Miami, FL
Inside Miami’s billionaire bunker, a manmade island for the .01% where billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg shell out for total privacy | Fortune
In a city known for flash and nine-figure price tags, Miami’s most coveted waterfront neighborhood features addresses that start at $60 million—and a near guarantee that you’ll never be able to visit.
Indian Creek Island, also known as Billionaire Bunker, is a 300-acre, manmade strip of land in Biscayne Bay just north of Miami Beach that has attracted the ultra-rich in droves. Its monied residents include NFL quarterback Tom Brady, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump.
The main island contains a mere 40 lots of purely waterfront property, adding another layer of exclusivity on top of the inflated cost to entry. The island’s interior is dominated by the Indian Creek Country Club and its private 18-hole golf course. Those looking to rub shoulders on the links will have to reportedly pay a $500,000 initiation fee and go through a lengthy admissions process.
Though properties could be had for less, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg became the latest billionaire to reportedly snatch up a newly completed mansion at an estimated price tag of between $150 million and $200 million earlier this month. And of the ultra-wealthy who can afford to shell out millions for a home, many often tear down the existing structure to build a new one, said Michael Martirena, cofounder of the Ivan and Mike Team at real estate brokerage Compass.
The Price of Exclusivity
With only 84 residents as of 2020, Indian Creek Island is one of the most exclusive enclaves in America, and a big reason why is the privacy and security that it affords its ultra-wealthy residents.
Indian Creek is an independent municipality with its own government and a police force that patrols the island 24/7 not only by land but also by sea. A single guarded bridge connects it to the mainland, and any visitors must show their ID and may even undergo vehicle inspection, said Martirena, who has toured properties there with clients.
“It’s a bubble, and no one can get on and off, unless you have a reason,” said Martirena, who specializes in ultra-luxury real estate.
Unlike nearby South Beach celebrity enclaves such as Palm, Star, and Hibiscus Islands—where boat tours regularly pass by waterfront mansions—Indian Creek’s marine patrols keep onlookers away, Martirena told Fortune.
Because of the island’s location and strategic landscaping, very few homes in the surrounding areas, like the Bay Harbor Islands or Surfside, have a clear view of Indian Creek Island. This makes it very private, said Martirena, and very desirable.
“It’s the place to be,” said Martirena. “People of that caliber feel safe and not bothered.”
And yet, wealth alone doesn’t guarantee access. All the listings are done “off market,” said Martirena, meaning a buyer’s agent will have to deal directly with a property owner’s representatives, and contact them multiple times if they are not quite ready to sell.
“It’s a small community, and just to keep the chatter at a low level, they do it all internally and very private,” he said.
In an already exclusive community, the western side offers an even more seclusive experience because the lots border the intracoastal waterway separating the island from the mainland, Mick Duchon, a Miami Beach–based real estate agent with the Corcoran Group, previously told Fortune. On this side of the island, home to two of the five richest people in the world, Zuckerberg and Bezos, the lots measure about 80,000 square feet, compared to 50,000 square feet which is the norm on the island, Duchon said.
Since announcing his move from Seattle to Florida in 2023, Bezos snapped up three properties on the island for more than $230 million combined. He’s turning two western lots into a compound while he lives in a Mediterranean-style house on the third lot on the other side of the island.
The billionaire migration to Indian Creek reflects a broader influx in South Florida luxury real estate, which Martirena described as “COVID 2.0.” Thanks in part to Florida’s lack of a state income tax, interest from high end buyers is exploding even as activity at the lower end of the housing market slows.
Another factor is the proposed 5% billionaire wealth tax, which is gathering steam in California. Google co-founder Larry Page has reportedly begun shifting assets, including his family office, out of California. The billionaire recently paid $173 million for two waterfront mansions in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood.
Martirena said his own business has picked up over the last couple of weeks, with three recent inquiries that he attributed directly to the potential wealth tax.
