Angélica Rivera’s Miami Residence: Mexican First Lady Created U.S. Company To Buy Exclusive Apartment

We all remember the major controversy after the amount of money Angélica Rivera, First Lady of Mexico, spent on a property in her native country was disclosed. At first, it was believed the multi-million dollar mansion belonged to the president, Enrique Peña Nieto, but then it was revealed that it was actually purchased by the former actress. On November 18, after much speculation on whether Rivera had the money or not to afford such a house, she took it upon herself and released a video online explaining where her income comes from.

We all knew Televisa’s actors were almost like royalty, but we didn’t know that Queen Elizabeth could be totally jealous of the retired actress’ salary. During the video, Rivera also revealed that she owns a property in Miami, Florida, to “avoid any speculation.” Of course, Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui, who blew the cover on the Sierra Gorda 150 mansion, went after this property as well, to see what the deal was, and well, it’s all looking a bit gloomy and sketchy.

Rivera’s apartment is in the luxurious Ocean Tower One, in Key Biscayne and it’s a three-bedroom, four-bathroom property with two balconies all encompassed in 3,100 square feet. It turns out the apartment is not under her name, but under her company’s name. Rivera created a United States-based company to purchase the apartment and called it UNIT 304 OTO INC. According to Aristegui Noticias, UNIT 304 OTO INC. was formally incorporated with the Florida Division of Corporations on June 16, 2005.

Two weeks earlier, on May 26, 2005, Rivera acquired the apartment for US $1,775,000 from Ulysses Vasconcellos Diniz, a Brazilian banker, and his wife Lais Sagnori Vasconsellos Diniz. Technically, the sale was made through UNIT 304 OTO, INC., with a written permission of Rivera. She financed the residence with a mortgage loan of 1,327,500 dollars that she was supposed to pay in 30 years with a fixed interest rate of 5.6% in the first five years.

Rivera got the loan thanks to the Espirito Santo Bank, owned by Espirito Santo Group, a holding company registered in Luxembourg and founded by Portuguese billionaire Ricardo Espírito Santo Silva Salgado, Portugal’s most powerful banker. However, according to Aristegui, Salgado was detained in Portugal in July 2014 as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion and money laundering. He was released after posting a hefty bail and later that month, the bank declared bankrupcy.

However, Angélica Rivera’s relationship with Salgado’s bank ended on January 12, 2011, when the former actress paid her loan 24 years in advance. This settlement came exactly 46 days after she married Enrique Peña Nieto, on November 27, 2010.