According to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report, a Miami Beach homeowner is suing Douglas Elliman, claiming the his real estate firm misled him about the identity of the buyer of his $79 million mansion, potentially costing him millions.
The alleged identity of the homebuyer?
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
According to the suit, Leo Kryss, a Brazilian businessman and former owner of an estate on Indian Creek Island, put his residence up for sale May 2023. He reportedly inquired if Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was the purchaser when he received an offer for his waterfront property, according to the WSJ report.
After receiving a $79 million offer, Kryss claims he sought clarification, according to the outlet. Douglas Elliman CEO Jay Parker allegedly assured him that Bezos was not the buyer and that the purchaser would not pay more than the offered amount in a call, the outlet reported.
However, shortly after the deal closed, Kryss reportedly discovered the mansion was sold to an entity connected to Bezos, according to the suit.
Bezos had recently purchased the neighboring property for $68 million, the WSJ reported. Kryss filed suit claiming a loss of $6 million dollars and alleging that Bezos was trying to join the properties together.
In other words? If the buyer knew Bezos was the buyer, he would have changed his selling strategy.
The seller claims if he had known Bezos was the buyer trying to acquire adjacent properties, it would have changed his decision-making process. Now, he's suing Douglas Elliman, which received a $3 million commission for the sale.https://t.co/m8u3Wbtjh3
— Entrepreneur (@Entrepreneur) September 11, 2024
According to the WSJ report, Kryss’ attorney, Dana Clayton, accused the realtor of misrepresentation.
“Douglas Elliman failed to fulfill their duties to our client…They knew or should have known who the ultimate beneficial purchaser was and misrepresented that very important fact to our client,” Clayton reportedly said.
Bezos has not commented on the matter.