Jeff Bezos's Miami mansion seller sues realtor for $6M
What's the story
Leo Kryss, the co-founder of Brazilian toy and electronics company Tectoy, is suing real estate firm Douglas Elliman for allegedly concealing that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was the buyer of his Miami Beach mansion. Per reports, Kryss sold the property to Bezos for $79M, a price he now believes was undervalued due to the realtor's actions. Now, he is seeking $6M in damages.
Lawsuit details
Kryss alleges the realtor misled him about buyer's identity
Kryss filed a lawsuit in Florida state court against Douglas Elliman, claiming that the firm's CEO, Jay Parker, personally assured him that Bezos was not the buyer of his mansion. The suit alleges that Parker told Kryss the property was being purchased for the Klepach family. Celine Klepach, the daughter of Indian Creek Mayor Benny Klepach, was the realtor handling the sale.
Sale negotiations
Kryss claimed he was misled into reducing asking price
Kryss listed his Miami Beach mansion for sale in May 2021 at an asking price of $85M. When he received a $79M offer, he inquired if Bezos was the buyer. After being assured by Parker that Bezos was not involved, Kryss agreed to reduce the asking price by 7.1%. He later discovered that the buyer was indeed an entity linked to Bezos.
Legal perspective
Realtor's actions cost Kryss millions, alleges attorney
Dana Clayton, an attorney for Kryss, stated that Douglas Elliman failed to fulfill their duties to their client. "They knew or should have known who the ultimate beneficial purchaser was and misrepresented that very important fact to our client," Clayton said. The lawsuit alleges that this misrepresentation cost Kryss millions of dollars, as he would not have agreed to reduce the price had he known Bezos was the buyer.
Information
Realtor and Bezos remain silent on the lawsuit
Douglas Elliman has declined to comment on the lawsuit. Celine, who allegedly earned a commission from the sale, left the firm weeks ago. She stated that she was not involved in the deal. Bezos has not yet responded to requests for comment.