Late last year, Jeff Bezos announced he was quitting Seattle and moving to a place where he lived as a teen: Miami. To facilitate the move, he scooped up some substantial property in the city’s Indian Creek Village: $68 million for the first place, then $79 million for the house next door, then $90 million for a third spot on the island. Now the seller of that second home, the $79 million one, is suing, saying real-estate brokerage Douglas Elliman kept him in the dark about the buyer’s identity despite specifically enquiring if Bezos was involved. Leo Kryss claims the alleged deception cost him $6 million, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Kryss bought the seven-bedroom property in 2014 for $28 million and listed it in May 2023 for $85 million. When Kryss was offered $79 million, he says he asked Elliman, which oversaw both sides of the transaction, if the offer came from Bezos; the Amazon founder had just purchased the property next door. Kryss says Elliman CEO Jay Parker called him and said it wasn’t Bezos and the offer price was firm; Kryss agreed to knock the requested 7.1% off the sale price. Per his suit, Kryss says he found out the buyer was an entity linked to Bezos post-closing; he’s seeking the $6 million he thinks he would have made had he known it was Bezos.
Kryss alleges that “it was highly material to his negotiations and his decision on the ultimate sales price…to know whether Bezos was…attempting to anonymously acquire the home in order to assemble it with the adjoining property.” The Journal notes that Parker emailed Kryss following the sale to say he wasn’t aware Bezos was the buyer and instead believed the house was going to the family of Indian Creek Village Mayor Benny Klepach. Elliman has filed a motion to dismiss that argues the purchaser—an entity called Cape Trust—did not disclose Bezos’ involvement to anyone, reports the Real Deal. (More Jeff Bezos stories.)
Leo Kryss sold Jeff Bezos a $79 million Miami mansion. Now, Kryss is filing a lawsuit because he thinks he could have sold it for more, per a Tuesday Wall Street Journal report.
Kryss, the cofounder of Brazilian toy company Tectoy, had listed his seven-bedroom mansion on Indian Creek Island, Miami, for $85 million in May 2023, Business Insider previously reported. The property included a home theater, wine cellar, library, and pool, and neighbored a $68 million three-bedroom house that Bezos purchased in June 2023.
When Kryss was approached with an offer for the property, he had a sneaking suspicion that his new neighbor was behind the sale. The seller said he heard from Jay Parker, the Florida CEO of real estate brokerage Douglas Elliman, who assured Kryss that the Amazon founder was not the buyer and that they would not pay more than $79 million, the Wall Street Journal reported.
After Kryss sold his mansion for $79 million — $6 million below its list price — he learned that the buyer was, in fact, connected to Bezos.
Kryss claimed that knowing Bezos’ intention to acquire adjacent properties would have been “highly material” to his decision-making and that it ultimately cost him $6 million, according to a complaint filed in the Miami-Dade County that the Journal viewed. Kryss is suing Douglas Elliman, which received a commission of over $3 million for handling the property sale.
Douglas Elliman’s Parker explained in an email to Kryss that he was also unaware of Bezos’ identity as the buyer and believed the property was being purchased by the family of Benny Klepach, the mayor of Indian Creek Village, the Journal reported.
Klepach’s daughter, Celine, joined Elliman before the sale closed and earned a commission on the property sale. While Celine Klepach has since left the firm, she and her lawyer denied her involvement in the deal, the Journal reported.
It is not uncommon for high-net-worth buyers to conceal their identities to avoid sellers charging higher price markups, Danny Hertzberg, a real-estate agent at Jills Zeder Group at Coldwell Banker, told the Journal.
Indian Creek, also known as “Billionaire Bunker,” is an exclusive village on a private island in Miami’s Biscayne Bay. It is known for its ultrawealthy residents, including Jeff Bezos, Tom Brady, and Jared Kushner. A total of 41 property lots are wrapped around the Indian Creek Golf Club at the center of the 300-acre island, which doesn’t have beach access.
The island was ranked the most expensive neighborhood in the US by Zillow in 2021 and features heavy security, BI reported in 2023. Bezos owns three properties on the island, with the latest purchased in April for $90 million.
Kryss and Douglas Elliman did not respond to requests for comment sent by BI outside business hours.
MIAMI (WSVN) – Crews have fixed a water main that ruptured in Miami.
The water main break occurred Tuesday along Northwest 23rd Street and 15th Avenue.
The break caused minor flooding, but water service to nearby homes and businesses was not affected.
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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was cited for careless driving and a seat belt violation during his traffic stop before Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Miami-Dade Police Department released the citations on Tuesday – one day after bodycam footage showed the intense moment the NFL player was pulled over, taken out of his vehicle and handcuffed while on the ground.
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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Hill was found to be in violation of Florida statute 316.1925, which defines careless driving as “any person operating a vehicle upon the streets or highways within the state shall drive the same in a careful and prudent manner, having regard for the width, grade, curves, corners, traffic, and all other attendant circumstances, so as not to endanger the life, limb, or property of any person. Failure to drive in such manner shall constitute careless driving and a violation of this section.”
Police said Hill was driving at a “visual estimation (of) 60 mph” in a 40 mph zone with no seat belt.
DOLPHINS’ TYREEK HILL NOT BLAMELESS IN INCIDENT WITH POLICE OFFICERS, ESPN’S STEPHEN A SMITH SAYS
Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill speaks during the postgame news conference, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Hill was briefly detained during the traffic stop after an intense back and forth with officers. Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith were also given citations during the incident. They pulled over to see if Hill was OK during the incident, according to bodycam footage.
Manuel Morales, the chief of police for the Miami Police Department, released a statement on the incident.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel talks to wide receiver Tyreek Hill before the Jacksonville Jaguars game, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
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“The body-worn camera depicting the interaction between members of the Miami Dade Police and Mr. Hill is hard to watch, but it’s a reminder that we must always strive to do better,” Morales said. “Despite no city of Miami Police involvement, I pray we can move forward and use this incident to forge a stronger partnership between our professional athletes, the community, and the brave men and women who are sworn to protect us all. When we work together, we all win.”
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