For the world's third-richest person, it seems one multimillion-dollar mega-mansion isn't quite enough. Just four months after Jeff Bezos snapped up a $68 million (£56m) home on Miami's most secretive island, he has reportedly picked up the house next door for a staggering $79 million (£65m). While the Amazon founder can certainly afford to let go of $147 million (£121m) of his $154 billion (£128bn) fortune, the pricey purchases smashed previous sales records for Indian Creek. Known as 'Billionaire Bunker' island, the area is home to plenty of A-list names and business moguls, so Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez should fit right in. Click or scroll on to take a look around their new home and meet the rest of the famous faces enjoying island life...
Jeff and Lauren have been living the high life while negotiating the purchases of their new homes. In September, they hung out backstage with the Kardashian clan (pictured) at Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour, while the month before they were spotted holidaying on their 247-foot yacht in Croatia with Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom and Usher. But it was their May vacation that gave a clue to their real estate plans. The pair attended the Miami Grand Prix, when they may well have been in town house hunting. South Florida seems to hold a special place in Bezos' heart. The e-commerce giant went to high school in Miami and his parents are said to have houses in Coral Gables and Miami Beach. Bezos himself has an enviable property portfolio, including a $165 million (£135m) Beverly Hills mansion, an estate in Hawaii and a sprawling ranch in Texas as well as properties in Seattle, Manhattan and Washington, DC.
And now, the billionaire mogul has added another home to his lavish collection. Originally listed for $85 million (£70m), Bezos' new mansion on Florida's exclusive Indian Creek island, his second purchase there this year, features seven bedrooms and 14 bathrooms, across an impressive 19,064 square feet. Described in the original listing as "exuding timeless European glamour," the grand entrance includes a long rectangular water feature as well as lush vegetation and mature palm trees, which lead up to a portico supported by eight columns. The grand exterior hints at the luxury within...
Inside, an enormous marble entryway, complete with columns and a coffered ceiling, gives way to this formal drawing room or 'hosting salon,' which boasts an elaborate chandelier, a white grand piano, yet more columns and floor-to-ceiling French windows that open out to the swimming pool and views of the ocean beyond. There's also an adjoining dining room, which currently houses a 10-person dining table, but the space could accommodate a table double the size – perfect for the high-profile pair to entertain their celebrity friends.
Although the home was built in 2000, the huge gourmet kitchen feels a little dated, although perfectly serviceable with a large kitchen island, gas range, oven, several sinks and plenty of seating. The striped green, white and blue soft furnishings give the room an unmistakable feel of Florida island life, although we can't imagine tech billionaire Jeff wanting anything but the very latest in kitchen design.
Elsewhere on the ground floor, there are not one but two wet bars, a sitting room with an enormous marble fireplace, a snug, a 10-person cinema room and this panelled study. We could certainly imagine Bezos cutting some high-stakes business deals from this stately room. The home once belonged to steel magnate Leroy Schecter, who sold it to an undisclosed buyer in 2014 for a significantly lower $28 million (£23m) and planned to donate the proceeds to charity. It's unclear if he followed through on his pledge.
Upstairs, Jeff and Lauren could take their pick of the seven lavish bedrooms and make the most of this large bathroom, complete with a copper soaking tub, ceiling frescoes and views of the island's super-exclusive golf course. However, despite the many amazing amenities, the house may be destined for the bulldozer. The couple reportedly has plans to raze the house next door, which they bought back in June, according to the New York Post. It's likely they may do the same with their latest purchase and replace the two houses with one enormous mega-mansion.
Whatever their plans, hopefully this beautiful pool area will be preserved. There's guaranteed to be plenty of building work going on, so let's hope Bezos doesn't annoy his neighbour on the next lot over before he's even moved in. The adjacent site is owned by fellow billionaire and former Sears CEO Edward Lampert. In 2012, the finance whiz paid $38.4 million (£31.5m) for the property, which includes a seven-bedroom, 13-bathroom Italianate villa. Luckily for Bezos, his other neighbour is... himself! Let's take a look at the first house he bought on the island...
The billionaire's first Indian Creek purchase broke local real estate records as the island's most expensive sale ever – before he paid even more for the neighbouring property. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom home spans 9,259 square feet and stands on a verdant 2.8-acre lot. It has everything the world's third-richest man might need, including a pool, tight security (more on that later) and incredible waterfront views that stretch across the turquoise waters of Biscayne Bay to the mainland beyond.
