JBizNews3 hours agoWealthy Americans living in luxe California mansions and New York penthouses are now snatching up historic homes abroad. Mark Zuckerberg, the billionaire CEO of Meta, just added a 196-year-old gothic castle in Ireland to his growing property portfolio.
Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, recently bought the Strancally castle in Waterford, Ireland: a 19th-century, gothic-style mansion overlooking the River Blackwater in the southeast.
The three-story home was built in 1830 and later extensively renovated in 2003, reportedly featuring 11 main bedrooms, a cut-stone Gothic Revival facade, 16,000 square feet of living, and sprawling green lawns across its 440 acres. While the transaction was not listed on the Irish state property price register, The Irish Times estimates that the billionaire couple’s new home could be worth between €20 million (around $23.3 million) and €30 million (roughly $35 million).
Beyond luxury and historic appeal, there could also be a practical purpose behind Zuckerberg’s purchase. Meta’s international headquarters are nestled in Dublin, Ireland, about 125 miles from Strancally castle. The family won’t reside in The Emerald Isle full-time, but the estate will serve as a European home-base for the highly influential family. The Waterford City and County Council also emphasized the area’s rugged coastlines and picturesque towns when asked about the billionaire’s castle purchase.
“Mark and his family are excited to continue caring for this historic home and look forward to spending time in Ireland, where Meta maintains its international headquarters,” Brian Baker, a spokesperson for Zuckerberg, tells Fortune.
Zuckerberg is just one of many wealthy Americans adding foreign postcodes to their property portfolios.
In 2019, hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin bought a $122 million Georgian mansion near Buckingham Palace—which, at the time, was London’s most expensive sale in over a decade. The 16,000 square-foot mansion located at 3 Carlton Gardens boasts a spa and indoor swimming pool, as well as an historic backstory, having previously served as Charles de Gaulle’s wartime headquarters.
Other ultra-rich Americans including George Clooney, Tom Ford, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt have all added European homes to their portfolios.
More wealthy, non-famous Americans have been eyeing up U.K. homes as well, chasing stability as the U.S. grapples with a soaring cost-of-living, political polarization, and economic uncertainty.
This year, London witnessed a staggering jump in the number of sales valued above £15 million ($20 million)—and it’s largely being driven by Americans with deep pockets, according to luxury real estate company Beauchamp Estates. An estimated £1.24 billion ($1.66 billion) worth of property was sold across 34 deals between January and June of 2026, compared to the £694.1 million ($928 million) sales across 27 properties in the same period of 2025. And in the first half of this year, Americans accounted for 30% of all home sales above $20 million—up from 20% at the end of 2025—helping fuel the £546 million ($730 million) rise within just six months.
The real estate firm says that newly minted tech wealth, favorable buying conditions, and uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration are driving more Americans to the city’s luxury housing market.
“The U.S. economy and booming tech sector are generating significant wealth, but unease over Trump has helped to generate a 10% rise in American buyers transferring some of their money offshore into London property purchases,” Rosy Khalastchy, the director and head of St John’s Wood Office at Beauchamp Estates, shared in a press release with Fortune earlier this year.
The real estate company also points to a preferential exchange rate, opportunities for deals and discounts, and the city being viewed as “a good European business base” to grow their success. And beyond the financial incentives, Americans are choosing London for its social scene and quality education system. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, also recently enrolled their children in British schools upon their move back to the U.K. from California.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Matzav1 hour agoA historic Skverer bais medrash that served for decades as a central hub of the chassidus will be completely demolished after engineers and other experts determined that the building is structurally unsafe, three weeks after a large section of its ceiling suddenly collapsed.
The final decision was reached Monday following an extensive examination of the old bais medrash in New Square by architects, engineers and structural experts. Their assessment found serious concerns regarding the stability of the building, leaving no viable alternative to demolishing the structure in its entirety.
Several weeks ago, a large portion of the ceiling on the southern side of the old ezras nashim suddenly crashed down onto the benches below. B’chasdei Hashem, no one was in the immediate area when the ceiling collapsed, and there were no injuries. Hatzolah volunteers rushed to the scene, conducted extensive searches and confirmed that no one had been hurt.
The building carries considerable historical significance for Skverer chassidim, having served as the center of the chassidus for decades. It stands adjacent to the massive new bais medrash that has recently been completed. In recent years, most major events had already shifted to the new building, while the older structure continued to accommodate smaller minyanim, shtieblach and brissim.
The old building has remained completely closed since the collapse. Community askanim now say its full demolition is expected to take place over the coming months.
Before the structural problems emerged, plans called for the old bais medrash to be converted into a dedicated heichal hatishen following completion of the new building. Those plans have now been abandoned entirely in light of the engineers’ findings.
One exceptionally significant part of the historic structure, however, will be carefully preserved. Skverer askanim stressed that the demolition will not affect the historic private tefillah room of the previous Skverer Rebbe, which has stood at the site for more than 60 years.
The room has a remarkable history of its own. During a devastating fire that destroyed the original bais medrash in the 1960s, the entire structure was consumed by flames — with the striking exception of the Rebbe’s tefillah room. The outside of the room’s door was completely blackened by the fire, while the interior remained untouched.
At the time, the Skverer Rebbe famously explained what had occurred with a simple observation: “Is this a wonder? Here in this room, no one talks during davening.”
Because of the room’s historic and spiritual importance, extraordinary precautions will be taken to ensure that it remains intact and unharmed throughout the demolition process.
Skverer askanim are now preparing for the next stage, which will involve clearing the remainder of the site and determining its future use in accordance with the recommendations and safety requirements established by the engineering professionals.
{Matzav.com}
