Holly Valance, left, and his brother Christian Candy, pictured with his wife Emily, right
Wealthy: Shakhtar Donetsk's owner Rinat Akhmetov, left, is believed to own an apartment
as does Vladimir Kim, who chairs Kazakh copper giant Kazakhmys

Wealthy: Shakhtar Donetsk’s owner Rinat Akhmetov, left, who is worth an estimated £10billion, is believed to own an apartment as does Vladimir Kim, right, who chairs Kazakh copper giant Kazakhmys

 

THE RICHEST OWNERS OF EXCLUSIVE ONE HYDE PARK

Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine’s richest man – estimated worth £143.8m

Folorunsho Alakija, Nigerian oil tycoon – estimated worth £81.9m

Sheikh Hamad bin Jasmin bin Jabr Al Thani – estimated worth £40.4m

Irina and Viktor Kharitonin, Russian pharmaceuticals,  – estimated worth £33.1m

Professor Wong Wen Young, Taiwanese entrepreneur – estimated worth £29.1m

Other apartment owners are Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine’s richest man, Kazakh singer Anar Aitzhanova and Sheikh Mohammed Saud Sultan al-Qasimi, a member of the ruling family of the Gulf emirate Sharjah, The Sunday Times reported.

Naomi Campbell’s boyfriend Vladislav Doronin is reported to own an apartment there as well, although the supermodel is not believed to share the property.

The properties, which have magnificent panoramic views of Hyde Park and Knightsbridge enjoy some of the city’s finest views from picture windows running the length of the property.

The apartment block may have the most eye-watering price tags, but the property has been branded a ‘ghost town’ in the past.

According to the investigation by tax haven expert Nicholas Shaxton, just 17 of the 76 sold apartments are primary residences.

Many of the owners use offshore companies to hide their identity.

According to The Sunday Times, five properties worth £81million are owned by companies on the Isle of Man.

Oil baroness Folorunsho Alakija owns five apartments in the block
Kazakh singer Anar Aitzhanova also has a property at One Hyde Park

Owners: Oil baroness Folorunsho Alakija, left, is believed to own five apartments in the block and Kazakh singer Anar Aitzhanova also has a property at One Hyde Park

Million pound view: The flats at One Hyde Park that are sold for up to £5,000 per sq ft boast stunning viewsMillion pound view: The flats at One Hyde Park that are sold for up to £5,000 per sq ft boast stunning views

 

A view of one of the flat's interiors inside One Hyde Park, which counts some of the world's wealthiest people as owners
Expensive:A flat inside One Hyde Park, which counts some of the world’s wealthiest people as owners

 

Because the residents are so wealthy, many have other homes and do not use their exclusive address as their permanent home, it has been reported.

Many of the features of the block – iris recognition in the lifts, panic rooms, bomb-proof windows, all mail being X-rayed – point to a cocoon.

It has a 21-metre swimming pool which is said to be nearly always empty, a cinema, saunas, gym, golf simulator, wine cellar, valet service and room service – via a tunnel from the five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel next door.

But chefs there say they can go a week without an order from the complex.

– UK Daily Mail