The 10 Most Expensive U.S. Homes That Sold in 2024
The total value of the country’s top 10 most expensive real estate deals in 2024 came in at an impressive $1.2 billion, which surpasses—albeit slightly—the sales completed in 2023. Interestingly, more than half of the 2024 tally involved transactions over $100 million. And in terms of what markets made out the best, California and Florida were nearly tied. However, that shouldn’t come as a total surprise given the number of high-priced trophy properties on the market in each state.
So who’s behind the biggest residential deals in the U.S.? Some of the most noteworthy sales included Jeff Bezos buying up his third home on Florida’s Indian Creek Island. In addition, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi flipped their Carpinteria compound while casino mogul Steve Wynn threw down nine figures for a chalet in Aspen. Taking the top spot, however, was the sale of Oakley sunglasses founder James Jannard’s longtime Malibu home, which eclipsed the sales record previously set by Jay-Z and Beyoncé in 2023. You can check out the full list below.
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10. Indian Creek Island, Florida—$87 Million
In April, it was reported that Jeff Bezos splashed out nearly $90 million on a third property on Miami’s ultra-exclusive Indian Creek Island. The six-bedroom mansion (pictured below) joins the Amazon founder’s already robust portfolio on what’s often referred to as “the billionaire bunker,” which includes an oceanfront estate he bought for $68 million in 2023, plus the house next door, which he purchased for a whopping $79 million. His latest acquisition sits on roughly two acres and measures 10,000 square feet. The property also has a swimming pool, a putting green, and a small boat dock on Biscayne Bay.
9. Los Angeles, California—$92.8 Million
George Ruan, co-founder of online coupon company Honey, might have made a career out of providing discounts, but the blockbuster sale of his Bel Air home went down as one of the priciest deals not just in the city but the entire country. The entrepreneur bought the sprawling, 20,000-square-foot trophy compound in 2020 when it was still unfinished. After putting the place through a massive renovation, he then hoisted it onto the market for $150 million back in 2022, which is more than double what he originally paid. After two years, it eventually traded hands but for significantly less than its original nine-figure asking price.
8. Malibu, California—$94 Million
Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, made headlines last year when she picked up her fourth property in Malibu in an off-market deal. The billionaire businesswoman and philanthropist threw down a hefty $94 million for a beachfront parcel in the swanky Paradise Cove enclave, adjacent to her three other purchases. The existing L-shaped 1950s home features eight bedrooms and six bathrooms across about 6,300 square feet; however, there’s a pretty good chance the digs will be transformed into something even more lavish. A custom compound, perhaps?
7. Carpinteria, California—$96 Million
Ellen DeGeneres has flipped her way into seventh place of 2024’s priciest residential sales. The former talk show host and her wife, Portia de Rossi, parted ways with their 10-acre estate in Carpinteria just two years after they shelled out $70 million for the two-parcel property (pictured below). Not only did they earn a cool $26 million profit on the deal, but it also set a real estate record for Santa Barbara County at the time. The buyer, identified as billionaire mining magnate Robert Friedland, doled out $96 million for the side-by-side properties, which include a Tuscan-style mansion and a vacant plot next door with a private path that leads directly down to the beach.
6. Aspen, Colorado—$108 Million
The most expensive home sale to ever go down in the state of Colorado was the offloading of a $108 million Aspen estate bought by Las Vegas casino tycoon Steve Wynn. The four-acre Red Mountain residence was previously owned by a fellow billionaire, Thomas Peterffy, and sports 11 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms. In addition to the 21,476-square-foot main chalet, the property also includes a heated outdoor swimming pool and a guest house.
5. New York, New York—$115 Million
A penthouse atop Central Park Tower, the tallest residential building in the world, set a record when it inked New York’s first $100-million-plus deal since 2022. The sky-high duplex apartment sold for a hefty $115 million,; however, it originally was listed for an eye-popping $175 million when it hit the market in March 2023. The asking price was then cut to $149.5 million, but despite the discounts, it was still the most expensive residence that Extell Development has ever sold. Spanning the 107th and 108th floors, the unit measures 12,560 square feet and comprises seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and not one but two outdoor terraces.
4. New York, New York—$135 Million
Also in the Big Apple, the pinnacle five-story penthouse at the Aman hotel surpassed the condo at Central Park Tower when it closed for a sky-high $135 million in July—cinching the title of New York City’s priciest sale of the year. The 12,536-square-foot aerie has a wraparound terrace, a private elevator, and not just one but two swimming pools, the New York Post reported. The mansion-sized unit was delivered as a white box, ready to be customized by the owner’s architecture and design team.
3. Palm Beach, Florida—$148 Million
Casa Amado, a historic oceanfront estate, made headlines when it was acquired in an off-market transaction by Daren Metropoulos for $148 million. According to reports, the investor paid for the Mediterranean Revival-style pad in all cash. The landmarked property was designed around 1920 by architect Addison Mizner for Palm Beach businessman Charles A. Munn; it was formerly owned by late Canadian businessman William Pencer, who bought it in 2003. In addition to being set on over three acres with 225 feet of water frontage, the 23,000-square-foot house has 10 bedrooms, a gym, and a movie theater. Over the years, Metropoulos has become known as a collector of trophy properties. Most notably, he bought the former Playboy Mansion in 2016 for $100 million.
2. Palm Beach, Florida—$152 Million
When Tarpon Island, Palm Beach’s only private island (pictured below), hit the market in 2021, its $210 million asking price made it the most expensive listing in the country. At the time, no construction had happened yet but when its mega-mansion did start to take shape, the price was raised to $218 million and later dropped to $187.5 million once the building process was near completion. Last year, a buyer snapped the full-landscaped isle up at a discount when it traded hands for $152 million, a record for lakefront properties in the area.
1. Malibu, California—$210 Million
Remember back in 2023 when Jay-Z and Beyoncé shelled out a record-breaking $200 million for a Malibu estate? Well, Oakley sunglasses founder James Jannard made California history when he offloaded his own cliffside property in the same neighborhood for $210 million last year. The eyewear mogul had owned the coastal abode since 2001 when he doled out a cool $31 million for it, meaning he earned a cool $179 million from the sale. The SoCal stunner spans nearly 20,000 square feet across nine-and-a-half acres with 300 feet of shoreline. Altogether, the home has eight bedrooms, 13 baths, and a tennis court.
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