Rosmah’s son paid RM110 million for New York penthouse, reports portal
The prime minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, is in the limelight again, following a report by whistleblower portal Sarawak Report that her 36-year-old son paid US$33.5 million (RM110 million) for a penthouse in New York last year.
Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz, Rosmah's son from an earlier marriage, reportedly bought the seven-room property at 63rd Street in Park Laurel, New York.
The Sarawak Report, citing a New York real estate site The Real Deal, claimed that Riza bought the property on November 19 last year.
News portal Malaysiakini quoted a report in the New York Times, which stated the condominium unit in Central Park West was bought under the shield of a limited-liability company called Park Laurel Acquisition.
Riza, the stepson of Datuk Seri Najib Razak, began a career in banking after graduating from the London School of Economics in 2000, according to Sarawak Report.
It said he worked with consultancy firm KPMG until 2002 and later with HSBC London, until the 2008 financial meltdown.
"According to the Financial Services Authority, Riza Aziz was employed in a relatively minor role at HSBC for five years, although Aziz himself says he resigned in 2008," the report said.
Riza is said to have partnered with renowned Hollywood producer Joey McFarland to set up a production company Red Granite Pictures, whose films include The Wolf of Wall Street, Friends With Kids and the sequel to Dumb and Dumber, Dumber and Dumber To.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, McFarland said the company's strategy was to "buy up promising but troubled production projects that other studios have dropped".
According to Sarawak Report, businessman Jho Low was at the launch of The Wolf of Wall Street, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio.
A group photograph of Riza, McFarland and Low, the Penang-born billionaire who supposedly has close links with Najib and Rosmah, is also published by Sarawak Report.
The portal also claimed that the original producers of "Dumb and Dumber", Steve Stabler and Brad Krevoy, have filed a suit against Riza, and reproduced documents filed with the Superior Court of California, in which Riza was described as a relative of Najib.
They duo were upset that Riza's company, which acquired the movie rights, has cut them out from the production of "Dumb and Dumber To". – December 28, 2013.
