Israel’s Richest Man Moves To London

From Haaretz:

Israeli diamond billionaire Lev Leviev, who immigrated to Israel from Uzbekistan in 1971, has bought the most expensive new property ever sold in Britain -a $70 million home with a bullet-proof front door costing $100,000, British real estate dealers said on Tuesday.

The 51-year-old businessman best known for his diamond trading company and who is estimated to be worth $6.5 billion, is expected to move with his wife and two of his nine children.

Leviev, who is said to have immigrated to Israel without a penny to his name, also has homes in Israel, New York and Moscow, but is thought to favor a move to London because of high taxes in Israel.

The seven-bedroom house in the exclusive north London district of Hampstead boasts a $1.5 million stone staircase constructed using 150-year-old carving techniques and an indoor swimming pool with gold-plated mosaic tiles.