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Google billionaire Larry Page copies the Jeff Bezos playbook, buying a $173 million Miami compound

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Google cofounder Larry Page has quietly—or loudly—joined the billionaire exodus from California, shifting businesses east and dropping about $173 million on two ultra-luxury waterfront mansions in Miami’s Coconut Grove in a move that looks strikingly similar to Jeff Bezos’ relocation playbook. The timing, structure, and destination of Page’s escape from Silicon Valley make his Florida pivot look downright Bezos-ian.

In late December and early January, The Wall Street Journal reported, Page snapped up two neighboring estates in Miami’s Coconut Grove, paying roughly $101.5 million for one waterfront compound and $71.9 million for another in an off‑market deal, for a combined outlay of about $173.4 million. One of the homes, previously listed for $135 million, spans 13 bedrooms and 15.5 bathrooms and sits directly on the water, while the second, bought from heiress Sloan Lindemann Barnett and her husband Roger Barnett, nearly doubled in value in less than five years.

The purchases plant Page squarely inside one of Miami’s most exclusive enclaves, long favored by global elites seeking privacy, water access, and low‑key luxury. Local brokers say his splashy entry is part of a broader surge of high‑net‑worth Californians scouting Coconut Grove and other South Florida neighborhoods as they hedge against looming tax changes while upgrading to trophy waterfront properties. The real-estate purchases double as both a luxury retreat and a massive tax‑savings vehicle, with Page the most prominent of California’s ultrawealthy choosing to leave as state lawmakers are targeting fortunes like his with an aggressive wealth‑tax push.

Cutting ties with California

Behind the real-estate headlines, Page has been methodically severing his financial and legal ties to California ahead of a proposed wealth tax that targets residents worth more than $1 billion. Regulatory filings show he has moved his family office and several investment and holding entities out of the state, Business Insider reported, reincorporating key vehicles in Delaware and listing new business addresses in Florida.

The New York Times previously reported Page had been telling associates he was considering Florida specifically because of a proposed ballot measure that would impose a 5% annual levy on the worldwide assets of billionaires domiciled in California. If passed and applied retroactively to residents as of Jan. 1, 2026, analysts estimate the tax could cost Page—currently ranked as the world’s second‑richest person—well over $10 billion.

​​Some Silicon Valley executives, notably Anduril’s Palmer Luckey, warned such an outcome was possible, saying in late December founders would have to sell off parts of their companies to pay for “fraud, waste, and political favors for the organizations pushing this ballot initiative.” California Rep. Ro Khanna responded to the Times‘ reporting that Page and Peter Thiel were looking to leave by flagging the story on X and saying, seemingly sarcastically in the style of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, “I will miss them very much.”

A Bezos‑style blueprint

The contours of Page’s escape from California closely mirror Jeff Bezos’ own high‑profile shift from Seattle to Miami, right down to the choice of ultra‑exclusive waterfront neighborhoods and rapid‑fire acquisitions. Bezos announced in 2023 he would relocate to Miami after decades in Washington state, then quickly assembled a South Florida compound by buying multiple estates in Indian Creek Village—the so-called “Billionaire Bunker”—for a reported total of around $237 million within nine months, saving an estimated $1 billion in taxes as he did so.

Both billionaires have leveraged Florida’s lack of state income tax, friendlier treatment of wealth, and lifestyle appeal as they reposition personal empires away from higher‑tax, tech‑heavy coastal hubs. Their moves have also helped cement Miami’s evolution into a parallel power center for technology and finance, accelerating a migration of capital and executive talent that began in earnest during the pandemic.

For high‑net‑worth individuals like Page, such a move could save tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars over time compared with remaining a California resident. For a centibillionaire, shifting domicile before new rules take effect can function like an instant, self‑funded tax reform.

Billionaire escape pattern

Page’s retreat from California comes as at least a half‑dozen ultra‑wealthy residents either leave the state or restructure assets in anticipation of a potential wealth tax, according to recent reports—with the notable exception of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who insists he’s “perfectly fine” with a wealth tax and plans to stay in California. Advocates for the measure argue tapping billionaire fortunes is necessary to shore up funding for programs like health care and education, while critics warn aggressive asset‑based taxes will simply drive the richest residents—and their investment dollars—elsewhere.

