Ronaldo is the proud new owner of an $18.5 million apartment in Trump Tower that, according to a source quoted by the New York Post, “the ‘50 Shades’ novel author E.L. James used as a model for the notorious bondage bachelor pad of her fictional sexual sadist character, Christian Grey.”
Ronaldo recently purchased the Fifth Avenue loft from Italian real estate entrepreneur Alessandro Proto, who is Donald Trump’s business partner.
And, the NYPost continues, “While James has never confirmed that Grey is based on Proto, the mogul is widely believed to have been the inspiration for the character.”
Proto — a business partner of Donald Trump who has found homes for Tom Cruise, Leonardo Di Caprio, Madonna, Brad Pitt and Prince William — owned the apartment in 2010.
He is said to have met E.L. James that year as she was touring Italy.
“Proto has insisted that James then based the megarich and mysterious Grey on himself, a similarly dark and handsome Italian businessman”, the NYPost insider said, adding: “It was Proto’s former apartment that James had on her mind when she described the backdrop to Grey’s seduction of Anastasia Steele.”
The 2,509-square-foot apartment is the first property purchase in the States for Portuguese Real Madrid star Ronaldo.
According to other reports the three-time ‘World Player of the Year’, who is contracted to Real Madrid through until 2018, “has expressed interest in coming to America’s Major League Soccer.”
Sports Illustrated reported that Los Angeles would be his most likely destination, but the apartment purchase brings up the possibility of the footballer playing for New York City FC or the Red Bulls.