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Israel billionaire Lev Leviev. (Limor Edrey)
Last update - 12:33 09/01/2008
Leviev buys most expensive new British property for $70M
By Reuters
Tags: Israel billionaires 

Israeli diamond billionaire Lev Leviev, who immigrated to Israel from Uzbekistan in 1971, has bought the most expensive new property ever sold in Britain -a $70 million home with a bullet-proof front door costing $100,000, British real estate dealers said on Tuesday.

The 51-year-old businessman best known for his diamond trading company and who is estimated to be worth $6.5 billion, is expected to move with his wife and two of his nine children.

Leviev, who is said to have immigrated to Israel without a penny to his name, also has homes in Israel, New York and Moscow, but is thought to favor a move to London because of high taxes in Israel.
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The seven-bedroom house in the exclusive north London district of Hampstead boasts a $1.5 million stone staircase constructed using 150-year-old carving techniques and an indoor swimming pool with gold-plated mosaic tiles.

The Palladian-style home also features a gym, sauna, ballroom and cinema, a private hair salon and a one-tone bathroom basin carved from a single piece of white Iranian onyx.

A London property agent who asked not to be named said $70 million was the highest ever paid for a new property in Britain. The most paid for any property is believed to be $128 million spent by steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal for a London mansion.

He recently launched a company in London and opened a flagship diamond store in exclusive Bond Street, competing directly with De Beer's, the South African-based company that has traditionally been the world's largest diamond dealer.

Leviev's decision to spend millions on London property comes despite a downturn in Britain's once red-hot market. After nearly 10 years of steady growth, prices have tapered in recent months and are even expected to fall in the coming year.

His move to London follows in the footsteps of more high-profile billionaires, including his friend Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea Football Club.

Once installed in his new home, Leviev will be protected not only by the bullet-proof front door but by 25 security cameras and a high-tech alarm system that can be controlled remotely - from a yacht in the Caribbean if necessary.

