Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim is extending his reach in New York with purchase of a century-old Beaux Arts townhouse on Fifth Avenue for $44 million -- one of the most expensive townhouse sales ever in the city.

Last month, Slim paid $140 million for an 11-story office building at 417 Fifth Avenuein Midtown. Slim is a major investor in the New York Times.

Slim built a telecommunications empire in Mexico and now tops Forbes magazine's list of the richest people in the world.

He owns the townhouse, located on Fifth Avenue at East 82nd Street across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, through a limited liability company, a technique used by many wealthy buyers. But the deed documents were signed by a lawyer at Grupo Financiero Inbursa, Slim's financial services company, and the closing was handled by the same New York lawyer who handled Slim's closing on the Fifth Avenue office building.

Several brokers confirmed that he was a buyer. Slim did not respond to requests for comment.