Tycoon sues estate agent after learning Jeff Bezos was buyer of mansion in cut-price deal

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has bought three properties this year in Indian Creek, a man-made island in Miami’s Biscayne Bay. Photo / Getty Images

A businessman is trying to sue an estate agent who he claims persuaded him to knock US$6 million ($10m) off the sale price of his mansion without revealing the buyer was Jeff Bezos.

Leo Kryss, the seller of the US$79m home in the United States, claims he would not have agreed to the discount had he known the second-wealthiest person in the world was behind the bid.

Amazon founder Bezos bought the seven-bedroom house on Miami’s Indian Creek island, an exclusive gated community nicknamed “billionaires’ bunker”, last year.

Kryss, the Brazilian co-founder of toy and electronics company Tectoy, initially listed the house, which sports a wine cellar, library and theatre, for US$85m.

He is now suing Douglas Elliman, an American brokerage that handled both sides of the sale, for allegedly concealing Bezos’ identity.

An offer came in shortly after Bezos paid US$68m for a neighbouring property, so Kryss suspected the billionaire was behind the bid, the Wall Street Journal reported.

But a Douglas Elliman employee allegedly reassured Kryss over the phone that Bezos was not behind the bid and that his client would not pay more than US$79m for the property.

Kryss agreed to sell the property at a discount of US$6m but later learnt he had sold the home to an entity linked to Bezos.

In a complaint filed to a Miami court, Kryss states that knowing about Bezos’ involvement would have been “highly material to his negotiations and his decision on the ultimate sales price”.

Dana Clayton, Kryss’ lawyer, said: “Douglas Elliman failed to fulfil [its] duties to our client. [It] knew or should have known who the ultimate beneficial purchaser was and misrepresented that very important fact to our client.”

Both the listing agents have denied having knowledge of the buyer’s identity, according to the legal documents.

A hearing is scheduled for October 11.

The Telegraph has approached Bezos and Amazon for comment.

It is not uncommon for celebrities to conceal their identities when buying a property, often in a bid to protect their privacy and done by purchasing through a trust.

Indian Creek is on a man-made island in Miami’s Biscayne Bay that was ranked the most expensive neighbourhood in the US in 2001.

Bezos bought a third property on the island for US$90m this year. His neighbours include Tom Brady, David Guetta and Ivanka Trump.