Indian Creek Country Club Billionaire Bunker Membership Controversy Explained

Tracking the controversy surrounding the extraordinarily restrictive membership practices at Miami’s Indian Creek Country Club, where residents of the ultrawealthy Indian Creek Island enclave known as the “Billionaire Bunker” — including Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner — have remained outside the club despite owning some of the most expensive homes in the United States.

Jeff Bezos Has Not Been Admitted Despite Owning $234 Million Worth Of Property On Indian Creek. Bezos owns three properties on Indian Creek Island that cost a combined approximately $234 million, but owning property does not automatically provide membership in the country club occupying much of the island. As of August 2026, Bezos and wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos were still not members. [FORTUNE]

Bezos Attended A Club Party While Reportedly Trying To Win Over Members. Bezos and Sánchez Bezos attended Indian Creek Country Club’s annual dock party as special guests in February 2026. People who attended told the Wall Street Journal that Bezos worked the room, speaking with influential members as he sought to improve his prospects of eventually being admitted. [WALL STREET JOURNAL]

Club Insiders Said Bezos Would Not Receive Special Treatment Because Of His Wealth Or Fame. People familiar with the club said Bezos would still be expected to attend mixers, establish relationships and go through the normal social vetting process rather than simply receiving membership because he is one of the wealthiest people in the world. [PAGE SIX]

Joining The Club Reportedly Requires Sponsors, Recommendation Letters And Multiple Levels Of Approval. Prospective members reportedly need sponsorship from two existing members and recommendation letters from five others before being considered by a six-member membership committee. Candidates then face a vote by the club’s 15-member board. The initiation fee has been reported at close to $1 million with annual dues around $44,000. [FORTUNE]

The Club’s “Old Guard” Reportedly Views Some New Billionaires As Unwanted Interlopers. Longtime members have reportedly become increasingly resistant to the influx of technology, finance and real-estate billionaires moving to South Florida. The Wall Street Journal characterized the dispute as a clash between newer ultrawealthy residents and an established Miami social elite determined to preserve control over the club. [WALL STREET JOURNAL]

Ivanka Trump And Jared Kushner Have Also Remained Outside The Club. Trump and Kushner have lived on Indian Creek for years but were still not club members in 2026. When they first bought property on the island in 2020, reporting said some members were prepared to oppose their admission, particularly following the January 6 Capitol attack and controversy over Trump referring to rioters as “American Patriots” in a subsequently deleted tweet. [VANITY FAIR]

Kushner’s Work In Island Government Has Reportedly Improved The Couple’s Membership Prospects. Kushner served on Indian Creek Village’s governing council and became involved in resolving a longstanding sewage infrastructure problem. Club members told the Wall Street Journal that his involvement with the community could help improve the couple’s chances of eventually being accepted. [WALL STREET JOURNAL]

Mark Zuckerberg Owns A $170 Million Indian Creek Estate But Is Not A Club Member. Zuckerberg joined the island’s billionaire population after paying approximately $170 million for an unfinished waterfront estate, setting a major local real-estate record. Despite the purchase, he had not been admitted to Indian Creek Country Club as of 2026. [FORTUNE]

The Previous Owner Of Zuckerberg’s Property Reportedly Gave Up After Trying For Years To Join The Club. Celebrity plastic surgeon Aaron Rollins spent approximately four years seeking membership while constructing his Indian Creek home, according to the Wall Street Journal. After failing to gain admission, he placed the unfinished property on the market, and Zuckerberg eventually bought it for $170 million. [WALL STREET JOURNAL]

Members Of Qatar’s Royal Family Own Property On The Island But Also Remain Outside The Club. The Qatari royal family shares a mansion on Indian Creek, but family members were not on the club’s membership rolls according to 2026 reporting. A Qatari prince had nevertheless been seen playing the course as a guest of club member Tom Brady. [WALL STREET JOURNAL]

Members Organized An Effort To Keep Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon Out. Solomon encountered significant opposition during his membership application, including a petition organized by members seeking to block his admission. Unlike several other billionaire applicants, Solomon ultimately succeeded and became a member. [ENTREPRENEUR]

Club Members Reportedly Tried To Make It Harder For A Billionaire To Buy Control Of The Club. Amid the influx of ultrawealthy residents, members attempted to change club bylaws to raise the voting threshold needed to approve a sale of club property. People familiar with the effort said it was intended to make it more difficult for a single technology billionaire to simply offer enough money to acquire or dissolve the club, although the proposal failed. [WALL STREET JOURNAL]

The Club Has A Long History Of Controversy Over Alleged Racial And Religious Exclusion. Indian Creek Country Club faced decades of criticism over allegations that Black and Jewish people were excluded from membership. Miami New Times reported that the Orange Bowl Committee stopped holding an annual event there following pressure over the club’s practices, while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush also boycotted the club. A club representative later denied that it maintained discriminatory policies. [MIAMI NEW TIMES]

A Former Club President Once Acknowledged Resistance To Admitting Jewish Members. Reporting on the club’s exclusion controversy quoted former president Wayne Becker saying in 2000 that there was “not a lot of enthusiasm for bringing in Jewish members” and that the board resisted change. Indian Creek Country Club subsequently denied that it maintained discriminatory membership policies. [MIAMI NEW TIMES]

Some High-Profile Newcomers Have Successfully Gained Membership. The club’s resistance has not applied uniformly to famous or extraordinarily wealthy applicants. Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady and Jersey Mike’s chairman Peter Cancro were admitted, while Solomon eventually succeeded despite organized opposition, reinforcing that the central barrier appears to be approval from the existing social network rather than the ability to pay the club’s fees. [FORTUNE]

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