那些隐迹于纽约奢华公寓的全球富豪

2010年，位于时代华纳中心(Time Warner Center)74层编号为74B的共管公寓被以1565万美元（约合9800万元人民币）的价格售出，买主是一家名为25CC ST74B有限公司的秘密实体。该实体可以追溯到前俄罗斯参议员、银行家维塔利·马尔金(Vitaly Malkin)的家族。因为涉嫌与有组织犯罪有关联，马尔金曾被禁止进入加拿大。

时代华纳中心的建设引领了一系列俯瞰中央公园的豪华住宅楼的开发。其两座灯火通明的高层公寓楼成为了关注焦点。

时代华纳中心的建设引领了一系列俯瞰中央公园的豪华住宅楼的开发。其两座灯火通明的高层公寓楼成为了关注焦点。

去年秋天，另一家空壳公司出资2140万美元，从名为迪米特里奥斯·孔托米纳斯(Dimitrios Contominas)的希腊商人手里买下了同一楼层的另一套共管公寓。一年前，孔托米纳斯在希腊的一场反腐行动中被捕。

往下几层，是另一家空壳公司“哥伦布天际线”(Columbus Skyline L.L.C.)拥有的三套共管公寓。该公司属于一个名为王文良的中国商人的家族。在新泽西州，这位承包商的建筑公司被发现让工人住在危险且不卫生的地方。

时代华纳中心俯瞰着中央公园。在其装饰着暗色玻璃幕墙的大楼背后，大部分业主竭尽全力地不让自己的身份泄漏，将公寓登记在信托机构、有限责任公司或其他能隐藏他们姓名的实体名下。通过揭开200多家空壳公司的秘密，《纽约时报》记录了曼哈顿这栋标志性建筑十年里的所有权情况。全球资本改变着这座城市的房地产市场，而这里则是供这些资本驻足的一处驿站。

许多业主代表了美国富人阶层的一个横截面：高管和名流，医生和律师，科技行业企业家和华尔街上的操盘手。

但时报也发现，有钱的外国人所占比例越来越高，其中至少16人是政府调查的对象，不是以个人的身份，就是以公司老板的身份。已有四名业主被捕，另有四人因违法活动而被处以罚款或其他惩戒措施。

外国业主包括来自俄罗斯、哥伦比亚、马来西亚、中国、哈萨克斯坦和墨西哥的政府官员及其亲信。

Handcrafted Crystal by J.Hill's Standard

When Waterford native Anike Tyrrell founded J.HILL's Standard she had a view in mind to revive an industry that she had personally seen diminish over two decades. For many years, Waterford, Ireland, was synonymous with Waterford Crystal—the masterfully made glassware that stood as a symbol of handcrafted prestige. While Waterford the brand may have reached a fever pitch many years ago, Tyrrell did not want the legacy to cease, or the skill sets. J.HILL's Standard was born—and named after a master crystal worker for Waterford during the 18th century. We saw the two collections debut at this year's London Design Festival, but now they are available for purchase at NYC's Atelier Courbet. We spoke with Tyrrell for the fuller picture on saving a respected craft.

"I have worked for some time in enterprise and rural development in the Waterford region, and was interested in preserving the skill of glass-making in the area," Tyrrell shares with CH on the impetus of the company. "At one time over 3,000 craftworkers were employed in the region making glass, and this has dwindled to small numbers. As much of the industry globally has moved toward machine making (with some notable exceptions like Lobmeyr), it struck me that there was potential to revive mouth-blown and hand-cut glass for a new user who would appreciate the time and skill involved in making glass."

It is the glass-making process that wowed Tyrrell: "Blowing is hot and demands great speed to conquer both gravity and fragility to set a thing of beauty in a solid state. It struck me too that there was much to do in the area of re-imagining the embellishment of glass in ways that would push the medium. Making glass is fascinating."

There was a moment where Tyrrell realized that not only could she take matters into her own hands, but that she needed to do so. "It struck me in conversation with an engineer who had spent a lifetime in the industry that he and many others had a genuine feeling of 'Why would you make glass by hand when you can make it so much more perfect by machine?' It was an interesting view which challenges everything about what constitutes 'perfection'—the Japanese idea of Wabi Sabi or perfection in imperfection—and also, what constitutes the value in the end piece in terms of its beauty and utility, and the skill which goes to making it."