Bitcoin guru Niklas Nikolajsen is splashing out on a Swiss 18th century lakeside estate. He aims to turn the landmark into a commune for Bitcoin Suisse co-workers and partners, as well as his growing family.
Niklas Nikolajsen is buying the Salesianum in Zug, a stately lakeside home built in 1750 which harbored the author of Switzerland's national anthem during a stand-off with church officials in the 19th century.
The Danish-born bitcoin millionaire and his wife bought the property from a local real estate developer, Alfred E. Mueller, who had been trying to convert the property into commercial and office space. Financial details weren't disclosed.
The Salesianum has a rich history: a chapel on the grounds devoted to Charles Borromeo, a key figure of the Counter-Reformation, dates back to 1615. The chapel will be kept accessible to the public after a refurbishment, including an altarpiece depicting Jesus casting out banker from the Temple Mount, Nikolajsen noted on his social media.
(Image: visualization, Niklas Nikolajsen)
Crypto Pirate
Later, the attached property was variously used as an abbey and school for women with learning disabilities and, most recently, as a home for asylum-seekers. Nikolajsen and the previous owner plan to jointly refurbish the property for the next two years into living space for co-workers and partners of Bitcoin Suisse AG, as well as family friends.
A self-styled crypto pirate, Nikolajsen is no stranger to bold shows of his bitcoin wealth: Bentley customized its signature «Flying 'B'» mascot into a bitcoin symbol for him. More than any crypto figure, he has meshed his private and business life into one.
«Imagine growing up in a house, full of secret doors, dungeons, towers; that was always my childhood dream. And with an unobstructed view of Lake Zug and the mountains,» said Nikolajsen, who together with wife Anna-Christine Cath Nikolajsen is expecting twins next year.
Switzerland Forever
Nikolajsen, who began his career as a software architect and developer, invested as a private person in bitcoin before the cryptocurrency was known, at 77 cents (today, bitcoin trades at $6,462). The firm he founded five years ago, Bitcoin Suisse, enjoys rosy financial prospects, he told finews.com last month.
«I can also now safely say that I and my family is deeply rooted in Zug and intend to stay here forever,» said Nikolajsen, who moved to Switzerland eight years ago. Last month, he disclosed the launch of a family office for real estate, collateralized lending and the family's private investments.
