Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison reportedly spent nearly $10 million in 2023 to buy eight homes in a gated Boynton Beach community—not as investments, but to house members of his household staff. The properties are about 30 minutes from his $173 million Manalapan estate and include homes used by tutors for some of his children, according to reports citing people familiar with the arrangement and property records.
Key takeaways
- An Ellison-linked LLC bought eight Palm Meadows Estates homes in May and June 2023.
- The homes are reportedly used by household employees, including tutors.
- Some residents objected to one buyer acquiring so many properties, and the homeowners association later adopted restrictions aimed at preventing a repeat.
The purchases offer a glimpse of how some wealthy homeowners arrange nearby housing for staff while keeping employees close to their main residences.
A rapid search for homes
The buying effort began around March 2023, when real estate agent Kimmie Cruz said she was approached about finding roughly 10 houses for an unidentified buyer. The search included single-story homes and properties whose owners had not listed them for sale. Cruz later learned the buyer was Ellison, who toured homes with bodyguards before contracts were signed.
Property records show an LLC connected to Ellison ultimately closed on eight homes over May and June, spending nearly $10 million in total. The homes are in Palm Meadows Estates, a 288-home gated community in West Boynton Beach with staffed security and a clubhouse.
Staff housing near the Manalapan estate
The houses are described as relatively modest suburban properties, some with private pools. People familiar with the arrangement told the Wall Street Journal that household employees live there, including tutors for some of the five children Ellison shares with his wife, Jolin. Some buildings at the family’s Manalapan estate are reportedly used for homeschooling older children, who have multiple tutors.
Ellison bought the roughly 15-acre Manalapan property, known as Gemini, for $173 million in 2022. The estate spans the Atlantic Ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway, and the sale set a Florida residential record at the time, according to reports.
A broader luxury housing trend—and local concerns
Providing nearby housing can help household employees avoid long commutes and steep housing costs, while allowing them to live outside an employer’s main residence. Staffing expert Peter Mahler told the Journal that lodging can be a practical way to keep employees close. Similar arrangements are increasingly part of the service infrastructure around luxury homes.
The purchases also prompted unease among some Palm Meadows residents, who objected to one owner accumulating so many properties in the community. Cruz said the homeowners association later adopted rules intended to prevent similar large-scale buying. County records show permits for Tesla Powerwalls at all eight homes after the purchases; residents have also said people in at least some of the staff houses drive Teslas. Ellison served on Tesla’s board from 2018 to 2022.