Jeff Bezos bought a $75 million support ship with a helipad for Lauren Sánchez but his $234 million Miami estate won’t let her land there

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has a $500 million megayacht, a $75 million support vessel with its own helipad and a pilot wife who loves flying helicopters. But when the couple’s new Miami estate is ready, Lauren Sánchez may have to leave the chopper behind. Jeff Bezos appears to have met one problem that even his fortune cannot simply buy away.

Bezos famously owns the $500 million sailing yacht Koru, a 416-foot Oceanco vessel whose towering three masts leave no room for a conventional helipad. The solution was suitably extravagant: a roughly $75 million support vessel called Abeona, complete with a helipad and helicopter hangar, allowing his wife, Lauren Sánchez, to fly in and out while the couple cruises the world.

But their new home in Miami's ultra-exclusive Indian Creek Village, better known as the “Billionaire Bunker,” comes with a very different set of rules. And one of them could be particularly inconvenient for Sánchez: helicopters and private helipads are not allowed.


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Bezos can buy a yacht with a helipad, but not one at home

The contrast is almost comical. At sea, Bezos has a dedicated $75 million solution for the helicopter problem. On land, however, the rules of Indian Creek Village leave him with considerably fewer options.

The couple has spent about $234 million on three properties in the exclusive enclave, according to reports, with Bezos' purchases beginning in 2023.

Their future compound is expected to be one of the most expensive residential holdings in the area. Yet despite the enormous price tag, Bezos cannot simply add a helipad to the property.

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Indian Creek's 103-page Land Development Regulations specifically prohibit helicopter landing or storage areas as an accessory use. The rule states that “in no instance” can such an area be permitted.

Lauren Sánchez is no ordinary passenger

The restriction is particularly notable because Sánchez is not simply someone who occasionally takes a helicopter. The former television anchor is a licensed helicopter pilot and founded Black Ops Aviation, an aerial film and production company, in 2016. She has also spoken about the importance of flying regularly to maintain her skills.

Her aircraft of choice has included a Bell 429, while she has also been seen flying an Airbus H145.That makes the helipad aboard Abeona especially useful.

When Koru is at sea, Sánchez can fly to the support vessel rather than having to give up her preferred way of getting around. In fact, she has previously been filmed landing a helicopter on Abeona before transferring to Koru by speedboat.

The $75 million Abeona was the answer to Koru's missing helipad

Koru is an extraordinary yacht, but its design created an obvious logistical challenge. The three-masted sailing yacht has enormous sails and masts rising roughly 230 feet, leaving no conventional helicopter landing deck. Instead of accepting the limitation, Bezos acquired Abeona, a massive support vessel designed to follow Koru.

The 247-foot vessel can accommodate up to 45 people and carries tenders, water toys, marine equipment and other support gear. Most importantly for Sánchez, it has an aft helipad and an integrated hangar capable of accommodating a suitably sized helicopter.

So while Koru is the floating centerpiece, Abeona functions almost like its logistical backstage operation. And for Sánchez, it doubles as a floating helicopter base.

But Indian Creek has rules even billionaires cannot ignore

Indian Creek Village is famous for its wealth, privacy and extraordinary property prices. Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Tom Brady, Carl Icahn and other high-profile figures have links to the enclave.

Yet residents are still governed by a detailed municipal code. The regulations cover everything from landscaping and construction to fences, pools, generators and waterfront setbacks. Violations can reportedly result in fines of up to $500 a day, as well as other enforcement measures.

The helicopter ban is perhaps one of the most striking examples. Even with a fortune estimated in the hundreds of billions, Bezos cannot simply recreate the aviation setup he has aboard his yacht in his own backyard.

No landing on the golf course either

There is another complication.

Indian Creek's land includes an exclusive golf course, but that doesn't provide Sánchez with an alternative landing spot. The village's rules don't leave a convenient loophole for residents to use other parts of the island as private helicopter landing zones.

That means the couple will have to rely on conventional transportation when traveling between Miami-area airports or heliports and their Indian Creek properties.

Sánchez could potentially use established helicopter facilities such as Watson Island Heliport, while Bezos' Gulfstream G700 is based at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport. From there, however, the final leg to the estate would have to be by road.