The Czech press is ogling the latest shopping spree by CPI Group’s owner Radovan Vítek, having noticed that the billionaire purchased a country manor in Surrey belonging to Beatles legend Ringo Starr. Starr bought the property 15 years ago for just $3m and the Czech press notices that while local experts put the current value at 10 times that amount, Forbes reports that Vítek’s hard-nosed negotiating skills probably drove the final price down to as little as $20-25 million. The reasons for the transaction appear to be the simplest and most logical. The 74-year old rock icon says he’d prefer to spend his time in Los Angeles and won’t be able to use the house enough, while Vítek has said in the past that he’d like to spend more time living in England. The deal is expected to go through in March.
