NYC billionaire Charles Cohen is sued for a bad loan of $535 million – how to build real estate wealth without debt


Charles Cohen will speak on November 12th, 2018 at the Fiaf Trophee Des Arts Gala, located at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

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New York City real estate tycoon Charles Cohen has lived a life that most people dream of. Now some of his valuable possessions are under threat as large business loans have begun as large business loans have very personal consequences.

Cohen, 73, is sued by a fortress investment group that has exceeded $535 million loans extended to his company Cohen Realty Enterprises in 2022. Citing New York’s Supreme Court records, the collateral included the Office Tower in Manhattan, the Le Meridi Endania Beach Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and four other properties.

But that’s not all. Cohen personally secured $187.2 million on that loan. His net worth is nearly $2 billion, according to financial statements filed in court.

His business was defaulted last year, and the fortress has since seized much of its collateral. Still, the company claims that these assets are far below what Cohen owes, the Journal reports. That shortage has led to the fortress, an investment giant partly owned by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadara capital, chasing Cohen’s personal wealth.

And that’s exactly what it’s doing.

Fortress is about to confiscate Cohen’s home in Provence, France, France and Greenwich, Connecticut, and reports five yachts, including a 220-foot superyacht, along with a fleet of 25 luxury cars and five yachts.

Following a French court order, debt collectors have already seized hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Cohen’s belongings from 138 acres of Provence and vineyards, according to the Journal. The haul included obviously high-end furniture, valuable artwork and a high-end wine collection.

“They keep peeking at us like the birds peck at something,” Cohen said of the fortress of the February deposit, according to the journal. “As ample enough, it wasn’t enough.”

Real estate has long been one of the most powerful tools for building wealth, and for good reason. It can generate stable rental income, be grateful over time and offer valuable tax benefits.

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