An opulent mansion in Alpine, New Jersey, once listed for $34 million, has been sold for $10 to Daniyar Kessikbayev, the son-in-law of imprisoned former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. The transaction, which occurred in March 2025, involved a property at 2 Margo Way that was previously the most expensive home ever sold in New Jersey for $20 million in 2012.
Kessikbayev is also the ex-nephew of Kazakhstan's former dictator, Nursultan Nazarbayev. His mother, Maira Nazarbayev, was married to Bolat Nazarbayev, Nursultan's brother. Property records indicate Kessikbayev acquired the mansion for $10, though its most recent tax assessment valued it at $35.5 million.
The 17,150-square-foot estate, built in 2000, features nine bedrooms, a full-length basketball court, a bowling alley, a home theater, a library, and multiple swimming pools. It sits on over 3.1 acres and was originally built by construction mogul Joe Scott.
Scott sold the property in December 2012 for $20 million in cash to an anonymous shell company that sources linked to Kessikbayev. At the time, the sale was a record for New Jersey real estate. In 2022, Alpine's Stone Mansion sold for $27.5 million, and a Spring Lake beach house sold for $25 million in 2024.
Reports in Malaysia have alleged that Rosmah Mansor, the wife of jailed ex-PM Najib Razak, was involved in the purchase of the Alpine property with her son-in-law. However, an insider close to Kessikbayev stated that the home remains under his ownership and has not been transferred. Rosmah Mansor and another businessman have denied these allegations, calling them defamatory.
This is not the first time Kessikbayev has been associated with significantly low-priced real estate transactions. He previously acquired a $20 million condo at the Plaza Hotel for $1. This transaction, in 2008, involved his mother, Maira Nazarbayev, and her then-husband Bolat Nazarbayev. Following the annulment of Maira and Bolat's marriage in 2011, Bolat filed a lawsuit accusing Maira and Kessikbayev of swindling him out of more than $100 million, including properties and jewels. The lawsuit concerning 2 Margo Way was settled in 2014, with Bolat recovering some properties but dropping his claim to the New Jersey mansion.
Kessikbayev and his mother were also sued in 2015 for allegedly failing to pay for $400,000 worth of Birkin bags, a case that was also settled out of court. The 2012 purchase of 2 Margo Way occurred during a period when significant sums of money, allegedly stolen from Malaysia and Kazakhstan, were being invested in U.S. real estate.