Gates, who is married to Olympic equestrian Nayel Nassar, reportedly bought the penthouse that belonged to Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton through a Seattle-based trust. In March, the couple welcomed their first child together and Gates’ first grandchild.Jennifer Gates is an award-winning equestrian who graduated from Stanford University with a degree in human biology and is currently attending the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
The penthouse apartment is 8,900 square feet and has a 3,400 square-foot outdoor space with a plunge pool. It includes six bedrooms, six bathrooms and two powder rooms.
“We tried to plan the unit so that residents could get privacy but also take advantage of the views on the exterior and interior of the building,” Theresa Genovese, principal at CetraRuddy Architecture, told CNBC Make It.
“The way we designed the apartments to bring in as much natural light as possible is one of the reasons why the building is so popular,” she added.
Gates’ three-level penthouse is the largest residence in the building of 53 apartments. It has access to its own elevator and private elevator bank and comes with two of the building’s 15 parking spaces.
Other design details include pine beams, restored windows, a chef’s kitchen, a wet bar and a gas fireplace. The building itself has a 70-foot indoor pool, a gym, yoga rooms, a kid’s playroom, and room for bike storage and wine storage.
Genovese said celebrities particularly like that the building was designed with more elevators than needed for the number of apartments. This feature allows residents to get from their apartments to their cars without ever having to go outside.
In addition to her own outdoor space, Gates can take advantage of the interior courtyard and common outdoor area on the roof — a rarity in New York City.
“It’s almost like an oasis up there as well. There are a lot of different choices, so I can see why people find it alluring to buy a unit in the building,” Genovese said.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation did not immediately respond to CNBC Make It’s request for comment.
