Renowned actor Robert De Niro recently spoke about his new work in “The Whisper Man”, a Netflix thriller, and shared reflections on the challenges of fatherhood and the guilt of being distant from his children. In an interview, the artist, who is the father of seven children, including 3-year-old Gia, mentioned the difficulty in reconciling his personal life with the demands of an established career in Hollywood.
Despite his on-screen success and busy schedule, the New York-born and raised actor’s life is also distinguished by an impressive property portfolio that spans multiple locations. De Niro, with an estimated fortune of 500 million dollars, divides his time between two main residences and has other real estate investments that reveal his entrepreneurial side in the sector.
Hamptons mansion inherited by Robert De Niro from his artist father
Among the actor’s best-known assets is the residence in Montauk, New York, inherited from his father, artist Robert De Niro Sr., in 1993. This beach house served as a refuge for the painter and was bequeathed to his son after his death.
Located just steps from Gurney’s Montauk Resort, the property is part of a coveted area in Montauk. All of the waterfront homes have lots that slope toward the ocean, offering spectacular views of the water.
Built in 1950, the luxurious villa occupies a 1.5-acre lot, with 2,278 square meters of internal space. The place also has 740 square meters of deck and a large pool overlooking the ocean.
In 2017, the actor requested the demolition of the existing property to build a new house in the same location, but his request was denied by the competent authorities.
Although De Niro never put the property up for sale, other homes in the same exclusive Montauk area have been listed for tens of millions of dollars in recent years. An adjacent four-bedroom home, for example, is currently on the market for $22.5 million.
New York property sparked tax assessment dispute
In 1997, the actor and socialite Grace Hightower, whom he married at the time, purchased a home for $1.5 million in Gardiner, New York. The primary residence on the property is 2,222 square feet and initially included a 78-acre lot.
Records show that De Niro later purchased an adjacent 45-acre parcel, bringing the total acreage to a whopping 123 acres. The site has several structures, including several guest houses, in addition to the main residence.
The actor renovated the main house, a farmhouse built in the 18th century, to include six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. He also transformed a 14,000-square-foot barn into a complete leisure space, with a gym, boxing room, games room and a small film studio.
Another barn on the property was converted into offices, expanding the site’s functionality. To top it off, the property also has its own ski slope and a tennis court.
All of these improvements caused a problem for De Niro in 2010, when the trust through which he purchased the property challenged the city’s $6 million appraisal, claiming the real value was just $4 million.
Following the complaint, the city conducted a new inspection, which resulted in a reassessment for $9 million. A long legal battle ensued for more than three years.
In the end, the actor backed down, accepting the original $6 million valuation of his home, as reported in 2014. The trust also agreed to cover the city’s legal fees, worth $129,000.
“This confirms that we were never after De Niro. It was never about how much money someone has, it was about people paying their fair share,” city council member Warren Wiegland said at the time.
Robert De Niro’s former residence in the heart of New York
For nearly 40 years, the “Taxi Driver” star lived in the same West Village house, which he purchased in 1975 for just $190,000. The 5,000-square-foot residence was built in 1852 and features three bedrooms, high ceilings and a private terrace.
After keeping the property for 37 years, the actor finally sold it in 2012 for $9.5 million. The property returned to the market in 2019 for a much higher price, $22.8 million, but ended up selling for almost half that amount, for $11.98 million in 2021.
Property records indicate the spacious townhouse is currently available for rent for $75,000 a month. The home has undergone extensive renovation since De Niro owned it, however, many of its original 1852 design details remain intact.
The property’s most recent description highlights: “An authentic 1852 Italianate home, meticulously restored into a passive house sanctuary on one of the West Village’s most coveted blocks.” The listing further mentions that “the home includes an elevator, four terraces, and a large, 58-foot-deep landscaped garden. The restoration has updated the home to the strictest modern codes, transforming it into an environmentally conscious passive house. This is a special offering on one of the best blocks in the West Village.”
International real estate investment: De Niro bought apartment in London
In 2001, the actor directed his real estate investments abroad and acquired a loft in London, worth 1 million dollars, located in a former jam factory. The property has two bedrooms and an area of 2,100 square meters, as well as a rooftop terrace offering panoramic views of the city.
There is no clear information about when the actor disposed of the property. However, reports indicate that he had already sold the house when it was publicly listed again in 2018 for $2.16 million.
Apartment in Central Park West: history and sale after divorce
In 2006, De Niro and Hightower, who are parents to Elliot and Helen, purchased an apartment in Central Park West for $20.9 million. The couple remained private about their fifth-floor property until 2012.
That year, the building made headlines for a dryer fire that destroyed much of the 5,800-square-foot home. Fortunately, the actor and his family were out of the country at the time. A neighbor reported that “12-foot-high flames exploded from the fifth-floor window right above my head.”
De Niro and Hightower separated in 2018, and the socialite sold the residence in March 2025 for $18 million.
Robert De Niro and the luxurious investment in the Greenwich Hotel
The actor expanded his business into commercial real estate in 2008, opening a luxury hotel in New York, close to his home area. De Niro teamed up with hoteliers Ira Drukier and Richard Born, as well as his son Raphael, to invest in an 88-room establishment with its own restaurant.
In 2014, De Niro invited Belgian designer Axel Vervoordt and Japanese architect Tatsuro Miki to create a Japanese-inspired penthouse suite within the hotel. “Tribeca has its own atmosphere and feeling,” De Niro said at the time. “Axel wanted to respect that and incorporate elements of the city. It’s more than interior design: it’s art.”
The property, which spans 6,800 square feet, has three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and was built using wood, stone and recycled materials. Although the unit is available for rent by guests, the actor can live there whenever he wishes.
Elsewhere in the hotel, guests can enjoy an underground spa, which features an impressive pool and offers a variety of treatments. There is also the Locanda Verde restaurant, where celebrities such as Yoko Ono, Jay-Z, Bradley Cooper, Katie Holmes, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been seen.