“They’re kind of pre-planning ahead of time. They don’t want to move here,” he said. “They want to stay in the state of California, because they love where they’re at, and they never thought of moving. But they work very hard for their money, and they said they like their pocketbook much more.”
Developer Michael Stern teamed up with Italian investor and TikToker Gianluca Vacchi in 2024.
At the time, Stern said that Vacchi “understands new media and how to cut through the noise on social media in a way most real estate people don’t,” calling him an effective marketer and tastemaker. Online to his 22.1 million Instagram followers and 22.3 million TikTok followers, Vacchi has showcased his jetsetting lifestyle, workouts, cold plunges, and maybe most frequently, his dancing.
Two years ago, Stern and Vacchi said they were 50-50 partners on a $4 billion pipeline of JDS Development’s projects (Stern’s firm). That included Mercedes-Benz Places Miami, the Dolce & Gabbana-branded 888 Brickell and the planned 1250 West Avenue project in Miami Beach. It later also encompassed a proposed condo buyout of the Casablanca Miami Beach.
Since then, JDS and its partners have exited the 1250 West Avenue project. Both the Mercedes-Benz and Dolce & Gabbana condo projects are tied up in litigation, though sources previously told The Real Deal that JDS is in the process of securing new debt, and a new partner in developer Jeff Soffer for the stalled Mercedes-Benz Places, which would rescue the project.
Meanwhile, Stern’s relationship with Vacchi has imploded. Vacchi sued Stern months ago, but that lawsuit was on hold, and further details of their dispute remained behind closed doors.
Until recently.
Vacchi is accusing Stern of running a Ponzi scheme. In a new lawsuit, he alleges that Stern misrepresented the state of the projects, promising to use Vacchi’s investment in one development but instead diverting them to another. He also accuses Stern of violating a settlement agreement they reached this year. He wants Stern removed from the Mercedes-Benz project.
Stern called Vacchi’s original lawsuit an abuse of the legal system that was filed “for the sole purpose of maliciously creating reputational destruction” and to extract a settlement from Stern, according to a separate lawsuit obtained by TRD. It’s unclear whether that suit was filed. Stern alleges that Vacchi failed to meet his capital obligations (in other words, didn’t invest on time, or at all).
What we’re thinking about: What happens next with Stern? If the partnership with Soffer and the new financing closes, is all resolved? Send me a note at kk@therealdeal.com.
CLOSING TIME
Residential: A trust paid $41.6 million for the 9,100-square-foot mansion at 8565 Old Cutler Road. The seller was 8565 Old Cutler LLC, which purchased the property in 2022 for $38 million. The property, considered a teardown, has previously housed former presidents of the University of Miami, including former U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala.
Commercial: The industrial complex at 333 South West 12th Avenue in Deerfield Beach, the printing press for the Sun Sentinel newspaper, sold for $65 million. Gramercy Property Trust sold the property to 333 Deerfield Industrial LLC.
— Research by Mary Diduch
NEW TO THE MARKET
The waterfront mansion at 9720 West Broadview Drive in Bay Harbor Islands hit the market for $36.5 million. The 0.3-acre property, with 83 feet of waterfront, a dock, boat lift, pool, outdoor kitchen, cabana and 2,000-square-foot deck, was recently developed. It’s listed with Daniela Levtov of NG International LLC. The 10,450-square-foot house has seven en-suite bedrooms, a home theater, office and library, according to the listing. Property records show Shaul and Danielle Dina own the home through a trust.
A thing we’ve learned
Port Canaveral officials are backing a new federal bill that would make unauthorized drone flights over U.S. seaports a felony, after more than 500 drones flew over the port in 2025, raising concerns about the security of military, space and cruise operations.
Elsewhere in Florida
- West Palm Beach residents pushed back on the city’s rapid development and developer influence at a public meeting this week, WPTV reported. The proposed appointment of a Stephen Ross executive to the Downtown Development Authority fueled the protest.
