Wealthy 'Roblox' Widow Buys $16M NYC Mansion Amid Claims of Escort Scam
A New Hampshire widow, who inherited a fortune from her late husband's work with the video game 'Roblox,' has purchased a historic Manhattan mansion for nearly $16 million, just months before accusing a male escort of defrauding her of millions.
Marianne Flippo, 49, finalized the purchase of the Gilded Age Beaux-Arts mansion located in Kips Bay on April 30. The property, built in 1903 for banker James F.D. Lanier, spans six stories, covering 11,638 square feet with 12 bedrooms and over nine bathrooms. The home also features a wine cellar, an oak-paneled elevator, and a wellness floor equipped with a cold plunge pool and a cedar sauna.
The mansion was initially listed in 2023 for $29.2 million and was most recently on the market for $16.5 million before closing at a slight discount, according to property records.
Flippo’s attorney, Larry Hutcher, confirmed that the purchase was intended as a shared residence, stating, “She bought that house because she thought it was a beautiful property. She thought it would be a nice home for them to live in.”
The purchase of the landmarked townhouse occurred around the same period Flippo claims her companion, Gregg Starr, 38, and an escort agency handler, pressured her into signing a $10 million “Exit Agreement.” Flippo is suing to recover funds she alleges were drained from her accounts by Starr, reducing her balance to $12.61.
Hutcher also noted that Flippo, who inherited her fortune from her late husband Chad’s involvement with the video game company Roblox, has not fully relocated to the city. “She still does live in New Hampshire as well,” he said.
Flippo met Starr in December 2024 through an agency she reportedly believed offered personal assistants, not paid companionship. She later discovered the agency was a male escort service.
The mansion, designed by the architects of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Library, is a New York City landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It had only two previous owners in its more than 120-year history before Flippo’s acquisition.
The property’s monthly carrying costs are estimated to exceed six figures, with property taxes alone approximating $14,000 per month.
