A federal judge has ordered Rudy Giuliani to surrender nearly all of his possessions as part of a $148 million defamation lawsuit he lost at the end of 2023. He must deliver the items to a court-appointed receiver within seven days, who will then pass them on to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, Georgia election workers falsely accused by Giuliani of ballot tampering during the 2020 presidential election. Among the items now owned by Freeman and Moss are a Mercedes-Benz, a signed Joe DiMaggio jersey, a television, various pieces of furniture, multiple luxury watches, and a penthouse apartment located on the Upper East Side.
Giuliani initially listed the three-bedroom, three-bath penthouse for sale in 2023 with Sotheby’s, managed by Serena Boardman, who also handled Bernie Madoff’s penthouse sale. At that time, Giuliani was entangled in multiple legal issues stemming from his actions during the Trump administration, and his financial situation was precarious, according to his attorney. The FBI had raided the apartment in 2021 as part of an investigation into his dealings with Ukraine. After failing to sell the unit at an asking price of $6.5 million, Giuliani removed it from the market in February 2023 but relisted it in May following the cancellation of his profitable radio show, which came after a dispute with the owner.
Now, Giuliani will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale. However, owning a co-op on the Upper East Side is not an easy financial gain, even if Freeman and Moss aim to sell the property quickly. It has been reported that the co-op requires monthly maintenance fees of $10,000, though it is uncertain if the election workers will bear this cost or if the court-appointed receiver will need to liquidate other assets to cover it. Additionally, the apartment’s price has already been reduced by $400,000, despite the co-op market being relatively strong, and it is now listed at $5.1 million.
This penthouse was significant to Giuliani during his career peak, as noted by his ex-wife, Judith Giuliani, who described it as a place where her then-husband could relax and watch his favorite baseball games. It had once held a mystique linked to his reputation as “America’s mayor,” which previously added to its appeal in the real estate market, according to broker Dolly Lenz. However, the perception has changed significantly, and having Giuliani’s name associated with the building might not carry the same weight now.
While it may seem like fitting justice that the penthouse, a symbol of Giuliani’s past power and influence, is going to Freeman and Moss, the complexities of New York real estate mean that selling it could take time.