The home was built in 1965 and it was last sold in May 1982, when it was bought by the Panama Capital & Investment Corporation. In 2016. the estate was reportedly transferred to former hotelier Tulia Soucy de Gonzalez Gorrondona, who is said to have sold it to Bezos. As charming as it is, we think this home has 'fixer-upper' – or, more likely, 'pull-downer' – stamped all over it.
The beautiful home is seen here on the far left, next to Bezo's latest purchase (centre). The pair of picture-perfect properties stand on the quieter west coast of the island. With a jetty out back and a private golf club stretching almost to the front door, this feels like an expensive little corner of paradise. Let's find out a little more about the history of the exclusive man-made community and who lives there now...
Indian Creek Village, to give the community its proper name, boasts just 41 lots and has around 30 homes in total, which are grouped along the island's shoreline around a clubhouse and a perfectly manicured golf course designed by celebrated architect William Flynn. Totally manmade, the pristine island hideaway was dredged from Biscayne Bay in the early 1900s and slated to be part of a larger artificial island.
Instead, it was repurposed during the late 1920s as an exclusive country club with an 18-hole championship golf course, as well as a winter retreat for the tycoons of the age and their families. In 1939, rumours that neighbouring Surfside was planning to annex the secluded locale prompted its influential residents, who were up in arms that their private paradise might be opened up to the public, to come together and form their own municipality.
Indian Creek Village was incorporated that same year and famous millionaire families, including the moneyed Woolworths and Hoovers, flocked to the island. From the get-go, residents have been tight-lipped about the community and hostile to press attention, so much so that a journalist researching a piece on the island for the Miami New Times back in 1993 struggled to find anyone willing to talk about it and remarked that precious little had ever been written about the place. The news outlet described the island's residents as "rich and paranoid".
The island has long had a staid, conservative atmosphere and is considered the classier, understated alternative to Miami's other billionaire enclave, Star Island (pictured), where past and current residents include former couple Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, Shaquille O’Neal, Gloria Estefan and Rosie O'Donnell.
The island's seclusion and top-notch security are also major draws. A veritable fortress, Indian Creek Island has its very own 13-strong police force that scrupulously vets visitors – the community is only accessible by bridge via a heavily guarded gatepost – while armed officers patrol the island on land and by boat 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
While Bezos is known to be a bit of a thrill seeker, it's not clear whether Jeff is a big golf fan, which could be just as well. The 300-member golf club that sprawls across most of the island is notoriously selective. According to a local source, new members must be nominated and make a formal application, with only one 'no' vote needed to reject applicants. However, if Bezos does decide to apply, we're pretty sure he'll be able to scrape together the initiation fees, which are in excess of $150,000 (£123k) and the yearly dues of $16,000 (£13k).
However, if Jeff and Lauren do become members, they'll have the use of this immaculately maintained golf course and clubhouse with its fine-dining restaurant. The course is known as one of the best in the state, with players describing it as a fun but challenging course in a unique setting. Shockingly, the club, which has had several run-ins with the island's residents over the years, had strict policies in the past that discriminated against Jewish and Black people, and actively restricted their membership.
Bezos may be glad to find that he's not the only billionaire on the island – not by a long shot. Billionaire art collector and former Philadelphia Eagles proprietor Norman Braman, who made his money dealing cars, snapped up this eight-bedroom mansion on the isle in 1991 for $3.9 million (£3.2m) and has packed the garden with imposing metal sculptures by the likes of Alexander Calder and Joan Miró. Meanwhile, the previous owner of the next lot along is said to have ties to the Saudi Royal Family though it appears to have since been sold on, while the adjacent property allegedly has links to the Emir of Qatar.
The latter plot features a jaw-dropping modern mansion with a 100-foot pool and cabana, 3D cinema, music studio and more, along with a beach area created with pink sand shipped from the Bahamas. It was sold in 2019 by its mysterious Russian owner for $49.9 million (£41m), which was a record for the area at the time but has since been blasted out of the water first by Bezos' $68 million (£55.9m) purchase, then by his even pricer $79 million (£64.9m) pad. It was picked up by Qatari businessman Abdulhadi Mana Al-Hajri, who may have bought the property on behalf of the Emir.
Indian Creek Island's leading landowner, Julio Iglesias, bought two parcels in 1978 and went on to amass a further three over the years, including one on the opposite side of the island, which is home to a mansion he lives in for two months of the year. The Grammy Award-winner told the Miami Herald that he intended to gift the undeveloped plots to his kids, including superstar son Enrique, but he eventually decided to put the parcels up for sale.
