Sara Bronfman-Igtet, age 46, Seagram heiress and sister of Clare Bronfman, is selling her Albany-area home at 7 Taymor Trail for $2.85 million. The home is listed by longtime Nxivm member Franca DiCrescenzo with Armida Rose Realty Group.
Who Is Sara Bronfman-Igtet?
Sara Bronfman-Igtet is the daughter of billionaire Edgar Bronfman, former Seagram chairman. She was a long-time member and funder of Nxivm. Along with her sister, Clare Bronfman, she was part of Raniere’s “trusted group,” according to testimony by ex-Nxian Mark Vicente.
Sara held the coveted Nxivm “green sash” — making her one of fewer than two dozen of Nxivm’s 17,000 members to achieve so exalted a rank.
Sara played a major role in bringing the 14th Dalai Lama to Albany. His Holiness visited the New York State capital in the spring of 2009 to give a lecture at the Palace Theatre.
Where Are Sara Bronfman and Clare Bronfman Now?
Today, Sara Bronfman-Igtet is reportedly residing in Portugal with her husband Basit Igtet and their two children. Her sister, Clare Bronfman, is serving part of her 81-month sentence in a federal detention center in Philadelphia, pending reassignment.
The Property at a Glance
Bronfman-Igtet has apparently been trying to sell this property for a while. It has been listed on Realtor.com for 136 days.
She purchased the spacious Clifton Park home for $1.85 million in May 2015, as reported at this site. According to a family friend who helped manage improvements, Sara invested another $2 million into the property, adding a pool, theater, finished basement, art pieces and other amenities.
The stone-front home is 10,500 square feet, featuring eight bedrooms and seven-and-a-half baths. It’s set on a 4.31-acre lot, which equals the size of 107.25 volleyball courts or a little more than 4 football fields.
By the way, the front is stone but the sides and back are not stone and, based on the picture below, appear to be either wood- or vinyl-sided.
At $2.85 million, if Sara got the full asking price, she would be losing about $1 million on her investment, if it is true that she spent $2 million in improvements.
Take a Tour of the Sara Bronfman Estate in Clifton Park, New York
A long drive approaches the home and winds around what could be described as a turf-covered privacy pyramid.
Clifton Park has an average July high of 83 F, so the inground saltwater pool might see plenty of summertime use.
Upon entering the house, you’ll encounter a foyer that features a life-sized horse-sculpture-cum-lamp.
The living room features a white sculpture over the fireplace, with a golden chandelier above the circular couch with gold upholstery. It’s an inviting place to curl up for some good word salad or, better yet, watch a video of Keith Raniere being interviewed by Allison Mack.
What appears to be a media room features black carpeting and black walls.
A traditional, homey kitchen serves as the heart of the home. This is the same kitchen Sara once cooked eggs in for New York Times Magazine writer Vanessa Grigoriadis, who wrote an impressive article, Inside Nxivm, the ‘Sex Cult’ That Preached Empowerment, which was published after Raniere’s arrest.
It was one of the few occasions since the Dalia Lama appeared in 2009 that Sara spoke to the media about Nxivm.
Grigoriadis wrote, “Like Raniere, the Bronfman sisters were seeking to heal familial relationships, particularly with their father, a pillar of New York society and president of the World Jewish Congress. They were also drawn to Raniere’s emphasis on ethics.
“’My whole life growing up, I always wanted to do something to impact the world,’ said Sara, a lovely woman who made me eggs in her Albany-area mansion this winter — the proportions of her home were so preposterous that I felt I had shrunk to a hundredth of my size, like Alice after she drank the potion in Wonderland.
“’My dad, as we were growing up, he was bringing Jews out of Russia, he was taking on the Swiss banks.’ After a friend from Sun Valley recommended the group, then called Executive Success Programs, to Sara, she asked Edgar to take a course, and he liked it.
“’All my dreams of saving the world with my dad were coming true,’ she said.”
The home features both formal and informal dining spaces.
A home office/study.
This bedroom is pretty large.
A home gym is also pretty large.
There is also a walk-in shower in the master bathroom.
Neighborhood / Local Amenities
The stone-front home is not far from Sokolowski’s Greenhouse and Bowman’s Orchard Farmer’s Wagon and not much else. It is in a town called Clifton Park.
As you can see from the map below, Clifton Park is south of Saratoga Springs, east of Schenectady, north of Troy and Albany, and could be described as part of the Capital Region. The river running south of it is the Mohawk River, and to the east is the Hudson River.
This home, that Sara spent so much to fix up and to make comfortable for herself, her husband and her children, a home she planned to spend most of her life living in, to be nearer her Vanguard, is empty and now for sale.
