According to Amazon's fluctuating stock market value, Jeff Bezos (62) is the third richest person in the world with a fortune of $269.7 billion. Ahead of him are Elon Musk (55) with $841.3 billion and Larry Page (53) with $284.2 billion. But no matter how much wealth they exude, none of them can buy whatever they please. Especially the e-commerce giant's founder.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal and Page Six, among other U.S. newspapers, Bezos has not been able to buy his way into the Indian Creek Country Club, the exclusive 18-hole golf course located on Indian Creek Island in Biscayne Bay (Miami), popularly known as "the billionaires' bunker." It is probably one of the most exclusive clubs in the world.
The Blue Origin founder and owner of The Washington Post began investing in real estate in this paradise in 2023 when he acquired a $68 million residence and later purchased two others for $79 million and $87 million. In total, $234 million that have not granted him immediate membership.
Ivanka Trump's mansion (on the left) in Indian Creek.
"Nobody is going to make it easy just because he is Jeff Bezos. You have to attend social events. You can't just move there and expect to get in," a source told Page Six. Two essential requirements for a candidate to be considered are attending club events and knowing current members.
Aware of their duties, the Wall Street Journal reported that Jeff Bezos and his second wife, Lauren Sánchez (56), attended the club's annual party last February as special guests to ingratiate themselves with the members. Although the couple may have made a good impression with their effort, interest, and good manners, the truth is that they have not been admitted to date. "People need to get to know them," several individuals familiar with the situation on one of the most secure and discreet artificial islands on the planet have stated to various media outlets.
Several individuals associated with the club, consisting of 350 members, told the Wall Street Journal that the membership fee amounts to a million dollars, with an annual fee of $44,000. Additionally, candidates have a long way to go, as they require sponsorship from two current members, recommendation letters from five others before being considered by a six-person committee, and then their names are voted on by a 15-member board of directors. This situation leads to ongoing confrontations between multi-generational members and new wealthy individuals.
Of the few well-known figures who own property there, only Tom Brady (49), NFL legend and ex-husband of Gisele Bündchen (46), has been accepted into the exclusive club. However, Mark Zuckerberg (42), Meta's creator who last March paid $170 million for a 2,800-square-meter home, and Jared Kushner (45) and his wife, Ivanka Trump (44), who paid $32 million in 2020 to Julio Iglesias (82) for a 7,200-square-meter plot and a 60-meter private dock, still aspire to belong to the paradise of the Indian Creek Country Club. Not even Donald Trump (80) playing with some acquaintances has helped.
Julio Iglesias had a keen eye when he started investing in Indian Creek in 1978. For instance, in 2017, he put parcels 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9 on the market for a total price of $150 million, but the amount was so high that he decided to sell them separately. The Kushner acquired parcel number 4.
Despite having 121.5 hectares of land, Indian Creek only has 41 mansions with private docks where the yachts of some of the wealthiest individuals in the world dock. It has its own police department that monitors the area 24 hours a day, several maritime security teams to prevent access from the water, advanced high-tech perimeter surveillance with radars and thermal or infrared cameras described by experts as Israeli-designed, and the only connection to the mainland is a bridge with a police booth that restricts access to anyone not on a list. Additionally, visitors are prohibited from getting out of the car to walk around.
In recent years, the migration of billionaires to Florida has grown exponentially due to the tax increases in other states. On November 3, a referendum will be held in California with the intention of approving a 5% wealth tax on the wealthiest individuals. This fact has caused and will continue to cause significant changes in residence among the country's wealthiest individuals.
Furthermore, according to Fortune magazine, Florida's lack of state income tax has convinced high-net-worth buyers to engage in the highest transactions outside the market. Once again, secrecy is the key to maintaining security and anonymity.