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The mystery surrounding the buyer of the Manhattan townhouse featured in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada has ended.
Turkish businessman Rahmi Koc has been identified as the buyer of the iconic house for $26.5 million (approximately ₺1.1 billion), according to Turkish journalist Serif Ercan.
The house, located at 129 East 73rd Street in New York City’s Upper East Side, served as the fictional home of Miranda Priestly, portrayed by Meryl Streep.
The identity of the buyer had remained undisclosed for months after Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and Business Insider reported the sale in September 2023.
Turkish journalist Sherif Ercan, writing for Turkish media outlet Takvim, claimed Koc as the buyer after investigating the transaction.
To maintain confidentiality, Rahmi Koc established a limited liability company (LLC) named “129 East 73rd Street Corp” on July 31, 2023, in New York. The acquisition was carried out on behalf of this LLC by Ibrahim Guldiken, who has worked as Koc Holding’s U.S. Investment Coordinator since 2013.
The LLC structure—commonly used in U.S. real estate to protect personal details—helped obscure the buyer’s identity until recently uncovered by Turkish media.
According to the report by Takvim, Rahmi Koc purchased the home not for investment purposes but to reside in it. The property is currently undergoing a full renovation tailored to his personal taste.
This acquisition adds to Koc’s real estate portfolio in the U.S., which includes a $3 million mansion in Miami (2011), a $7.7 million shipyard (2013), and an $18 million apartment in New York (2016).
Originally built in 1906 and fully renovated in 2005, the townhouse spans approximately 12,000 square feet across five stories and a full basement. It features:
According to real estate records, the previous owners, Craig and Caryn Effron, bought the home for $8.8 million in 2003. The property was listed in May 2023 for $27.5 million and went under contract within eight weeks.
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