Billionaire Jeff Bezos, one of the richest men in the world, is at the center of a real estate conflict after the magnate Leo Kryss discovered that it was the founder of Amazon who bought his mansion in Indian Creek, Florida.
Kryss, co-founder of the company Tectoy, claims that the real estate agency Douglas Elliman, responsible for managing the sale of his mansion, possibly deceived him for the benefit of Bezos.
The conflict lies in the fact that Kryss had put the property up for sale in May 2023 for $85 million, but ended up accepting the offer of $79 million made by Douglas Elliman.
Before closing the deal, he suspected that Bezos could be the interested buyer, but when he raised his doubt with the real estate agents, they denied the information and insisted that the potential buyer would not pay more than $79 million for the property.
The magnate claims that this false information cost him $6 million dollars. He has decided to file a lawsuit against Douglas Elliman, alleging that the agency failed to meet its obligations and misrepresented crucial details about the buyer's identity.
The lawyer representing him, Dana Clayton, stated in comments to The Wall Street Journal that the real estate company "knew or should have known who the ultimate beneficial buyer was and concealed that fact from its client."
This property, for which Bezos paid $79 million, is the second that the billionaire bought in Indian Creek. The first mansion acquired is adjacent to the one involved in the lawsuit, and it cost him $68 million. In April 2024, he acquired his third residence in the coveted area for $90 million.
The case puts the practices of real estate agencies that represent both buyers and sellers in these multimillion-dollar transactions under scrutiny.
Indian Creek, known for being home to numerous wealthy figures such as Ivanka Trump, Julio Iglesias, and Tom Brady, is one of the most coveted areas in Florida.
The outcome of this legal dispute could affect not only the reputation of the agency Douglas Elliman, but also the public perception of how billionaires manage their businesses and transactions in Florida's real estate sector.
Although Bezos is not the direct target of the lawsuit, his name is closely linked to the case due to his status as the final buyer of the property.
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