In his front garden is a topiary bush that cost $40,000 to shape, and should he get cold there is a $200,000 hand-carved stone fireplace in the living room.
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  1.   Why Leviev why? 20:55  |  Nora 08/01/08
  2.   all that money and a face only his mother could love 21:19  |  don 08/01/08
  3.   Does he not know that he has a homeland now? 21:57  |  Brit 08/01/08
  4.   Has he got an osteopath for his back pain? 22:02  |  shanan 08/01/08
  5.   Mar`be nechasim, mar`be de`agot 22:08  |  Pirkei Avot 08/01/08
  6.   Great Zionist 22:44  |  Tod Zuckerman 08/01/08
  7.   When given the choice...which promise land is better? 22:51  |  Which? :) 08/01/08
  8.   Rats and sinking ship ? 23:16  |  Nora 08/01/08
  9.   Is This a Civilized Person, or a Post-Soviet Embarrassment!? 00:41  |  Regular Jws 09/01/08
  10.   Never mind his back; does he need an RN? 00:52  |  Yossi 09/01/08
  11.   oompalumpa shin bet borat hakokadoodledo 01:05  |  David 09/01/08
  12.   The ganef will be jailed in England soon for tax evasion. 01:16  |  naro 09/01/08
  13.   How can London have lower taxes 03:17  |  Gary Swoggle 09/01/08
  14.   good fo him 03:17  |  yakov 09/01/08
  15.   Thousands of people are put to work... 03:20  |  DigitalBob 09/01/08
  16.   Good fortune on Leviev 03:47  |  Nancy 09/01/08
  17.   Why England? 04:08  |  Jeff in Miami Beach 09/01/08
  18.   Good thing US sends billions in aid 04:47  |  Scott 09/01/08
  19.   Leviev`s New Crib 05:05  |  Susannah 09/01/08
  20.   LEV LEVIEV 05:05  |  DR.VEGAS 09/01/08
  21.   Leviev 05:11  |  M 09/01/08
  22.   Disgusting. 05:26  |  David 09/01/08
  23.   Mr. Leviev`s tax strategy 05:38  |  David 09/01/08
  24.   leviev 05:54  |  Anthony Iannetta 09/01/08
  25.   A Real Jew 05:59  |  Chaim Yankel BenYoel 09/01/08
  26.   lucky seller 06:06  |  HR 09/01/08
  27.   Leviev buys most expensive new British property for $70M 06:15  |  Walker Lane 09/01/08
  28.   re: Austin in Texas 06:29  |  Dan Work 09/01/08
  29.   I agree with Scott, though he doesn`t know what he`s saying 06:44  |  Gil 09/01/08
  30.   Money 06:47  |  messershmidt 09/01/08
  31.   Diamond is blood! 06:54  |  Mosher 09/01/08
  32.   Good For You Leviev 06:58  |  Pam 09/01/08
  33.   Scott`s an idiot 07:01  |  Rob L 09/01/08
  34.   Taxes? No, this is symbolic but why? 07:10  |  george 09/01/08
  35.   Hmm, seems he has made a few enemies for all that protection 07:14  |  Bilderberg 09/01/08
  36.   Trans-National Kapitalist Pig 07:18  |  Mac-101 09/01/08
  37.   material display 08:02  |  Mike H 09/01/08
  38.   Leviev 08:29  |  Dan O`Connor 09/01/08
  39.   Good for nothin diamonds 08:57  |  MegaBux 09/01/08
  40.   Leviev`s money and the criminals who help. 10:05  |  Jerry 09/01/08
  41.   US Aid to Israel 10:13  |  Chris 09/01/08
  42.   Welcome to Londonistan 10:38  |  Willi Brix 09/01/08
  43.   your all jealous and wish you could 10:39  |  elchonon 09/01/08
  44.   Home is where the heart is. 11:03  |  David 09/01/08
  45.   US borrows money to give to Israel 11:05  |  Dj MacK 09/01/08
  46.   British taxes are lower for foreigners 11:08  |  Muhammad W. R. Khan 09/01/08
  47.   Leviev buys most expensive new British property for $70 11:12  |  PragueBob 09/01/08
  48.   shanan 11:27  |  dr h 09/01/08
  49.   He is right. Why pay taxes to irrelevant Gov. 11:49  |  Stephen. 09/01/08
  50.   Response to PragueBob - Philanthropy 12:03  |  Curious 09/01/08
  51.   It`s All About Money & Power! 12:34  |  Suzanne 09/01/08
  52.   An annual billion$ ain`t enough... Greed supplants Zionism!!! 12:44  |  Ben Uziel 09/01/08
  53.   Payment calculations? 13:02  |  Chuck 09/01/08
  54.   He funds fraudulent purchases of Palestinian land 13:07  |  Richard Silverstein 09/01/08
  55.   # 2 Don HAve you seen Bill Gates? Uglier than home made sin. 14:39  |  Petra 09/01/08
  56.   SOOOOOOO many jealous posters here 14:45  |  Petra 09/01/08
  57.   Shanan 14:47  |  Joe 09/01/08
  58.   The man gives a lot of tzedaka 14:50  |  David 09/01/08
  59.   Let the Man Be. 15:22  |  FOX 09/01/08
  60.   smart leviev 16:15  |  abc 09/01/08
  61.   Give 50 mil a year 16:27  |  Mac-101 09/01/08
  62.   Quit kvetching 16:32  |  Jeremiah 09/01/08
  63.   Hard to imagine ... 16:46  |  S. Britchky 09/01/08
  64.   You are all a bunch of haters! 16:55  |  doesn`t matter 09/01/08
  65.   Leviev flees Israel? Why 17:02  |  Randy 09/01/08
  66.   What does religion have to do with it? 17:10  |  Joe 09/01/08
  67.   His son just joined the army 17:24  |  Sam 09/01/08
  68.   in response to Dj Marck: U.S.borrows money to give to Israel. 17:26  |  Theresa USA 09/01/08
  69.   Often big money has a detremental effect 17:35  |  TOMY 09/01/08
  70.   Leviev 17:59  |  jjv4012 09/01/08
  71.   Livin` the dream 18:11  |  Harv