PHOTO: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez
You can be one of the richest people on the planet.
You can own three properties in one of America’s most exclusive neighbourhoods.
You can reportedly afford the million-dollar joining fee without blinking.
But apparently, that still doesn’t guarantee you a seat at the table.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez have reportedly been unable to secure membership at Miami’s ultra-exclusive Indian Creek Country Club, despite owning multiple properties on the tiny island enclave famously known as “Billionaire Bunker.”
And they aren’t alone.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who also own a multimillion-dollar home on Indian Creek Island, have reportedly faced their own difficulties getting through the club’s extraordinarily selective membership process.
It is a fascinating glimpse into a world where even billionaire status may not be enough.
Welcome to Miami’s ‘Billionaire Bunker’
Indian Creek is no ordinary Miami neighbourhood.
The private island in Biscayne Bay has become synonymous with extraordinary wealth, privacy and some of the most expensive residential real estate in the United States.
Its residents have included an extraordinary collection of business leaders, celebrities and sporting royalty.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez own multiple properties there, while Tom Brady has also made the enclave home.
Singer Julio Iglesias and billionaire investor Carl Icahn have been among other high-profile residents associated with the island.
But living amongst America’s elite doesn’t automatically open the doors to the neighbourhood’s country club.
Ivanka Trump, who owns a home on the island with her husband Jared Kushner, have also reportedly be denied
A Club Where Money Apparently Isn’t Enough
Founded in 1929, Indian Creek Country Club sits alongside the exclusive residential community and features an 18-hole golf course, Mediterranean-style clubhouse, swimming pool and views across Biscayne Bay towards Miami.
Membership is reportedly limited to roughly 350 people.
According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal cited by the Daily Mail, the club’s membership has traditionally included established local families alongside doctors, property developers, lawyers, entrepreneurs and financiers.
The Daily Mail reports an initiation fee of around US$1 million, alongside substantial ongoing membership costs.
For Bezos, however, affordability clearly isn’t the problem.
The bigger obstacle appears to be something money cannot necessarily buy:
An invitation.
Indian Creek Country Club is located on the ultrawealthy enclave of Indian Creek (pictured), which is known as ‘Billionaire Bunker’ thanks to it’s mega rich residents
Bezos and Sánchez Reportedly Tried to Impress Members
According to the reports, Bezos and Sánchez attended Indian Creek’s annual dock party in February.
The gathering reportedly provided an opportunity to meet existing members and the people who could ultimately influence whether they were admitted.
Bezos apparently wasn’t exactly ignored.
Club members reportedly lined up to meet the Amazon founder.
But six months later, the couple had still reportedly not received an invitation to join.
For a man accustomed to being able to buy almost anything – including some extraordinary pieces of real estate – that’s rather remarkable.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner Have Reportedly Struggled Too
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner reportedly haven’t found the process straightforward either.
The couple own a property on Indian Creek reportedly worth around US$30 million.
According to the report, Mary Anne Shula – widow of legendary Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula – sponsored the couple and organised a cocktail event designed to introduce them to members of the club’s board.
But reportedly only about half of the board attended.
And membership still didn’t immediately follow.
Kushner’s involvement in a community project involving a new sewer system for Indian Creek may now be helping the couple move closer to acceptance, according to the Journal’s reporting.
It’s probably one of the few places in America where owning a $30 million house apparently doesn’t make you sufficiently established with the neighbours.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez reportedly attended a party in February hoping to gain admission to the club, but have not been invited to join
So How Do You Actually Get In?
This is where Indian Creek Country Club’s exclusivity becomes particularly interesting.
It isn’t simply a case of writing a cheque.
Prospective members reportedly need:
Two existing members to sponsor them.
Then they need recommendation letters from another five members.
After that, the club’s six-person membership committee considers whether the applicant should even progress to nomination.
And that still isn’t the end.
The club’s 15-member board of directors then gets involved in the decision.
In other words, having enough money to pay the membership fee may be the easiest part of the process.
Indian Creek Country Club is one of America’s most exclusive organizations. The club features a private 18-hole golf course, a Mediterranean villa style clubhouse and a swimming pool with views of the Miami skyline
Old Money Meets New Money
The story also highlights an interesting tension playing out in some of America’s wealthiest enclaves.
Miami has experienced an extraordinary influx of billionaires and multimillionaires in recent years.
Tech founders, financiers, entrepreneurs and celebrities have poured money into South Florida property.
Indian Creek has been one of the ultimate beneficiaries.
But an established private club dating back almost a century doesn’t necessarily operate by the same rules as Miami’s luxury property market.
You can buy the mansion.
You can move onto the island.
You can become one of the richest residents.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean the existing establishment has to let you into its club.
The Real Estate Is Extraordinary
The exclusivity surrounding Indian Creek Country Club also contributes to the mystique of the real estate surrounding it.
Indian Creek Island contains only a small number of residential properties, sitting on enormous waterfront sections surrounding the golf course.
Privacy is taken extraordinarily seriously.
The island has its own police presence, limited access and extraordinary waterfront estates overlooking Biscayne Bay.
Bezos has reportedly spent well over US$200 million assembling three properties on the island, demonstrating just how valuable access to this tiny piece of Miami real estate has become.
The combination of scarcity, security, billionaire neighbours and waterfront land has helped give Indian Creek its famous nickname:
Billionaire Bunker.
The Ultimate Status Symbol Isn’t the Mansion
Perhaps that’s what makes this story so fascinating.
Normally, the ultimate display of wealth is the property itself.
At Indian Creek, buying the mansion might simply get you through the front gate.
The harder achievement may be convincing the neighbours that you belong in their club.
For Bezos – whose fortune runs into hundreds of billions of dollars – that’s an unusual position to find himself in.
And it raises an entertaining question.
If Jeff Bezos can’t simply buy his way into your country club…
Just how exclusive is it?
SOURCE: THE DAILY MAIL