Even Jeff Bezos & wife Lauren Sánchez couldn’t get in: This 'Billionaire Bunker' club has a waitlist packed with billionaires, including Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner

In one of South Florida's wealthiest enclaves, having a billion-dollar fortune apparently does not guarantee a place at the local country club.

Indian Creek Country Club, located on the exclusive Indian Creek Island in Florida, popularly known as the 'Billionaire Bunker', has reportedly kept some of its most famous residents waiting for membership.

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According to a Daily Mail report, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez, as well as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, have reportedly not been admitted to the prestigious club.

Why Bezos reportedly hasn't been allowed to join

Bezos and Sánchez are among the high-profile residents of Indian Creek, where they reportedly own three properties.

According to the Daily Mail, the couple attended the club's dock party in February in what appeared to be an effort to make a favourable impression on existing members and the club's board.

The pair reportedly received a warm reception from several members. However, the Daily Mail reported that they had still not received an invitation to join the club.

It is a rather unusual situation: owning multiple properties on an island packed with billionaires does not automatically open the doors to its private club.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner reportedly face the same hurdle

Bezos and Sánchez are not the only famous names reportedly waiting for membership.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who own a reported $30 million home on the island, have also not been admitted to the club.

The report said Mary Anne Shula, widow of NFL legend Don Shula, supported their membership efforts and hosted a cocktail event to introduce the couple to board members.

Despite those efforts, the pair had reportedly still not received an invitation.

What makes the Indian Creek Country Club so exclusive?

The price of membership alone is enough to make most people blink.

Joining the club can involve an initiation fee of around $1 million, while monthly dues are reportedly about $44,000.

But the biggest obstacle may not be the money.

The club reportedly has around 350 members, and prospective members need support from existing members before their applications can progress.

Candidates require sponsorship from two members and five recommendation letters. A six-member membership committee then reviews the application before a 15-member board makes the final decision.

So, apparently, being able to afford the fee is only the beginning.

Why Indian Creek is known as the 'Billionaire Bunker'

Indian Creek Island is one of Florida's most exclusive residential communities, known for its privacy, security and extraordinarily wealthy residents.

The island has attracted names including Bezos, Ivanka Trump and Kushner, while other prominent residents have included celebrities and major business figures.

The country club itself dates back to 1929 and reportedly features an 18-hole golf course, a Mediterranean-style clubhouse and a swimming pool overlooking Biscayne Bay.

Real estate agent Dina Goldentayer told the Daily Mail that the community does not follow the usual model in which buying a home automatically gives residents access to a private club.

“Most communities you buy a home, you become a member of the club, and this community doesn't fall in line with that,” she said, according to the report.

Wealth doesn't guarantee a club invitation

For most people, a $1 million initiation fee would be an unimaginable barrier. For Bezos, who has reportedly spent hundreds of millions of dollars on property on the island, the cost is unlikely to be the main issue.

Instead, the club's reportedly stringent membership process appears to put considerable emphasis on recommendations, existing relationships and approval from its members.

As Goldentayer reportedly put it, Indian Creek is “the most exclusive single-family home community” and “the most exclusive private members club.”

In the world of the 'Billionaire Bunker', it seems that even being a billionaire may not be enough to get through the clubhouse door.