In the wake of the collapse of FTX, the once prominent crypto exchange led by Sam Bankman-Fried, the luxurious real estate holdings acquired by the company will be put up for sale.
According to a Bloomberg report, the liquidators overseeing FTX’s assets are preparing to sell off the properties acquired during the cryptocurrency exchange’s glory days before its downfall in late 2022.
FTX’s Risky Real Estate Play
The $30 million Orchid building Penthouse in the Bahamas, where the now-convicted Bankman-Fried lived and worked with his team until FTX’s collapse, is the centerpiece of the real estate holdings now up for sale. But industry experts say FTX may have overpaid for the properties, complicating the prospects of breaking even.
Real estate brokers and developers point out that FTX’s acquisitions contributed to an inflated market, reportedly analogous to the volatility of the cryptocurrency world during that time. Despite the recovery of FTX’s cryptocurrency investments, the same may not be true for its real estate play in the Bahamas.
Following the collapse, former FTX CEO Ryan Salame and other key figures within the company spent $255 million on properties across New Providence Island.
These properties include 52 condos, offices, and parcels of land concentrated around luxury developments like Albany. According to Bloomberg, Albany’s allure, known for its exclusivity and amenities catering to the super-rich, attracted FTX’s top executives, who sought to establish a presence in this gated community.
However, questions arise regarding the potential overpayment for these properties, especially considering the current market conditions.
Potential Profitability Impact
While FTX managed to recover a significant portion of the funds lost during its collapse, the real estate holdings present a more nuanced challenge. The liquidators overseeing FTX’s assets in the Bahamas are expected to initiate the sales process soon. However, brokers express doubts about achieving the desired prices for the properties.
The luxury real estate market in the Bahamas experienced a 15% price surge the previous year, but the exchange’s specific purchases may not yield the expected returns. Factors such as taxes and fees, coupled with concerns of overpayment, may impact the profitability of the sales.
Earlier this year, PwC, the consulting firm appointed as the liquidator for the firm’s assets in the Bahamas, sought proposals from real estate brokers to market and sell the properties acquired by Bankman-Fried and his team.
The sales process is anticipated to commence in the coming months, with brokers expecting a challenging environment for achieving optimal returns.
While the exact appraised values of the FTX properties remain undisclosed, Bahamians have a consensus that the sales would help move past the Bankman-Fried saga and allow the country to focus on its forward progress.
Meanwhile, Sam Bankman-Fried has been sentenced to 25 years in prison and was recently transferred to a temporary detention center in Oklahoma. However, Bankman-Fried is seeking a different outcome, hoping for a reduction in his sentence by officially filing an appeal of the conviction.
Currently, the defunct exchange’s native token, FTT, has experienced over a month of sideways price action, resulting in a current trading price of $1.60.
Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com