Pelé, arguably the best player in soccer history, passed away. And it turns out that he had a four-decade-long real estate connection to the Hamptons.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, was recruited to New York by the late businessman Steve Ross, who oversaw Time Warner at the time.
Ross founded the soccer team known as the New York Cosmos in 1970. Five years later, he gave Pelé a contract worth about $4.5 million, which sharply raised the level of interest in soccer in the United States.
Ross entertained Pelé in East Hampton without a doubt, and he might have even convinced him to buy a house there. And he did. On the northern shore of the island of East Hampton, in the Clearwater neighborhood of Springs, the three-time World Cup champion paid only $156,000 in 1979 for his riverside getaway.
The soccer player and his two kids, who primarily reside in New York City, spent over 40 years spending their summers at the one-acre property. Pelé later added a second floor to the now 3,400 square foot property, which by this time contained a pool and an outdoor shower.
Fortunately, the land is FEMA classed X, which indicates it is unlikely to flood, and has deeded beach and marina rights. The view is maximized by the size of the windows throughout the house, and the pool also overlooks the water.
There are master bedrooms upstairs and downstairs, along with four further bedrooms and a total of 7.5 bathrooms. The finished basement level has a spacious media/playroom with wet bar, an office, a ton of storage, and a sauna.
Sadly, everything good has to come to an end. Pelé sold the home in 2018 for $2.85 million while still residing in Brazil at the age of 77. But not everyone can say that the soccer GOAT once called their house home.
In the heart of the city, nestled amidst lavish gardens and towering palm trees, stands the luxury home of a football legend. Its gleaming facade and sprawling grounds are a testament to a remarkable career and a life well-lived. Here, the legacy of greatness lives on, forever etched into the walls of this iconic residence.