Madrid, Aug 24 (IANS): Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has bought a luxury apartment in New York for a staggering $18.5 million.

The Real Madrid striker, ranked by Forbes as the highest paid team athlete in the world, has purchased a 2,509 square feet compound in Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, the New York Post reported on Sunday.

The exclusive apartment, which reportedly inspired the setting of the novel '50 Shades of Grey', belonged to Alessandro Proto, an Italian real estate tycoon and business partner of owner and Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump.

The three-bedroom apartment is situated on 5th Avenue, 56th Street and is regarded as one of Manhattan's most prestigious and secure places to live.

Trump Tower residents have access to a large fitness centre, in-house valet services and the building's restaurant, bar and shops.

In May, Forbes rated Ronaldo as the world's highest paid team athlete and the highest paid footballer after earning $79 million last year in salary, bonus and endorsements, putting him ahead of his rival, Argentine football icon Lionel Messi.