Jeff Bezos is moving to Miami after 29 years in Seattle
- Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced on Thursday he is moving to Miami from Seattle.
- Bezos said he's moving to be closer to his parents and to Blue Origins' operations.
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is moving to Miami just three weeks after snapping up a seven-bedroom mansion on a small private island in Biscayne Bay.
The tech tycoon — who has been based in Seattle since 1994 — said he's making the move to be closer to his parents and to Blue Origin's operations in Cape Canaveral, Florida. He announced the move on his Instagram account Thursday.
"I've lived in Seattle longer than I've lived anywhere else and have so many amazing memories here. As exciting as the move is, it's an emotional decision for me," Bezos, who is the world's third-richest person with a $161 billion net worth, wrote.
Bezos' move from Seattle is significant because Amazon transformed the city into a tech hub since opening its headquarters there.
Bezos started Amazon in 1994 from the garage of his rented house in Bellevue, Washington, after a road trip from New York to Seattle.
Last month, Bezos snapped up the property in Indian Creek, Florida, for $79 million, Bloomberg reported. The transaction closed on October 12, the real-estate news outlet The Real Deal reported, citing the Multiple Listing Service database.
The property's sales listing says the nearly two-acre mansion exudes "timeless European glamour," and was built in 2000. It features a home theater, a library, a pool, and a wine cellar. The purchase is next to another property Bezos bought this summer for $68 million.
Indian Creek is known as "Billionaire Bunker" for its extremely rich residents. Zillow named it the most expensive neighborhood in the US in 2021.
The private island has stringent security measures and is heavily guarded, Insider's Hannah Towey reported in December 2022 after a tour of the area. Residents also include the investor Carl Icahn, Jared Kushner, and Ivanka Trump.
Amazon and Bezos did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.
Thursday, November 3, 11.02 a.m.: This story has been updated with Bezos' updated net worth, details of his real-estate purchase in Indian Creek, and background on Amazon's founding.