The veteran singer listed all four vacant sites in 2017 for a staggering $150 million (£123m), but the eight-acre bundle failed to entice a buyer. One of the lots went back on the market in January 2020 with an asking price of $31.8 million (£26m), which is when Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner snapped up the 1.8-acre site. The duo was clearly prepared to pull out all the stops to get the exclusive plot. Iglesias did very well from the sale, having bought the parcel in 2014 for a bargain $21.6 million (£17.7m).
The plum real estate deal came hot on the heels of the sale of another of his lots, which was acquired by celebrity cosmetic surgeon Dr Aaron Rollins at the end of November 2020 for $30 million (£24.6m). Iglesias' remaining vacant plots look to have sold after being placed on the market as a bundle with an asking price of $100 million (£82m).
Ivanka and Jared also went on to buy this 8,510-square-foot waterfront property in the same sought-after community. The colossal crib had been on the market for half a year when Ivanka and Jared snapped it up, paying a cool $24 million (£19.7m) for the 1.26-acre estate. The high-flying couple purchased the pad in April 2021, moving to a rental apartment in nearby Surfside while renovations took place. It's thought that the pair snapped up the house as a short-term residence while they build their dream property on their nearby plot.
The real estate listing described the property as a "neo-classical masterpiece" and "the finest move-in condition home available on Indian Creek Island". These interior photos were taken back in 2020 and highlight the home's high-end materials and luxurious amenities. They show the mansion's imposing foyer, decorated with a Cinderella staircase, a 26-foot domed ceiling and a crystal chandelier.
Built in 1994, the house has six bedrooms and nine bathrooms, as well as plenty of light-filled living spaces including a living room, a dining room, a screening room, a wood-panelled office and a gym. However, aerial photos from around the time the couple made their purchase show that the mansion's grounds had deteriorated since the listing photos were taken. The outdoor hot tubs were drained, while the pool was green and definitely in need of cleaning. It's clear to see why the couple opted to undertake an extensive programme of renovations.
Since then, the mansion has undergone a significant revamp. The exterior appears to have been resurfaced and repainted, while the dated brown window and door frames have been replaced by modern black ones. While not yet finished, the formal gardens have been overhauled and refined, but it's the rear of the property that's seen the biggest transformation. The colonnade on the first-floor balcony has been removed and the ironwork balustrade has been upgraded to clear glass panels, so the family can enjoy an uninterrupted sea view. The thick vegetation that once separated the pool and waterfront has been replaced by a large cabana, which handily blocks the main house from the view of passing boats. According to plans released by Miami-Dade County, the cabana houses a sauna, steam room, plunge pool, gym and outdoor shower.
Hotels.com co-founder Bob Diener is the owner of the home neighbouring the former Iglesias plots. His eight-bedroom mansion features a lavish swimming pool and tennis court. He sold the adjacent lot to Russian businessman Vladimir Krasavtsev in 2015 for $25.7 million (£21.1m). Krasavtsev offloaded it to an anonymous buyer in 2018 for $27.5 million (£22.6m). The next two lots were owned by MTM Star International, which is a company linked to hotelier Tulia Soucy de Gonzalez Gorrondona, who you'll remember just sold one of those plots to Jeff Bezos.
Continue down the road and the clubhouse is next. Designed in 1929 by Swiss-American architect Maurice Fatio, the Mediterranean Revival building was named one of America's greatest clubhouses by Golf Digest in 2019. Next door, real estate developer Irwin Tauber's mansion (pictured) is a generous 19,594 square feet. Tauber bought the palatial eight-bedroom, nine-bathroom property in 2003 for $7 million (£5.7m).
Don Shula, the revered Miami Dolphins coach who won more games than any other trainer in NFL history, passed away in 2020 in his lavish home on the island. His widow Mary Anne continues to live in the white five-bedroom, six-bathroom pad, which was built in 1962 and purchased by the Shulas in 1989 for just under $4 million (£3.3m).
The next plot along belongs to Rakesh Gangwal, the billionaire co-founder of Indian budget airline IndiGo and former US Airways CEO. In 2015, the aviation supremo paid $30 million (£24.6m) for the parcel, which was once owned by billionaire financier Charles Johnson. It wows with a five-bedroom, six-bathroom Italian Mediterranean-style mansion loaded with premium amenities such as a home cinema, wine cellar and gym.
Colombian banker and property developer Jaime Gilinski Bacal owns the next two plots combined, which feature a seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom pile (pictured). The next two lots beyond that are thought to belong to Israeli billionaire businessman Yitzhak Tshuva, who has a glam 11-bedroom, 11-bathroom villa at his disposal.