Her plans changed immensely. After her sister’s arrest, she fled the USA and went to Provence, France. But, her Nxivm past caused trouble there, and she went next to Portugal.
With the sale of this property, the place she once planned to be her home, Sara Bronfman-Igtet is likely concluding her long-time association with Albany. She first came here in 2003.
Target of Civil Lawsuit
Sara is being sued by some 80 former Nxivm members in the Eastern District of New York and has reportedly been transferring her US assets overseas.
She is not known to have visited the USA since before her sister’s arrest in July 2018. And she did not attend any of the federal criminal court hearings for her sister, including the all-important bail hearing and her sentencing hearing.
Sara excused herself from the bail hearing saying she could not travel with her small children. For Clare’s sentencing hearing, she said the pandemic precluded her from travel.
It may be fair to say America has seen the last of Sara Bronfman-Igtet. We may not see her in our midst again.
That horse lamp is hideous. Looks like the horse got drunk and decided to wear the shade as a hat. I’d knock a million off just due to that.
Jhon Cartesius is back! We missed you!
Now on an Adam Smith kick. Apparently ran out of Descartes quotes.
Selling a property is an act of free trade, what is the question?
“She is not known to have visited the USA since before her sister’s arrest in July 2018. And she did not attend any of the federal criminal court hearings for her sister, including the all-important bail hearing and her sentencing hearing.”
Ignorance proves very costly.
This home is modest compared to what I would have expected, given the Bronfman wealth.
I think this was just an extra house, a sort of crash pad for when she was in the area doing NXIVM stuff.
Raniere probably clipped her for upwards of $50 million of her available money that’s not tied up in old untouchable trust funds, so her involvement crimped her style. and her generation isn’t making wealth, just spending it down — not even managing to preserve it.
Imperial settler colonialism and indigenous land theft isnt “making the world a better place”, but it’s in keeping with NXIVM ideology.
The super rich are parasites.
Wretched, obscene excess from a Bronfman. Not surprising.
Katherine, I have some unsolicited feedback for your writing. Please disregard if you aren’t interested!
—
You clearly did some research to put this together, so it’s worth looking through your article, but I found the sarcasm, judgment and extra digs about NXIVM/Vanguard Week distracting and even annoying. You can and should write articles with critical comments – maybe consider doing something like how Frank inserts his own comments in a different font/style (bold/italicized or something) to separate your thoughts from the information you’re providing.
If only this were the in-house magazine for ‘skyandsun33’ – sigh. It can’t be easy getting reporters to write exactly how you like these days. Without all the old um, inducements.
NFW, as a writer myself, I appreciate getting feedback, which is why I offer it to other writers. I mean it is a sign of respect and I assume that the writers on the Frank Report take their craft seriously enough to want feedback (which doesn’t mean they will change their writing, but with feedback, they are informed about how some readers are receiving their writing).
I’m sorry to Katherine if my feedback came across as the whining of some picky reader who doesn’t like your style… it certainly wasn’t intended as such. I will reiterate that you clearly did research for this article and I will more clearly say THANK YOU for putting the time and effort in. I enjoyed “seeing inside” Sara’s Albany house.
Sara Bronfman is a kind person with a good soul who is doing her best to make the world better. A great injustice has been done to her and her sister.
Sara Bronfman is a liar, an enabler, and should be in prison with her sister. She didn’t even have the decency to turn up and take the punishment with her, which would have been base-line kind. A fraud and an imposter – no kind of educationalist or teacher, for that claim alone and for the damage she did with Rainbow Cultural Gardens, she’ll get no peace, comfort or kindness in her life. Except from sycophantic fellow travelers of the sick cult she floated and perhaps continues to float.
You can’t hide from phony-baloney, it stands out like “a life sized indoor horse sculpture with a tiny lampshade coming out of its head.’ [thanks anon@January 16, 2021 at 10:41 am]
Do you have any facts to go with that advertisement?
Proves conclusively that you can’t buy good taste. All the cultists houses I’ve seen look they were thrown together randomly without any attempt at beauty.
Clare or Clare’s decorator did a sh*t job decorating her home considering how much money Clare had to play with.
For Sara’s home, I’m guessing that the realty company staged the home….nothing matches. The TV in the theater can’t be more than 55″. With Saratoga Race Track 15 minutes away, this is a huge horse community.
Well, just because you have money, doesn’t mean you have any taste !!!
New YorK State has the some of the highest tax rates in America.
On top of that Emperor Andrew Cuomo has turned the state into a Clown World with asinine rules and regulations.
Only a lunatic would want to live in Cuomoland.
New York State is a good location for NXIVM.
Hi Katherine. Do you know where and the photo with the Dalai Lama was taken? Thank you.
