Manny Ita –
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly finalizing the purchase of a newly constructed waterfront mansion on Florida’s exclusive Indian Creek Island, fueling widespread speculation that the tech mogul is preparing to exit California. The acquisition, estimated at between $150 million and $200 million, places Zuckerberg in a high-security enclave famously dubbed the “billionaire bunker,” where neighbors include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former NFL star Tom Brady. While the deal has not officially closed, local residents and real estate sources indicate that Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, intend to establish the nearly two-acre estate as a primary residence as early as April.
The timing of the real estate transaction coincides with mounting legislative pressure in California, where a proposed ballot initiative seeks to implement a one-time 5% wealth tax on residents with a net worth exceeding $1 billion. Sky News host Freya Leach highlighted the fiscal motivations behind the move, stating, “Mark Zuckerberg is upping and leaving California, he’s just bought a multi-hundred-million-dollar house in Florida… and it’s because there’s pressure mounting in California to implement a one-off five per cent wealth tax.” Given Zuckerberg’s estimated net worth of approximately $240 billion, industry analysts suggest the move could potentially shield the Meta founder from a retroactive tax liability exceeding $10 billion if the California measure passes in November.
Zuckerberg’s apparent departure follows a growing trend of Silicon Valley elites relocating to the Sunshine State, which maintains a zero-income-tax policy. In recent months, Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have also reportedly made significant property acquisitions in the Miami area, while venture capitalists like Peter Thiel have publicly criticized California’s fiscal direction. The Indian Creek property offers unparalleled privacy, featuring its own private police force and a single guarded access bridge, providing a secure environment for high-profile figures. “People like Zuckerberg plan three moves ahead,” one local real estate expert noted, suggesting that the acquisition is a calculated effort to “future-proof” assets against a shifting regulatory landscape in the West Coast tech hub.
Despite the high-profile nature of the purchase, a spokesperson for Meta declined to comment on the transaction or Zuckerberg’s residency status. If the move is formalized as a permanent relocation, it would mark the end of over a decade of primary residency in Palo Alto for the Facebook co-founder. As California lawmakers struggle to address budget shortfalls, the exit of its most prominent taxpayers has intensified concerns over a “wealth exodus” that could permanently alter the state’s tax base. “The 5% tax in California is really driving out people in a major way,” observed one Miami-based broker, noting that the presence of a figure like Zuckerberg serves as a “loud signal” to the global investment community that Florida has become the new primary market for the ultra-wealthy.
