I toured the private island known as 'Billionaire Bunker' where Jeff Bezos reportedly bought a $79 million home — see inside the high-security enclave

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos bought a $79 million mansion in Miami's Indian Creek neighborhood in October, Bloomberg reported. The home neighbors a property he bought over the summer for $68 million.

Source: Bloomberg

The highly-secure barrier island known as "Billionaire Bunker" is home to high-profile figures like Ivanka Trump and Tom Brady.

In December 2022, I got a tour of the neighborhood and quickly learned why celebrities are drawn to its high levels of privacy and security.

Source: Zillow, Insider

To enter the island, your need to be a resident or have your name put on a verified visitor's list. At the gate, security scanned my Uber driver's license before letting us through.

The island's one entrance is heavily guarded, with the Indian Creek Village Police headquarters immediately to the left.

My Uber driver dropped me off on the other side of the bridge. While waiting for Dina Goldentayer, the realtor who gave me the tour, a policeman stopped to ask who I was waiting for.

As I wandered around, the only other people I saw on the streets were construction workers. Several homes, including a mansion Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner purchased last year for $24 million, were under construction.

Source: New York Post

Tom Brady paid $17 million for a home that's in the process of being demolished in order to build an "eco-mansion," Page Six first reported.

Source: Insider

A total of 41 property lots are wrapped around the Indian Creek Golf Club at the center of the 300-acre island, meaning every home has water views.

Despite only having a few dozen homes, Miami's Indian Creek Village is a separate municipality with its own mayor and local government.

Source: Florida State Government

That's because the Florida legislature incorporated Indian Creek in 1939 under a now-defunct law that allowed 25 or more neighbors to form a town.

Source: Florida State Government

As a result, the town also has its own police force. About 15 police officers secure the island by land and sea, according to the Indian Creek Village police directory.

Source: Indian Creek Village Police Directory

I was also told there had been discussion of implementing a laser beam security system around the island to prevent any water-bound intruders.

After meeting up with Goldentayer, we drove around the eerily-quiet neighborhood.

Indian Creek's median listing price in September was $49.5 million, according to a Rocket Homes housing market report.

Source: Rocket Homes

One of the more surprising details I learned during the tour was that purchasing property in Indian Creek does not guarantee admittance into the neighborhood's ultra-exclusive golf club.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were told by local residents they "need not apply" to the club after buying their $30 million Indian Creek home, Page Six reported.

Source: Page Six

In the early 2000s, the country club was accused of discriminating against Black and Jewish residents, local outlets reported. The club denies the allegations.

Source: Orlando Sentinel (2000), Wall Street Journal

Beyond the club, not much else is on the island. Indian Creek Island Road is the neighborhood's single street — and it's a dead end.

"There's no action here," Goldentayer joked during the tour. "But you're 10 minutes from the action."

Most of the homes had private docks. But unlike other high-end Miami neighborhoods, there's no direct beach access.

Some residents own or rent additional properties on Miami's mainland, Goldentayer said, like Ivanka and Jared's $18.8 million rental condo in nearby Surfside.

Source: New York Post

Other notable residents on the island have included Wall Street tycoon Carl Icahn, supermodel Adriana Lima, and singer Julio Iglesias.

Source: Insider

Privacy was obviously top-of-mind for the billionaire residents. Some mansions were especially well-hidden from the street.

Combined with the over-the-top security measures, this "quintessential privacy" is what makes high-profile names so attracted to the community, Goldentayer said.