I was considering buying a life sized indoor horse sculpture with a tiny lamp shade coming out of it’s head. But then I remembered that I had taste.
The horse lamp is the epitome of Kitsch.
Shadow what about Klimt “The Kiss?”
*******
BTW: If you watch the FOX report video at the top of the article link below…..I would greatly appreciate, sincerely, if you can explain to me what United States Hospitals will do if COViD patients overflow hospitals and there aren’t enough beds for
non-COVID Hospital cases.
Are you okay with Triage? Deciding who lives and who dies.
I honestly would appreciate a response. I am open provided you have an explanation. I switch my mind. I mean it!
My mother is an executive with a major chain of hospitals, she tells me gift shops and other such rooms are being converted to ICUs.
I think those who refused to wear a mask should avoid hospitals or get in the back of the line. The reality is that health professionals have to decide who would survive treatment. The burden is not on them, it’s on a wide swath of people that failed at their jobs and fail their neighbors.
I’m ok with it, because I check off 3 boxes for not surviving it. I’d rather someone healthier live.
I love kitsch! I think it’s from the 50s? Love that style. But I think that lamp isn’t kitsch?
Anon at 10:41 am, had a good laugh, thanks 😉
Ha ha. You are welcome! I always enjoy your comments!
From what I hear, the area is a hot market right now for people from New York City looking to move or at least establish a second home, so it ought to sell quickly if priced right.
The problem with owner improvements and customizations at this luxury property level is that just about every buyer with the kind of money to buy something like that wants a house customized to their own tastes, not that of the previous owner. They will for instance want a kitchen that looks like whatever appeals to them currently in Architectural Digest, and not what Sara wanted 5 years ago; and they may want a lap pool rather than a saltwater pool. So much of what Bronfman sunk money into, will have no value to prospective purchasers, who see them as just things they would need to do over to get what they want. And it’s actually not uncommon in the market for owners like her with multiple properties to have put money into one that they ended up spending little time living in as their life circumstances changed, and end up having to sell at a loss.
Oh, and besides the decor that looks like it may have been the work of a Nexian wannabe without much actual design talent, is that horse lamp horrendous, or what?
Clifton Park is transient. People don’t stay a lifetime. And it’s very over-built now and laid out stupidly.
3 to 6 months ago, people were flocking upstate. Million-dollar homes flew off the shelf with all that NYC money.
This says the sale is pending. But things have slowed down.
Thanks for that extra bit of detail about the current situation.
I was thinking that the property was more on the Saratoga Springs side of Clifton Park, which I believe would have made it more desirable as Saratoga is a prestigious destination. But I see now it’s quite the opposite, which could mean that it’s overbuilt for the location, another classic mistake — there’s an old real estate saying that you don’t want to have the most expensive house on the block, the principle being that people in the market for that relatively high end a property, would rather just buy in an area where everything is nicer.
Anything in Saratoga County is hot because the tax rate is lower. Personally, I think it’s overbuilt– especially in Clifton Park. I mean, you’re stuck at lights everywhere.
This house looks beautiful. I’m just saying, since Global Foundries moved in, you have a rotating influx of students.
The school is a nightmare. Multiple elementary schools, middle and high all on one gigantic campus.
On the PLUS SIDE, between Starbucks, Uncommon Grounds and Mocha Lisa’s, there’s never a shortage of pretty women. ( Sorry, had too!)
I agree with Just Sayin’ that the community is transient — that is due to the school district that ranks very well academically and even more so with its sports programs. However, this house isn’t odd in Clifton Park — there are many multi-million dollar homes throughout the community. Most newer homes start at the low end of $400,000. Many “mansions” are tucked away. In a town of nearly 40,000 residents, you would expect crowded roads, but no one needs to leave town for anything. It’s a great community!
AnonyMaker-
So very true!
In my town, there is a woman with FU-money, who lives in her mansion-home less than 6 months of the year. Every two years, she guts it with the sole exception, oddly enough, of her bedroom with a dome ceiling.
Breaking down the simple math, she remodels the home every year on average. Plus she spends over 150k on landscaping even though she is never home because she is constantly traveling. She owns 3 homes in the US.
Crazy what you can do when you’re beyond rich or wealthy and have FU money.
AnonyMaker,
Lastly, like Clare, she is an Equestrian. 😂
Such a sport for rich ladies.
Uhhh, howya know so much about her?
Maybe this was the actual hot-tub Sara Bronfman was caught bang to rights doing the old Dakini in a polka-dot Bikini with the Lama Tenzin in?