That shift is already part of the 2020s-era reshaping of Miami, which has seen an influx of hedge funds, crypto players, and tech executives. With Page now following the Bezos model—trading a California ZIP code for a fortress‑like Miami compound—the message to fellow ultra‑rich founders is clear: If the tax climate turns, there is a ready‑made playbook for leaving.

For this story, Fortune journalists used generative AI as a research tool. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.



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Wife of Renee Good, the Minnesota woman killed in ICE shooting: ‘We had whistles. They had guns’

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The wife of Renee Good, the woman shot and killed in her car by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis, says the couple had stopped to support their neighbors on the day of the shooting and described the mother of three as leaving a legacy of kindness.

“We had whistles. They had guns,” Becca Good said in a written statement Friday that was provided to Minnesota Public Radio.

The statement was her first public comment about the death of Renee Good, 37, who was killed Wednesday after three Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers surrounded her Honda Pilot SUV on a snowy street a few blocks from the couple’s home. Video taken by bystanders show an officer approaching the SUV stopped across the middle of the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle.

The vehicle begins to pull forward and a different ICE officer standing in front of it pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him.

Trump administration officials have painted Renee Good as a domestic terrorist who tried to run over an officer with her vehicle. State and local officials in Minneapolis, as well as protesters, have rejected that characterization.

Becca Good has not responded to calls and messages from The Associated Press. Her statement provided no further detail about the day of the shooting and instead focused on memorializing her wife.

The couple had only recently moved to Minneapolis and were raising Renee Good’s 6-year-old son from a previous marriage.

Becca said Renee was a Christian who “knew that all religions teach the same essential truth: we are here to love each other, care for each other, and keep each other safe and whole.”

She thanked the people all across America and the world who had reached out in support of their family.

“Renee sparkled. She literally sparkled,” Becca Good wrote. “I mean, she didn’t wear glitter but I swear she had sparkles coming out of her pores. All the time. You might think it was just my love talking but her family said the same thing. Renee was made of sunshine.”

Far from the worst-of-the-worst criminals President Donald Trump said his immigration crackdown would target, Good was a U.S. citizen born in Colorado who apparently was never charged with anything beyond a single traffic ticket.

In social media accounts, she described herself as a “poet and writer and wife and mom.” She said she was currently “experiencing Minneapolis,” displaying a pride emoji on her Instagram account. A profile picture posted to Pinterest shows her smiling and holding a young child against her cheek, along with posts about tattoos, hairstyles and home decorating.

Her ex-husband, who asked not to be named out of concern for the safety of the two now-teenage children he had with Renee Good while they were married, told the AP on Wednesday that he had never known her to participate in a protest of any kind.

Becca Good said the couple, who had previously lived in Kansas City, Missouri, had settled in Minneapolis after an “extended road trip.” She said people they encountered in the Twin Cities had provided a strong sense that “they were looking out for each other.”

“We were raising our son to believe that no matter where you come from or what you look like, all of us deserve compassion and kindness,” Becca wrote. “I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him. That the people who did this had fear and anger in their hearts, and we need to show them a better way.”



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Bessent’s visit to Minnesota comes with more vows to crack down on fraud as tensions flare with state, Somalia government

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The Treasury Department is taking a closer look at financial transactions between Minnesotan residents and businesses and Somalia as the federal government ramps up its immigration crackdown in the state, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters on Friday during a visit to the state.

Bessent said his agency has launched a series of actions to combat fraud in the state and has launched investigations into four businesses that people use to wire money to family members abroad to do more to scrutinize transactions. He did not name the businesses.

His visit to the state coincides with protests in Minneapolis after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a woman in a residential neighborhood south of downtown on Wednesday, leading to a clash between federal and local leaders.

