It seems the ultra-wealthy have a new trend — swapping Silicon Valley for the tropics. According to The Wall Street Journal, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, together with his wife Priscilla Chan, is purchasing a luxury mansion on the private Indian Creek island off the coast of Miami. The deal is estimated at $150–200 million, and the house spans roughly 8,000 square meters. This is no longer just a “house by the sea,” but a full-fledged mini-palace residence.
Indian Creek is a place with a special status. It is often called the “billionaire bunker” due to the extremely high concentration of ultra-wealthy residents and near-absolute privacy. The island is man-made, gated, heavily secured, and has its own security services. Living there is like being part of an elite club accessible only by Forbes lists.
Essentially, Zuckerberg becomes another member of the wave of California billionaires increasingly choosing Florida over the traditional tech hubs of the West Coast. The reason is simple and very pragmatically American: taxes.
California has increased pressure on wealthy residents. From January 1, a 5% additional tax for the richest citizens went into effect. Florida, on the other hand, remains one of the most attractive states for capital — there is no state income tax at all. For a billionaire, the difference is measured not in thousands but in tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars.
Indian Creek has long become a magnet for those who value not just comfort and climate, but also financial optimization. According to brokerage firm Jills Zeder Group, the island has been purchased by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Among the residents is also former NFL quarterback Tom Brady. Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner also have a home there. This creates a unique neighborhood: tech elites, sports stars, and political dynasties — all in one place.
Zuckerberg himself has previously been an active investor in luxury real estate, with properties in Palo Alto, Lake Tahoe, and Hawaii. But the Indian Creek purchase is especially symbolic: it is not just another villa, but effectively a move into a new center of American elite life.
Interestingly, these transactions reflect a broader trend. The U.S. is gradually becoming a country where the wealthy choose homes not just for scenic views but literally “vote with their square footage” for tax policy. Florida becomes a magnet for capital, and Miami a new hub of luxury and big money.
Where once a symbol of success was a home in California near Google or Apple offices, now success is measured by how far you can move from state taxes while retaining ocean access, private security, and billionaire neighbors.
The irony is that the founder of one of the world’s largest digital platforms chooses a maximally closed and offline-isolated place to live. Perhaps even billionaires sometimes just want peace, palm trees, and the feeling that no “unnecessary” people are around.
© globallookpress.com
The billionaire island becomes a new symbol of the era: wealth is no longer displayed in skyscrapers; it is hidden behind gated walls, in places where ordinary people cannot enter even by chance.
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