In a surprising twist, a toy tycoon is suing an estate agent for allegedly concealing the identity of the buyer for his $79 million mansion. The seller, Leo Kryss, claims he would have demanded a higher price if he had known the buyer was none other than Jeff Bezos, the world’s second-richest person. The property, located in the exclusive “billionaires’ bunker” of Indian Creek, Miami, was initially listed for $85 million.
The estate agent, Douglas Elliman, is accused of misleading Kryss by denying Bezos’ involvement in the purchase. Kryss claims he agreed to a $6 million discount based on the assurance that the buyer was not the billionaire tech mogul. However, after the sale, he discovered that the property had indeed been purchased by an entity linked to Bezos. Kryss’s lawyer argues that this information would have significantly impacted his negotiations and the final sale price.
The estate agent denies any knowledge of the buyer’s identity. The case is set to go to trial in October, where a judge will determine whether the estate agent breached its fiduciary duty to the seller. This incident highlights the potential risks of relying on real estate agents to disclose all relevant information about buyers, especially when dealing with high-profile individuals who may wish to remain anonymous.
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