Trevor Melton
Ric Elias, the billionaire co-founder and CEO of Red Ventures, and his wife Brenda, have sold their Palm Beach, Fla., mansion for a cool $73 million, Gimme Shelter has learned exclusively.
It’s the second-highest deal of the year on Palm Beach island following news that William Lauder found a buyer for his estate, which is comprised of two oceanfront lots that were last asking $177.8 million, down from its initial $200 million ask.
This was an all-cash deal and includes the sale of the home’s furniture, sources told Gimme.
Elias is a survivor of the “Miracle on the Hudson” US Airways flight 1549 that made an emergency landing on the Hudson River in 2009. His company — once dubbed America’s largest digital media company that “you’ve never heard of” by the New York Times — owns digital media brands including CNET, Lonely Planet and Healthline.
Elias could not be reached for comment. The buyer, we heard, is a family based in the Northeast.
Douglas Elliman’s star rookie broker of the year in 2024, Jack Rooney — the 25-year-old great-grandson of Art Rooney, who founded the Pitsburgh Steelers in 1933 — repped both the buyer and seller.
“This deal shows the heat of the market. People in Palm Beach are willing to pay a premium for newly completed development on the beach. All you have to do is bring your toothbrush and walk right in,” said Rooney, who declined to comment on the specifics of the deal.
The eight-bedroom French Provincial-style residence, with columns in the front, is located at 530 S Ocean Blvd. It was built as a spec house in 2018 by insurance mogul Sir Peter Wood, who sold it to the Elias family for $37.25 million in 2020.
The grounds include a pool, a cabana and gardens — all on three-quarters of an acre, between Worth Avenue and the coastal road’s intersection of South County Road.
At around 14,900 square feet, the elegant home features charming details like beamed ceilings, stone and wood floors and intricate moldings, with interiors by Marc-Michaels. It was designed by Smith & Moore Architects.