Image caption The first owner had the interior of the penthouse apartment custom-designed

A lavish New York penthouse with panoramic views of Central Park has become the most expensive apartment ever sold in the city.

Russian fertiliser magnate Dmitry Rybolovlev - said to be the world's 93rd richest man - spent $88m (£56m) buying the Central Park West pad.

It is thought to be for his 22-year-old daughter, Ekaterina Rybolovleva.

The 6,744 sq ft (627 sq m) apartment was sold by American Sanford Weill, a former head of banking giant Citigroup.

The penthouse stands atop 15 Central Park West, a landmark building designed by architect Robert Stern.

It boasts a custom-made oval bedroom, a library, gallery, chef's kitchen and a 2,100 sq ft (195 sq m) terrace running along three sides of the building.

Overseas interest

Sold by high-end New York real estate agents Brown Harris Stevens, the apartment is expected to net the broker a commission of $3.5m, the Wall Street Journal reported.

However, the apartment is not even thought to be the most expensive US property in Mr Rybolovlev's portfolio. He is said to have paid closer to $100m for an investment property in Palm Beach, Florida in 2011.

The sale - which was concluded at the full asking price - is the latest example of international buyers setting the pace in New York's elite property market.

Privately owned apartments, or condominiums, are increasingly being snapped up by wealthy overseas buyers, a spokeswoman for Brown Harris Stevens told the BBC.

"What's slowing down in New York is the middle of the market, but the high and low end are doing very well," she said.