Tech tycoon Simon Clausen puts Mosman trophy home up for sale

Tech tycoon and former young rich list-regular Simon Clausen isn’t planning to move home from Geneva anytime soon, prompting the sale of his heritage-listed Mosman trophy home, Almora House.

The sale of the Federation Queen Anne residence is the last of the tech entrepreneur’s impressive Sydney property portfolio to be offered to the market since he and his wife Alexandra moved to Switzerland about eight years ago.

Clausen’s selling plans coincide with reports in New York that he has listed his four-bedroom condo in Trump International Hotel and Tower for $US22.9 million ($32 million), making it the most expensive property currently for sale in the landmark building.

Clausen, who heads tech start-up investment firm Startive Ventures, bought the Manhattan apartment opposite Central Park for $US13.1 million in 2009.

Clausen’s Almora House, on an almost 1500-square-metre property on Balmoral slopes, has been the jewel of his property holdings since he bought it in 2009 for $12 million from private equity funds manager Tim Downing and his wife Virginia.

The five-bedroom, five-bathroom residence with swimming pool has been renovated throughout since it last traded with new kitchen and landscaping.

Jonathon De Brennan, of De Brennan Property, is not offering a price guide at this stage, but has set a June 1 deadline for expressions of interest.

At the time Clausen bought it he was a new name on the Sydney tech scene, having debuted on the BRW Young Rich List in 2008 after selling the PC Tools anti-spyware business for $US262 million to US group Symantec.

About the time Clausen bought Almora House, he also paid about $19 million for two adjoining properties, taking the three adjacent holdings to 3400 square metres.

However, after demolishing the neighbouring houses amid reports he planned to build his forever home on the site, Clausen instead sold off the other blocks of land in 2012 for about $13 million.

The heritage-listed Victorian residence in Kirribilli, Burnleigh, that Clausen bought in 2008 for $3.98 million was also sold off in 2014 for $4.5 million.

The most recently sold property was a waterfront weekender owned by Alexandra Clausen bought in 2009 for $2,789,999, and sold in 2017 for $5.75 million to iflix co-founder and chief executive Mark Britt and Mikaela Lancaster.

Another waterfront weekender in Clareville that Clausen bought in 2006 for $4.2 million and rebuilt in 2011 is also up for grabs.

It was listed with hopes of topping the suburb’s $12 million high about three years ago, and has had a long-term tenant since 2012.