Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's Lavish New $60 Million Home Once Owned by Ponzi Schemer

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck now have a new place to call home with a bizarre backstory, RadarOnline.com can report.

The lavish 12-bedroom, 24-bathroom estate paid in cash by Bennifer on May 31 was formerly owned by a man caught in a $64 million Ponzi scheme, forcing him to leave behind the sprawling 38,000 sq-ft. abode equipped with a cinema, wine room, whiskey lounge, a full salon, a sports lounge, as well as a sauna and massage room.

The ex-owner — Curtis Somoza — was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, at which time he was in the middle of renovating the property with upgrades on the second floor.

Healthcare entrepreneur Jeoung Lee purchased the abode prior to J. Lo and Ben, completing renovations on the main floor and at the basement level.

Susan Perryman of Hilton & Hyland Realty said that Jeoung and her husband were looking to sell in 2015 as they were empty-nesters no longer in need of as much space, as reported by Forbes.

The property hit the market again in 2018 for $135,000,000 and relisted this year for $75 million.

RadarOnline.com has learned that J. Lo and Ben paid $60,850,000 for the place modeled to emulate Marie Antoinette's private chateau at the Palace of Versailles in France, completing the multi-million deal within a week.

Insiders previously said they were having troubles agreeing on how they would set up their next place. "All Ben wants is a man cave with an excellent entertainment system where he can hang with friends and decompress," a source claimed.

"But Jennifer has a very definite idea of how the house should be: clean lines, open living spaces, white walls, plush rugs, and floor-to-ceiling windows," spilled the insider. "She wants the décor tastefully done to her specifications."

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The former Gigli costars have come a long way after rekindling their romance 17 years after calling off their engagement in 2004. Bennifer have since said their I do's twice in a July 2022 ceremony in Las Vegas and at his Savannah property in August 2022.