President Donald Trump has targeted the Somali diaspora in the Democratic-led state with immigration enforcement actions and has made a series of disparaging comments about the community, directing Bessent to uncover more fraud. The Treasury first announced last month that it would begin targeting money service businesses, focusing on remittances to Somalia.

The department’s actions have been prompted in part by a series of fraud cases, including a nonprofit called Feeding Our Future accused of stealing coronavirus pandemic aid meant for school meals. Prosecutors have put the losses from that case at $300 million.

Gov. Tim Walz, before he ended his bid to serve a third term this week, said that fraud will not be tolerated in Minnesota and that his administration “will continue to work with federal partners to ensure fraud is stopped and fraudsters are caught.” Walz, who came under heavy criticism from Republicans who said his administration should have caught the Feeding Our Future fraud earlier, said he was “furious” with “criminals that preyed on the system that was meant to feed children.”

The founder of Feeding our Future, Aimee Bock, was charged with multiple counts involving conspiracy, wire fraud and bribery and was convicted in March while maintaining her innocence.

Bessent declined to comment on specific investigations but said he had met with several financial institutions on Friday to ask them to do more to prevent fraud. The department has not disclosed which institutions Bessent spoke with.

Key Treasury actions include Financial Crimes Enforcement Network investigations into Minnesota-based money services businesses, enhanced transaction reporting requirements for international transfers from Hennepin and Ramsey counties, and alerts to financial institutions on identifying fraud tied to child nutrition programs.

“Treasury will deploy all tools to bring an end to this egregious unchecked fraud and hold perpetrators to account,” Bessent told reporters on Friday.

Bessent’s announcement was met with some criticism. Nicholas Anthony, a policy analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute, said Bessent is “building a legacy of financial surveillance and control.”

“The announcement that he is stopping Americans from sending their money abroad and increasing surveillance under the Bank Secrecy Act should be condemned,” Anthony said.

Some Somali leaders said last month they had received anecdotal reports about community members being detained by federal agents but had no details. Those leaders and allies including Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have vowed to protect the community.

During a speech on Thursday about the Republican Trump administration’s economic agenda at the Economic Club of Minnesota, Bessent referred to the alleged fraud, without mentioning the Somali community that his department is targeting.

“I am here this week to signal the U.S. Treasury’s unwavering commitment to recovering stolen funds, prosecuting fraudulent criminals, preventing scandals like this from ever happening again, and investigating similar schemes state by state,” Bessent said.



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Telluride Ski Resort begins to reopen after striking ski patrollers accept a contract

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Telluride Ski Resort in southwestern Colorado began to reopen Friday after a vote by striking ski patrollers to accept a contract and return to work.

The resort shut down Dec. 27 after the Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association rejected a company pay proposal. The resort remained closed except for beginner carpets and a lift serving two beginner runs that were staffed this week by managers and temporary ski patrollers.

With help from artificial snowmaking and a foot (30 centimeters) of recent snowfall, more lifts and runs will open starting this weekend, resort officials said in a statement.

“We are confident that this last offer represented a fair compromise,” resort representative Steve Swenson said in the statement.

Neither the resort nor the ski patrol union divulged details of the deal endorsed by the union with a Thursday vote. Negotiations had been ongoing since June.

The union sought pay increases from $21 to $28 an hour for new patrollers and from as little as $30 to almost $50 for the most experienced ones.

“While we are ultimately very disappointed to not address our broken wage structure, we are immensely proud of our efforts that have led to this financial movement. We are even prouder of the recognition and implementation of our supervisors into the unit,” read a union statement on social media Thursday.

Ski patrollers elsewhere in the Rocky Mountain region have been unionizing. Some argue for more pay on the grounds that the cost of living in ski towns is high and that they are responsible for safety.

Patroller duties include attending to injured skiers and the controlled release of avalanches with explosives when nobody is in range.

An almost two-week ski patrol strike a year ago closed many runs and caused long lift lines at Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort. That strike ended when Colorado-based Vail Resorts acceded to demands including a $2-an-hour base pay increase and raises for senior ski patrollers.

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