Mark Zuckerberg has bought an Irish castle and accompanying 440-acre estate, adding to his vast property portfolio.
The Facebook founder and his wife, Priscilla Chan, bought Strancally Castle in County Waterford in an off-market deal completed several weeks ago.
The price has not been disclosed, but the Gothic Revival castle and its estate could have fetched between €20m (£17.1m) and €30m, according to The Irish Times, which first reported the deal.
The 16,000 sq ft property sits on the banks of the River Blackwater, about 30 minutes from Youghal, southern Ireland, and has undergone a 20-year restoration.
The castle was originally built around 1830 for John Keily, a Tory MP, and was designed by brothers James and George Richard Pain. The pair also designed Dromoland Castle in County Clare, Cork County Gaol and Blackrock Castle in Cork.
The chief executive of Meta bought the estate from Michael and Giancarla Alen Buckley, who had owned it for 25 years.
Mr Buckley is a co-founder of London investment firm RAB Capital, while Ms Alen Buckley is the daughter of Charles Forte, the late hotel magnate, and the sister of Rocco Forte, the founder of the Rocco Forte Hotels group.
The couple said they were “delighted” that Mr Zuckerberg and his family intended to continue investing in the property and grounds.
It is understood that Mr Zuckerberg and Ms Chan will remain based in the US and use Strancally when visiting Ireland.
