MANHATTAN, NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) – The world’s richest man, Carlos Slim, purchased the Duke-Semans Mansion in Manhattan for the stunning amount of $44 million, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Slim, a Mexican telecommunications magnate, bought the only private mansion left on Fifth Avenue from Tamir Sapir. The cab driver-turned-fertilizer king initially listed the townhouse with a $50 million price in January. Slim managed to lower the price by entering in direct negotiations with Sapir without a broker and a commission.

The century-old Beaux Arts mansion is located across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and it is regarded as one of the most expensive residential sales in the city. Slim bought the residence through a limited liability company.

The original owner of the mansion was James Duke, co-creator of the American Tobacco Company. Duke inherited the property to his daughter Doris Duke. The house was owned by the Duke family for more than a century.

In 2006, the mansion was sold for $40 million, a record for that time, to Sapir who made his fortune in Russian oil. Sapir is now a real-estate investor and developer in New York.

Last month, the Mexican billionaire, purchased an 11-story office building at 417 Avenue for $140 million.