Jeff Bezos is moving to Miami. Step inside 'Billionaire Bunker,' the exclusive neighborhood where he owns 2 mansions.
Jeff Bezos is leaving Seattle after 29 years and moving to Miami.
Bezos bought a $79 million mansion in Miami's Indian Creek island earlier this year.
I got a tour of the enclave known as "Billionaire Bunker" and saw why it attracts so many celebrities.
Jeff Bezos, who has called Seattle home for 29 years, is officially moving to Miami.
Bezos made the announcement on Instagram on Thursday evening.
"I want to be close to my parents, and Lauren and I love Miami," Bezos wrote of his and his fiancé Lauren Sanchez's decision to make the move. "Also, Blue Origin's operations are increasingly shifting to Cape Canaveral. For all that, I'm planning to return to Miami, leaving the Pacific Northwest."
Bezos' upcoming move puts him in good company: Many business moguls and wealthy people have moved to the sunshine state in recent years. Of course, Bezos is no mere wealthy individual: With a $160 billion net worth, the Amazon founder is currently the second-richest person in the world.
Bezos' announcement comes after he made two big real-estate purchases in Miami's Indian Creek neighborhood, which is informally known as "Billionaire Bunker."
In October, Bezos bought a $79 million mansion in the neighborhood. The home neighbors another property he bought over the summer for $68 million.
High-profile figures like Ivanka Trump and Tom Brady also have homes in the highly secure barrier island.
In December 2022, I got a tour of the neighborhood and quickly learned why celebrities are drawn to its high levels of privacy and security.
To enter the island, your need to be a resident or have your name put on a verified visitor's list. At the gate, security scanned my Uber driver's license before letting us through.
The island's one entrance is heavily guarded, with the Indian Creek Village Police headquarters immediately to the left.
My Uber driver dropped me off on the other side of the bridge. While waiting for Dina Goldentayer, the realtor who would be giving me a tour, a policeman stopped to ask who I was waiting for.
As I wandered around, the only other people I saw on the streets were construction workers. Several homes, including a mansion Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner purchased last year for $24 million, were under construction.
Source: New York Post
Tom Brady paid $17 million for a home that's in the process of being demolished in order to build an "eco-mansion," Page Six first reported.
Source: Insider
A total of 41 property lots are wrapped around the Indian Creek Golf Club at the center of the 300-acre island. The layout ensures that ever home has water views.
Despite only having a few dozen homes, Miami's Indian Creek Village has its own mayor and local government.
Source: Florida State Government
That's because the Florida legislature incorporated Indian Creek in 1939 under a now-defunct law that allowed 25 or more neighbors to form a town.
Source: Florida State Government
As a result, the town also has its own police force. About 15 police officers secure the island by land and sea, according to the Indian Creek Village police directory.
Source: Indian Creek Village Police Directory
I was told there had been discussion of implementing a laser beam security system around the island to prevent any water-bound intruders.
After meeting up with Goldentayer, we drove around the neighborhood. It was eerily quiet.
Indian Creek's median listing price in September was $49.5 million, according to a Rocket Homes housing market report.
Source: Rocket Homes
One of the more surprising details I learned during the tour was that purchasing property in Indian Creek does not guarantee admittance into the neighborhood's ultra-exclusive golf club.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were told by local residents they "need not apply" to the club after buying their $30 million Indian Creek home, Page Six reported.
Source: Page Six
In the early 2000s, the country club was accused of discriminating against Black and Jewish residents, local outlets reported. The club denies the allegations.
Source: Orlando Sentinel (2000), Wall Street Journal
Beyond the club and the private homes, not much else is on the island. Indian Creek Island Road is the neighborhood's single street — and it's a dead end.
"There's no action here," Goldentayer joked during the tour. "But you're 10 minutes from the action."
Most of the homes had private docks. But unlike other high-end Miami neighborhoods, there's no direct beach access.
Some residents own or rent additional properties on Miami's mainland, Goldentayer said, like Ivanka and Jared's $18.8 million rental condo in nearby Surfside.
Source: New York Post
Other notable residents on the island have included Wall Street tycoon Carl Icahn, supermodel Adriana Lima, and singer Julio Iglesias.
Source: Insider
Privacy was obviously top-of-mind for the millionaire and billionaire residents. Some mansions were especially well-hidden from the street.
November 3, 2023: This story has been updated with news of Jeff Bezos' move to Miami.
Combined with the over-the-top security measures, this "quintessential privacy" is what makes high-profile names so attracted to the community, Goldentayer said.
Read the original article on Business Insider