Beyond the beaches and rosé, the East End remains one of the country’s most compelling… Read More →
Stella Flame Gallery marks its fourth summer anniversary Aug. 14 with a solo exhibition by… Read More →
Residence Yacht Club brings its award-winning Sunseeker Ocean 90, White Star, to the East End… Read More →
After nearly five decades, the Main Street institution has reopened as The Corner, keeping the… Read More →
It is peak season in the Hamptons, and the East End is buzzing with star-powered… Read More →
Philanthropist Barbara Tober underwrote the Aug. 8 concert celebrating the LongHouse founder on what would… Read More →
A trip to the Shoe-Inn Warehouse Sale in Amagansett, a pair of designer bargains, and… Read More →
Editor’s Note: We met author Michael J. Norton at East Hampton Library’s Authors Night on… Read More →
Big names, major benefits, art, design, and great comedy, here’s what’s worth putting on your… Read More →
Iris Dankner, Andrea Stark, Vicente Wolf, Ally Coulter and Karen Tolchin talk summer entertaining, setting… Read More →
From $72M to $162M in Five Months: East Hampton Estate Takes Aim at Hamptons Record
The historic 43 East Dune Lane property, once owned by Lee Radziwill and almost sold to Jerry Seinfeld, is back in focus as a planned 21,000-square-foot oceanfront compound with a staggering new price.
Is There No Price Limit for Hamptons Real Estate?
Just five months after a notable East Hampton oceanfront estate sold for $72 million, the property is now being offered as a dramatically reimagined $162 million compound, putting it in the running to become one of the most expensive residential properties ever sold in the Hamptons.
The property at 43 East Dune Lane closed for $72 million on March 6 after originally hitting the market in 2024 for $120 million and later dropping to an $84.9 million asking price.
Now, the new owner seems ready to take a different path, replacing the existing residence with a large new estate designed by some of the top names in architecture, construction, and landscape design.
The New York Post, which first reported the new $162 million listing and spoke exclusively with listing agent Terry Cohen of Compass, reveals that plans call for a 17,500-square-foot main residence and a 3,500-square-foot guesthouse on the 3.6-acre oceanfront property.
This is more than just a typical five-month flip. The $162 million asking price combines one of East Hampton Village’s most sought-after oceanfront sites with plans for a significantly larger new compound, a high-profile design and construction team, and building permits expected to be filed soon.
Still, the numbers are hard to overlook: $72 million in March, $162 million in August. A $162 Million Race for the Hamptons Record Somehow, $162 million doesn’t even make this property the priciest Hamptons listing of the summer. Calvin Klein’s former East Hampton compound came on the market in June for $165 million, while hedge fund billionaire Zach Schreiber’s Sagaponack estate was listed for $152.5 million.
The record for a completed Hamptons residential sale has long been Barry Rosenstein’s $147 million purchase on Further Lane in East Hampton in 2014, although other major transactions involving multiple parcels have surpassed that figure.
More recently, 408 Further Lane sold off-market for $115 million in 2025, setting a record for a single residential parcel in the Hamptons. Given this context, 43 East Dune Lane’s $162 million listing places it firmly in a rare market where nine figures is no longer enough to secure the top spot.
From Lee Radziwill to a Near-Sale to Jerry Seinfeld The property’s history is nearly as remarkable as its current asking price. Known as Dune Cottage, the residence was built in 1910 and designed by architect Grosvenor Atterbury as part of the Wiborg family’s extensive East Hampton estate. Industrialist Frank Bestow Wiborg, whose name lives on at nearby Wiborg Beach, amassed hundreds of acres in the area. His daughter Sara Murphy and her husband, Gerald Murphy, became prominent figures of the Jazz Age, mingling with F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Pablo Picasso. The Murphys are closely linked to the world Fitzgerald described in his 1934 novel, “Tender Is the Night.”
Decades later, the house became home to another famous figure: Lee Radziwill, the younger sister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Radziwill and her then-husband, film and theater director Herbert Ross, bought the property in the late 1980s for about $6.2 million.
Then came Jerry Seinfeld. In 1999, Seinfeld reportedly had a signed $19 million contract to buy the property, but the deal fell through before closing due to Radziwill and Ross’ marital issues.
The couple ultimately sold the property in 2001 for $16.2 million to private equity billionaire Thomas H. Lee and his wife, Ann Tenenbaum.
A Historic House Rebuilt — and Now Set to Change Again
The existing home has already gone through one extraordinary transformation. After a fire severely damaged the house in 2013, Lee and Tenenbaum rebuilt it, carefully recreating the original 1910 look while updating the interior. The approximately 11,000-square-foot residence now sits high on the dunes, with 225 feet of Atlantic Ocean frontage. The property is positioned between the ocean, Hook Pond, and over 200 acres of the Maidstone Club golf course, making the location incredibly hard to duplicate.
Following Lee’s death in 2023, the property went on the market for $120 million. It ultimately sold this March for $72 million, marking one of the largest Hamptons transactions of 2026. Five months later, the plan for the property has changed once again.
What’s Planned for the New $162 Million Compound
According to the New York Post, the anonymous new owner has gathered a top-notch team for the planned estate. The design includes contributions from the late architect Robert A.M. Stern, whose firm is known for some of the country’s most prestigious residential projects. Hamptons custom builder Ed Bulgin is also involved, along with renowned landscape architect Ed Hollander. Cohen told the Post that the team is expected to file building permits within weeks. Plans include a 17,500-square-foot main residence with 270-degree ocean views and a 3,500-square-foot guesthouse. The three-level main house is designed to have nine bedrooms, 11 full bathrooms, and two half-bathrooms, as well as an elevator, multiple staircases, and a separate guest wing.
The proposed lower level leans toward luxury, featuring a golf simulator, gym, cold plunge, sauna, playroom, snack bar, wine cellar, and bar. Outside, plans include a sunken tennis court, spacious lawns and gardens, terraces, and a 20-by-80-foot rimless pool. The Post reports that the pool area has enough space for 140 seated guests. But perhaps the biggest luxury is the one that can’t be built: 3.6 acres of East Hampton Village land with 225 feet of direct ocean frontage.
Is There a Ceiling Left for Hamptons Real Estate?
The leap from a $72 million sale to a $162 million offer in five months is striking, but it also reflects something larger about the high-end Hamptons market. This isn’t simply the same house returning to market for $90 million more. The proposition has changed significantly. A buyer is now presented with the land, a new architectural vision, a top development team, and ultimately a much larger finished compound.
Whether the market believes that the package is worth $162 million is another issue. However, with three Hamptons estates now listed with asking prices above $150 million, the question may no longer be whether buyers will exceed the $100 million mark. It’s about how high they are willing to go.
Apparently, the sky’s truly the limit when it comes to Hamptons real estate this season.
