The previous owner of a luxurious Miami Beach estate valued at $79 million, which was sold to Jeff Bezos, is initiating a lawsuit against the real estate agent involved in the transaction. The plaintiff alleges a loss of around $6 million because of what they claim was misleading information provided by the agent.
Legal documents indicate that Leo Kryss, who established the Brazilian toy and electronics company Tectoy, is suing the real estate agency Douglas Elliman. The complaint specifically targets the company’s CEO, Jay Parker, accusing him of falsely claiming Jeff Bezos was not the party making the offer on the high-end property.
According to Kryss, he was persuaded to lower his initial asking price from $85 million to $79 million based on assurances that Bezos was not the prospective buyer. However, he later found out that Bezos was, in fact, the actual purchaser of what is referred to as the Indian Creek property. Kryss contends that had he been aware of Bezos’ involvement, he would not have consented to reducing the price.
In pursuit of damages, Kryss argues that Douglas Elliman’s actions were aimed at finalizing the sale quickly to earn a commission of $3.16 million. He originally bought the estate in 2014 for $28 million. Situated on a barrier island in Biscayne Bay, the area is known for its billionaire residents.
Kryss is convinced that if he had been informed about Bezos as the buyer, he could have negotiated a better deal, especially since Bezos had already bought the adjacent property for $68 million. Kryss believes that Bezos would have been willing to pay an additional $6 million to merge the two properties.
This legal dispute sheds light on the intricate and sometimes deceptive nature of major real estate dealings involving high-profile figures like Jeff Bezos.
