After news broke that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is leaving his longtime home of Seattle for Miami, many may be wondering just where a billionaire like Bezos might end up.
The answer is -- a private island that's one of the most exclusive celebrity-occupied neighborhoods in the United States.
Indian Creek, also known as Billionaire Bunker, is a man-made, 300-acre barrier island in Biscayne Bay -- home to some of the biggest names in sports, entertainment and business.
Paul George, Historian for the History of Miami Museum, spoke to NBC6 on the history of Indian Creek and told us the development initially came about during the real estate boom of the 1920s.
It was created as an Italian-Mediterranean community in terms of style, George said.
Indian Creek Village did not become a municipality until 1939; in which the area then received its own police force and marine patrol -- through the Indian Creek Village Police Department.
Today, the island holds dozens of homes, a country club,golf course and of course, a few high-profile residents.
“The centerpiece was a golf course and a clubhouse, and that’s what you always see when you come to the island,” George explained. “That becomes the first of everything there.”
In October, Bezos had purchased a mansion in Indian Creek for $79 million, just two months after buying a neighboring estate for $68 million, according to Bloomberg News.
The island village is reportedly only accessed by a two-lane bridge closely monitored by armed guards.
Bezos will now be joining other A-list celebrities like NFL legend Tom Brady, singer Julio Iglesias as well as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
Tom Brady moved to Indian Creek back in 2020 with then-wife Gisele Bündchen and their children.
Julio Iglesias is reportedly one of the neighborhood's longtime residents, purchasing his first Indian Creek home back in 1979.
Ivanka Trump and her husband became residents in 2021, reportedly purchasing a home previously owned by Iglesias as well.
Florida's Indian Creek Village is also known as 'Billionaire Bunker'. It has long been known for its incredibly deep-pocketed residents. They include Jeff Bezos, Ivanka Trump
Ivanka Trump
She is the second child of Donald Trump (the 45th president of the United States) and his first wife, Ivana. Trump was a senior advisor in his administration (2017–2021), and also was the director of the Office of Economic Initiatives and Entrepreneurship.
First off, what is this place? It's a famous gated community with a private golf course and country club that has been dubbed “ground zero for the unprecedented migration of wealth,” though concentration is more apt.
The island is connected by a bridge which connects the island to Surfside, Florida and is guarded by a police checkpoint that turns away non-residents and unauthorized persons from visiting the island.
Miami's Billionaire Bunker as it is known, home to just 40 properties on 250 acres. An island of only 0.4 square miles, one of the smallest, richest, and most elite neighborhoods in America. The island is home to the ultra wealthy: Forbes 100 CEOs, supermodels and Hollywood A-listers.
With his immense wealth, Bezos has the means to own property anywhere in the world, and Miami's allure is fitting for someone of his stature, known for valuing privacy and luxury.
As it turns out, Jeff Bezos wasn't quite done buying properties on Miami's Indian Creek Island, a.k.a. “Billionaire Bunker.” The Amazon founder just quietly spent a reported $90 million to add a third property on the ultra-exclusive, man-made isle to his extensive real estate portfolio, according to Bloomberg.
Aiming to protect themselves from potential threats including civil unrest, cyberattacks, nuclear bombing, power grid failure and drastic climate-change events, many work directly with general contractors to build kitted-out end-times bunkers, while others call on a handful of specialized companies.
With 340,000 millionaires and 58 billionaires, New York City stands as the world's wealthiest metropolitan area. Between 2012 and 2022, the number of high net worth individuals living in the Big Apple increased by 40%, even as the pandemic drove an exodus of wealthy people from the city.
In addition to Ms Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, Indian Creek Village property owners include short-seller Icahn, who purchased his mansion in 1997 for $US7. 5 million. Colombian billionaire banker Jaime Gilinski assembled five properties in the island that he's used to create a compound for his family.
What celebs live in Indian Creek? Jeff Bezos, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Tom Brady, Julio Iglesias, Carl Icahn, and David Guetta live on Indian Creek Island as well as other high-profile inhabitants.
How do Indian Creek prices compare to other US cities? Indian Creek is ranked 33 out of 273 cities across the US in terms of cost of living. The cost of living in Indian Creek is 118.9% of the national average.
Fisher Island is a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, located on a barrier island of the same name. Since 2015, Fisher Island has the highest per capita income of any place in the United States.
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Introduction: My name is Tyson Zemlak, I am a excited, light, sparkling, super, open, fair, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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