KUALA LUMPUR – A luxury mansion in Alpine, New Jersey, once among the most expensive homes in the state, has reportedly been transferred for just US$10 (RM40.71), according to a New York Post “Gimme Shelter” report citing property records.
The report said the buyer is Daniyar Kessikbayev, son-in-law of imprisoned former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak Najib Razak, and husband of his daughter Nooryana Najwa Najib.
Kessikbayev is also linked to Kazakhstan’s former ruling elite through his family connections to the Nazarbayev circle.
The property at 2 Margo Way, Alpine, had previously been one of New Jersey’s most high-profile residential assets, after it reportedly sold for US$20 million in a cash deal in 2012 following a US$34 million listing in 2011.
At the time, the 2012 transaction marked the highest price ever paid for a home in New Jersey.
According to the New York Post, the estate was later tied to an anonymous shell company believed by sources to be linked to Kessikbayev.
Since then, Alpine’s luxury market has moved higher, with later deals including the US$27.5 million sale of the “Stone Mansion” in 2022 and a US$25 million beachfront property in Spring Lake.
The mansion has recently resurfaced in Malaysia following viral online claims linking it to Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor Rosmah Mansor, which she has strongly denied.
Viral claims and denials
The allegations circulating online suggest the property was transferred through offshore structures involving a British Virgin Islands-registered company. However, those named have rejected the claims.
A source close to Kessikbayev told the New York Post the property remains under his ownership, adding that official records reflect no change beyond what is recorded in land filings.
The estate has also seen a sharp reassessment in value, with earlier tax assessments placing it at just under US$12.79 million, while its 2026 valuation rose to US$35.5 million.
Inside the Alpine estate
The 17,150-square-foot property sits on more than 3.1 acres and includes nine bedrooms, a basketball court, bowling alley, home theatre, library, wine cellar, grotto, elevator and multiple pools, including a saltwater indoor pool.
It was built in 2000 by construction mogul Joe Scott, who originally bought the land in 1997 for US$1.55 million.
Scott told the New York Post he was approached with a rapid cash deal in 2012.
“It was December, and they wanted to close by the end of the year, so we sold it and moved into another house. It [$20 million] was a lot more than I had built it for,” Scott said, adding that the buyers paid for almost everything in the house, “including the liquor.”
“They also wanted to host a party at the house before the closing. My lawyer said no — even after they offered us $5 million before the closing. I’m old school,”
Scott added he never knew the final buyers’ identities.
Legal history and previous deals
The New York Post report also noted Kessikbayev’s earlier links to ultra-low purchase arrangements involving high-value properties, including a Plaza Hotel condominium reportedly worth US$20 million that was acquired for US$1 in a separate transaction history tied to his family.
His mother, Maira Nazarbayeva, has previously been involved in multiple legal disputes in the United States linked to luxury assets and financial claims, some of which were later settled out of court.
In one 2012 lawsuit filed by Bolat Nazarbayev, he alleged he was defrauded of more than US$100 million in assets, including luxury properties and jewellery. The case was later settled in 2014.
Rosmah and businessman deny allegations
In response to the latest online claims, Rosmah issued a detailed denial through her legal team, rejecting any involvement in property purchases or offshore arrangements.
“I state, in the clearest and most unequivocal terms, that I deny each and every one of these allegations in their entirety. At no time have I been involved, whether directly or indirectly, in the purchase, financing, transfer, or ownership of any luxury property…”
“The publication and dissemination of these allegations constitute, in the clearest sense, acts of defamation and malicious falsehood.”
Rosmah said she had lodged a police report and was cooperating with authorities.
Businessman Tan Sri Daing A Malek Daing Rahaman also denied any connection to the allegations, calling them “false, baseless, defamatory and gravely misleading.”
He warned that continued circulation of the claims could lead to legal consequences. – July 5, 2026