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Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran put her $12 million NYC penthouse for sale—and has found a buyer in just one day

Emma Burleigh
By
Emma Burleigh
Emma Burleigh
Reporter, Success
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Emma Burleigh
By
Emma Burleigh
Emma Burleigh
Reporter, Success
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 14, 2025, 12:52 PM ET
Barbara Corcoran's $12 million apartment
The millionaire real estate mogul’s uptown apartment has a library, wood-burning fireplace, butler’s pantry, chef’s kitchen leading into a green terrace. Left: Melanie Greene of Greenhouse NYC. Right: Getty Images
  • Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran listed her $12 million New York penthouse, and it was snatched up over asking price in just one day. The uptown luxury apartment is flush with a private library, wood-burning fireplace, French appliances, and a butler’s pantry. With $10 million and a passion for property, Corcoran turned the pad into a ”multilevel jewel box.”

Ever wonder how the other half lives? One famous multi-millionaire’s swanky penthouse was just snatched off the market, and now the world is getting a peek inside the bejeweled apartment.

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Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran just put her $12 million New York City penthouse on the market after living in it for a decade. The Fifth Avenue apartment, flush with a green terrace and French interior, borders Central Park—prime real estate in America’s most expensive city. 

“I never thought I would ever leave,” she said in an interview with TheNew York Times. “It’s easy to spend money when you’re building a lifelong dream. For me, real estate is emotional.”

@archute

Miss Barbara Corcoran showing her $15M New York City apartment. Video by @calebwsimpson #BarbaraCorcoran#sharktank#calebsimpson#newyork#newyorkapartment#howmuchyoupayforrent

♬ original sound – Archute Architecture Magazine

The real estate mogul’s top-floor apartment was snatched up in just one day—with multiple bids going above asking price—despite how poor the luxury housing market has been faring in some major cities. But take one look inside the luxury pad, and it makes sense why there was a fierce bidding war surpassing the $12 million price tag. 

From delivering a letter to the owner, to buying the penthouse two decades later

When Corcoran first stepped inside the luxury penthouse in 1992, she was on the clock working as a letter deliverer. She said she had “never seen anything as beautiful in [her] life.” 

Courtesy of Melanie Greene of Greenhouse NYC

At that time, Corcoran didn’t have the fame and fortune from founding Corcoran Realty and starring in hit-show Shark Tank. The investor was scraping to get by, but held the dream that the Carnegie Hill penthouse would one day be hers. 

She delivered the letter to the owner, handing over the envelope, and asked to give her a call if the spot ever hit the market. Over 20 years later in 2015, her phone rang—the place was up for sale at $10 million. Luckily, the entrepreneur was in a healthy financial spot to finally nab her dream apartment. 

Inside the $12 million New York penthouse that sold in one day

Corcoran’s celebrity status may have drummed up interest from potential buyers—but her passion for property lives on in its luxe furnishings. 

During her first 18 months in the apartment, she spent $2 million gutting the place: swapping the upstairs and downstairs floor plans, alongside installing a greenhouse, floating outdoor dining room, and full chef’s kitchen next to the terrace. 

Courtesy of Melanie Greene of Greenhouse NYC

The 4,600-square-foot spot is now a luxury dream that would woo any high-flying New Yorker. Complete with five bedrooms, five full bathrooms, and two half baths, the unit can entertain many guests at once. They can meander through the library, and sit and read by the wood-burning fireplace. Or if they fancy a good meal, the kitchen is stocked with a whole butler’s pantry, luxe French fixtures, custom white cabinets, and supreme stovetops.

Courtesy of Melanie Greene of Greenhouse NYC

“The apartment is laid out like a multilevel jewel box,” Scott Stewart, a broker with Corcoran who is co-listing the apartment, told the NYT. 

“She’s a real estate genius and the way she has designed this home represents her genius.”
While the new owner of the two-story apartment will be able to enjoy the fruits of Corcoran’s labor, she won’t be moving far away from her dream place. Needing to accommodate her 80-year-old retired Navy captain husband—who has struggled with the stairs—the Shark Tank star found a one-story penthouse in the same Carnegie Hill neighborhood.

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About the Author
Emma Burleigh
By Emma BurleighReporter, Success

Emma Burleigh is a reporter at Fortune, covering success, careers, entrepreneurship, and personal finance. Before joining the Success desk, she co-authored Fortune’s CHRO Daily newsletter, extensively covering the workplace and the future of jobs. Emma has also written for publications including the Observer and The China Project, publishing long-form stories on culture, entertainment, and geopolitics. She has a joint-master’s degree from New York University in Global Journalism and East Asian Studies.

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