- About 50 cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasite that’s been sickening people in several states, have been confirmed in Florida. That includes five cases in Miami-Dade and five cases in Broward, according to NBC Miami.
- The FBI is investigating whether Aventura-based TourProdEnter LLC funneled more than $300 million in Argentine Football Association sponsorship payments through U.S. banks for the personal benefit of top AFA officials, the Miami Herald reported. The company moved into an office in Aventura at the start of the year but moved out in the spring.
The Oregon Ducks come off a chaotic recruiting period in the 2027 cycle, where they hosted official visitors and added to their list of commitments. Coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon staff are simultaneously looking ahead to future recruiting classes.
As the 2027 cycle starts to wind down and the 2028 cycle begins to pick up, the Ducks entered the recruiting sweepstakes for four-star edge rusher Elijah Tillman.
Oregon Ducks in the Mix for Four-Star EDGE Elijah Tillman
Tillman is a 6-7, 210-pound edge rusher from Loganville, Georgia. He’s listed as a consensus four-star recruit and is ranked as high as No. 152 in the class by Rivals.
In a recent interview with Rivals’ Chad Simmons, Tillman revealed that Oregon and the Miami Hurricanes are among the schools that he wants to visit. According to 247Sports, the Ducks offered him back on April 30, 2026, while the Hurricanes extended an offer all the way on January 25, 2025.
Tillman told Rivals that the different schools in the mix are even at the moment, but that Oregon and Miami were two of the schools that he wants to go out and see.
Four-Star Elijah Tillman’s Potential Oregon Ducks Fit
Sports Spring Football | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
With Tillman’s large frame, which still has the opportunity to grow, he would provide the Ducks with size on the edge right away.
The 2027 recruiting class currently features five-star edge rusher Rashad Streets, three-star Achilles Reyna and three-star Josh Christensen at the position. The program prepares for current starters Matayo Uiagelelei and Teitum Tuioti to head to the NFL Draft at the conclusion of the 2026 season, leaving opportunities for the next couple of recruiting classes.
Additionally, the Ducks haven’t earned any commitments from the state of Georgia in their 2027 recruiting class. The last commit Lanning landed from Georgia was Dayton Raiola in the 2026 class, who made his decision on February 4, 2026. Making a big push for Tillman could possibly reignite the program’s recruiting in the Peach State.
Miami Hurricanes vs. Oregon Ducks Recruiting Battle
Miami is the other program that appears to be making a big push early for Tillman. Oregon fans are very familiar with former Ducks coach Mario Cristobal, who took Oregon recruiting to a different level before leading the Hurricanes to the National Championship game last season.
Cristobal and the Hurricanes have battled Lanning and the Ducks for blue-chip recruits more and more over the recent recruiting cycles. Most notably, Miami flipped four-star cornerback Ai’King Hall’s commitment from Oregon earlier in the 2027 cycle.
The two rivals also emerged as finalists for linebacker recruit Jalaythan Mayfield, who ended up choosing the Indiana Hoosiers. Oregon got the best of the Hurricanes once in the 2027 cycle when four-star offensive lineman Gus Corsair committed to the Pacific Northwest program over the Vanderbilt Commodores and Miami.
While the Hurricanes aren’t a Big Ten rival that the Ducks commonly go toe-to-toe with on the field and in the recruiting realm, Cristobal’s role in the recruiting rivalry adds a little bit more fuel to battles for recruits like Tillman.
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The Miami Dolphins will have new starters at their cornerback positions since both Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas are not back with the team. The team drafted Chris Johnson in the first round and it’s pretty likely he’ll have a large role and should claim the one starting spot. The other starting spot should be up for grabs among the rest of the group. Jason Marshall is one of those players who has a better chance of claiming that starting spot after showing some flashes his rookie season. Jeff Hafley has already said he envision Marshall playing on the outside and the second-year corner should get plenty of chances to prove himself during the preseason.
You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.
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