M'sian money, opulent ideas, but now a forced sale

New York

THE celebratory dinner was held at one of the city's best restaurants, whose building offers a picture-perfect view down Central Park South to the Park Lane Hotel, a 47-storey tower that looms over its more famous neighbour, the Plaza.

Steven Witkoff, a New York developer, had just won the bidding for the Park Lane. It was, he thought, the best location in Manhattan, if not the world, to build a supertower with luxury apartments.

Dining with him that night in 2013 was Jho Low, an extravagant, chubby-faced Malaysian financier whose friends included heads of state, Wall Street bankers and celebrities like Paris Hilton and Leonardo DiCaprio. Mr Low had agreed to finance 85 per c…