Supermodel Adriana Lima and her now ex-husband, the former NBA player Marko Jarić, are past residents of the next home on the circuit. The former couple bought the four-bedroom, four-bathroom home and land in 2009 for $9 million (£7.4m), and planned to replace the house with something grander. Following their divorce, Lima remodelled the home in 2020, before letting it go for $40 million (£32.9m) in 2022 in an off-market deal. The buyer was none other than Jaime Gilinski Bacal, who – if reports are true – may now own five contiguous plots on the exclusive island.
Telecoms magnate Rajendra Singh and his wife Dr Neera Singh the next home. The couple purchased the opulent seven-bedroom, 10-bathroom mansion and the land it sits on in 2007 for $20 million (£16.4m). Next along is billionaire hedge fund manager Carl Icahn's seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom holiday home, which he bought out of foreclosure in 1997 for $7.5 million (£6.2m).
Next up is a six-bedroom, seven-bathroom manse spanning 20,047 square feet, which was acquired by Itzhak Ezratti, the president and CEO of Florida developer GL Homes, in 1999 for $4.3 million (£3.5m). Its neighbouring property (pictured) was bagged by Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and his supermodel ex-wife Gisele Bündchen in late 2020. The pair have since divorced.
First reported in December 2020, former couple Tom and Gisele, who paid $17 million (£14m) for the plot, planned to demolish the existing home and build an eco mansion in its place. In the wake of their separation, Brady has taken on the colossal build project alone and secured a $35 million (£28.7m) construction loan in June 2023.
Next door, billionaire property developer Jeff Soffer shared the lot's nine-bedroom, 11-bathroom mansion with his supermodel wife Elle Macpherson before their divorce in 2017. Incidentally, the neighbouring plot actually belonged to Soffer's sister, who sold the property to her sibling in late 2020, not long before it was bought by Brady and Bündchen.
Cuban-born banker Javier Holtz holds the deeds to the next home on our tour, while the next property along (pictured) was reportedly sold by investor Gary Siegler and his wife Barbara for $27.9 million (£22.9m) in 2021. It appears the new owner is now renting it out for a staggering $120,000 (£98.5k) per month. Julio Iglesias' modernist holiday home is next, followed by the next two plots, which are owned by Mexican millionaire and Grupo IUSA boss Carlos Peralta.
Duty Free tycoon Benny Klepach owns these two lots, which have two interconnected mansions with 30,000 square feet of floor space and a total of 12 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms, according to the Miami Herald. Klepach is currently serving as mayor of Indian Creek Village, with Javier Holtz acting as his deputy.
Chilean TV personality Mario Kreutzberger AKA Don Francisco, who rose to fame as the host of Sábado Gigante ('Gigantic Saturday'), the world's longest-running variety show, owned the next home along, but sold it in 2021 to developer Todd Michael Glaser. Glaser razed the site and constructed this mansion befitting of a 'bitcoin billionaire', according to Forbes. In fact, he listed it in May 2022 when the project was incomplete for a staggering $59 million (£48.4m), but the listing was then removed. Before it was listed, realtor Dina Goldentayer shared these renders via her YouTube channel, giving us a hint at what the final construction would look like. Glaser went on to finish the project, but it wasn't a bitcoin-billionaire who bought it...
French DJ David Guetta is the famous name widely rumoured to be under contract to buy the brand new 12-bedroom,16-bathroom home marked out in this picture. If reports are true and the deal goes through, the 15,578-square-foot home will change hands for the huge sum of $69 million (£56.6m). Next door to the property, you can clearly see all the upgrades neighbours Jared and Ivanka have made to their mansion too.
Basketball Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino sold the next lot on and its dreamy eight-bedroom, 10-and-a-half bathroom mansion in April 2020 for $17 million (£14m), considerably less than its original list price of $24 million (£19.7m). It was bought by a Florida LLC, probably to conceal the identity of the ultimate owner. The neighbouring plot belongs to longtime resident Alicia Ziegert, wife of Florida developer Franco D’Agostino.
The penultimate home on our tour of Indian Creek was reportedly once home to Beyoncé and Jay-Z for a time, but judging by official records, it's more likely the A-list couple rented rather than bought the plot's idyllic seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom trophy home at some point during the late 2000s. The property now belongs to Dutch businessman Geert-Jan Bakker, who purchased it in 2010 for $9.3 million (£7.6m). The very final lot is owned by biotech exec Martin Silver and features a five-bedroom, five-bathroom Mediterranean-style manse.
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