The owner of a newly-sold $51 million waterfront mansion in Miami reportedly has ties to Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who is rumoured to be the property’s new owner.
If confirmed, it would mean that four of the five richest people in the world now own homes within 20 square miles in Miami, which is becoming a hotspot for billionaires.
Is Sergey Brin buying a home in Miami?
In February, the New York Post reported that Brin had made an offer on an off-market waterfront property on Allison Island in Miami’s Biscayne Bay, though the offer had not gone through at the time.
Now, a sale has indeed occurred.
According to Business Insider, the $51 million sale of the Allison Island property was carried out by Lagoon LLC, a corporation registered at a Reno, Nevada address, with attorney Michaelle Rafferty listed as one of its officers.
Although Brin’s name is nowhere close to the deal, the publication reported that both Rafferty and the Reno address appear on previous real estate purchases linked to the Google co-founder.
Alpine Bay LLC, which owns a Lake Tahoe property reportedly bought by Brin, is registered to the same Reno address, while Christine Wade, a lawyer used by Brin for other property transactions, is listed as one of Alpine Bay’s officers.
Business Insider also reported that another Malibu property linked to the Google co-founder is owned by Dume Cove LLC, which was converted out of California in December last year by Wade. Subsequently, Dume Cove LLC was incorporated in Nevada with Rafferty as its manager.
Given the links, the new owner of the Allison Island property could well be Brin. Representatives for the Google co-founder or the firm involved have yet to comment on the deal.
Exodus to Miami?
If Brin turns out to be the owner of the newly sold mansion, he will join the likes of Google co-founder Larry Page, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg to own a home in Miami, all within 20 miles of each other.
The only one among the world’s top five wealthiest who does not yet own a home in Miami is Elon Musk, the richest person in the world.
So why are tech titans moving to Miami? Business Insider reported that the rush amid California-based tech billionaires to purchase property in Florida comes amid a proposed wealth tax in the western state that, if passed, would subject residents with a net worth of over $1 billion to a one-time 5% tax on their wealth.
This influx of billionaires has also driven up luxury real estate prices in Miami Beach, including places like Indian Creek and Coconut Grove.
The two aforementioned places made the news of late as well.
Business Insider reported that Google co-founder Larry Page has spent over $180 million since December purchasing three properties in Coconut Grove and moving several companies out of California.
Then, this week on Monday, Bloomberg reported that Meta chief Zuckerberg paid a whopping $170 million for a single property on Indian Creek Island.
“What just happened was that there was a ringleader, Larry Page, who closed on his property the last days of December, and that sounded the alarm for the others,” real estate firm Douglas Elliman agent Dina Goldentayer told Business Insider.