JEFF Bezos is adding a waterfront mansion in Florida to his rapidly expanding real estate empire.

The Amazon.com founder, and the world’s third-richest person, agreed to pay US$68 million for an estate in Indian Creek, a man-made barrier island in the larger Miami area, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. 

The 1.1 hectare three-bedroom property was built in 1965.

It was previously owned by MTM Star International, a company with ties to Panama.

Public records show the sale took place in June, but the identity of the final buyer was undisclosed.

Prior to that, the last recorded sale was in 1982 for US$1.4 million.

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A representative for Bezos didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Bezos, 59, is also looking at other purchases in the area, the person said, asking not to be named.

The exclusive Indian Creek is known as “Billionaire Bunker” and has been home to the likes of Carl Icahn, Tom Brady, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.

Bezos has amassed multiple homes in recent years, including in Washington, DC, a 3.6 ha Beverly Hills mansion he bought for US$165 million in 2020 and an estate in Maui.

He owns properties in Manhattan and Seattle as well as a 121,406-ha ranch in Texas, where the launch site to Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket is based.

His spending on ultra-expensive items has accelerated since he stepped down as the chief executive officer of Amazon in 2021 and after he separated from his wife MacKenzie Scott.

He owns one of the world’s most expensive superyachts, the Koru, which launched this year and cost an estimated US$500 million to build.

His Indian Creek purchase spans almost 864 sq m, according to property records, and also includes a swimming pool.

With a US$163 billion fortune, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Bezos would instantly become Indian Creek’s richest inhabitant.

The island has just about 40 residences, a country club and its own police department.

Real estate values have soared there, but also for the high-end Miami area in recent years as the region has drawn some of the world’s wealthiest people.

Ken Griffin, Dan Loeb and Josh Harris have also scooped up lush waterfront Miami Beach mansions since the pandemic.

The purchase marks a homecoming for Bezos, who graduated from high-school in Miami, after his Cuba-born stepdad got a job in Florida.

His parents own properties in Coral Gables and Miami Beach.

He’s also been spending time in the area.

Bezos attended the Miami Grand Prix party in May and was spotted that weekend with his now-fiancee Lauren Sanchez. BLOOMBERG