The Dalai Lama was paid a million dollars to persuade him to come. He thought Raniere and Nxivm should come under scrutiny and announced as much publicly. The Dalai was in good faith, he made money for his important cause and represented his principles.
I don’t see Tibetan Buddhism coming to the rescue of – or indeed advertising the fact of being involved in any way – with Nxivm. I applaud the rather elegant grift carried out by the Saffron-robed ones. I think they got even more from Soka Gakkai.
I meant Aum Shinrikyo.
Interesting!
Sarah only looks attractive because of the stark contrast to her sister. Like mud looks good next to manure.
I fail to see how this is headline news.
You fail to understand all things NXIVM are headline news on this site.
You know when someone leave the room to fart so that no one knew they farted?
Canadian actress [redacted] was in NXIVM.
Why did you retract the name?
[redacted] really was in NXIVM.
Because I do not have time to confirm her membership. Was she a coach or just a student who took a class?
Don’t know if she was a coach. Definitely a student at least.
Why try to confirm it? Just say “alleged.”
Sara is one of the most caring people I have met in my life. It is sad to see that she and her family will not be able to enjoy the beautiful home they put together. I hope the new owners are able to enjoy it.
What do u think of the people who said she was trafficking women into the US and paying below minimum wage?
East of Schenectady, not west.
Right — very good.
I would like to make a bid on the black horse sculpture with a lamp sticking out of its head.
I bid 25 bucks.
I’m waiting for the coming real estate crash when I can purchase Sara’s shack for a mere 100 Grand.
I suppose Sara’s house is now as empty as her head.
—I can purchase Sara’s shack for a mere 100 Grand.
You must have saved up all your “plasma” money. Too cool 😉
https://wallethacks.com/how-to-donate-plasma/
Shadowstate-
Conceptually, the horse lamp statue is asinine.
It’s like a classy version of the Christmas Story 20 inch Leg Lamp used in the movie “A Christmas Story”.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000C6ECF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_i_k01aGbXZ2QCK8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I bet that horse lamp was a one-time custom job and cost over $5000 easily.
Money can’t buy taste.
I well remember that visit. Vantard actually wanted to make the best impression by having all of NXIVM out to greet his eminence. All members happily rose in unison to sing ” HELLO DALAI, YES HELLO DALAI”…
US justice systems sentenced Clare, Sara´s sister, to far more than the maximum for the charges.
Even more so Keith´s sentence also was unbelievable.
Prosecution members and judges, as any citizen, should be brought to trial, accountable for their actions. More so because they are paid by the people.
To stay away from this corrupt judicial system makes sense, I would do the same.
You are using Frank Report for a platform. The Bronfman sisters caused Frank a lot of problems. Do you think Frank deserved it?
Leave it to Clare to have a bust of herself in the foyer. Bitch has an ego…
…Oops! I meant, ‘mare’ has an ego.
Oh, right, it’s Sarah we’re talking about…
…back to ‘bitch’. It’s funny, Clare is so god damn ugly and Sarah looks so attractive.
Nice Guy, you’re starting to sound like Don Rickles!
Don Rickles is one of the greatest unheralded comics ever.
Thanks for the compliment!
Says “pending” on Realtor.
I generally have a good view about the dalai lama. seeing him spend time with nxiam group speaks of positive intent in my view.
I agree it seems the Dalai Lama would support something that was good, why will he bother to go to Albany NY, many people might say its because of money but he receives so much money that he wouldn’t need to go to a ghost town and spend time there. I think he saw value in what these people were doing and he supported it, there must have been good in this company.
Weren’t a couple of the Dali lama’s inner circle sexually involved with Keith’s inner circle? And they gave him lots of money. If the money didn’t matter to him, why did he take the money?
Psychological and sexual abuse are rampant in Tibetan Buddhism. It’s a topic which gets exactly zero attention from the MSM.
That must be why he called for the press to investigate Raniere while he was visiting.
I agree Antonia. I also think the Dalai Lama is a very compassionate person, in order to behave this way you also need to have a discerning eye (and mind). It’s very likely there was something he saw that he felt good in supporting.
Dalai Lama is very wise and teaches data not emotion and supports Keith. So true! If media was focused on truth and not money and judgement Dalai Lama would have a TV station.
How the hell would you know how much money the Dalai receives? Besides, he decided not to come because of the controversy surrounding the group, then the Bronfman sisters flew to Tibet and upped their payment so he came but shortened his stay to less than a day.
The funny thing is, he told the group to be more transparent, and they only got worse in transparency over the years.
I bet the Dalai doesn’t even want anyone to talk to him about NXIVM anymore.
Some people are just born lucky. The vicious Bronfman sisters seemed to have no humility, they took their unearned power and wielded it like a weapon in order to preserve their positions.