Kryss claims he was falsely informed that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was not the buyer.
A Brazilian businessman alleges a realtor deceived him into selling his Miami Beach mansion for $6 million lower than its true worth to Amazon Boss Jeff Bezos and is now suing him, according to a lawsuit reported reported by The Wall Street Journal. Leo Kryss, one of the founders of the Brazilian toy and electronics company Tectoy, claims the real estate company Douglas Elliman told him that a prospective buyer for his house in exclusive Indian Creek Village won't pay more than $79 million. Mr Kryss had listed the seven-bedroom, 11 1/2-bathroom mansion, covering 19,000 square feet, for $85 million.
Now Kryss is suing Elliman for the $6 million he believes he forfeited by not realizing Bezos was the buyer, according to people familiar with the matter, according to The WSJ.
The lawsuit filed in July by Kryss said that he asked Douglas Elliman CEO Jay Parker if the interested buyer was the world's second richest man, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Parker allegedly let him know that Bezos had nothing to do with it. Later on, in fact, Kryss would agree to sell the mansion for $79 million, unconscious of the fact that Bezos was indeed the buyer, according to the complaint.
The legal dispute highlights the significance of transparency in high-profile real estate deals. At the moment, Kryss is suing them over fraud allegations by the real estate firm.
"Wealthy individuals often shield their identities throughout the process of purchasing a home, from the initial showing through the closing," Miami real estate agent Danny Hertzberg told WSJ. "Many billionaires, when they're purchasing a property, are concerned that when the seller knows their identity, they're going to want a larger number," he said.
In February of last year, Bezos announced his move to Miami from Seattle. He now owns more than four bayfront acres on Indian Creek Island, a gated community sometimes referred to as the Billionaire Bunker. The island has drawn well-known residents, including Tom Brady, Jared Kushner, and Ivanka Trump.