By Charlie Lankston
Billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been unmasked as the mystery buyer of one of Washington, D.C.'s most expensive properties: a US$23 million (roughly AU$36 million) mansion that he quietly paid for in an all-cash deal that was so secretive, the home vanished from view on Google Maps soon after it closed.
The five-bedroom, 7.5-bathroom dwelling, which spans approximately 1400 square metres and is located in the exclusive neighbourhood of Woodland Normanstone, hit the market on 3 March and sold for its exact asking price just one day later, according to records seen by Realtor.com®.
It is thought that, while the property's listing and sale were made public via the MLS, the deal was conducted privately, given the quick turnaround of the purchase.
Mark Zuckerberg has spent AU$36 million on a Washington mansion. Picture: Alex Wong/Getty Images
When news of the sale — which is the third most expensive in the city's history — was revealed, it sparked a frenzy of speculation about the identity of the buyer, particularly given the recent influx of high-profile businessmen and billionaires who have bought up properties in D.C. in the months since Donald Trump won the election.
That feverish intrigue was only heightened when the home was suddenly blurred from view on Google Maps in an apparent bid to further shroud the property in secrecy.
Now, Politico reports that Zuckerberg, 40, is the proud new owner of the dwelling, with a spokesperson for the Meta CEO confirming to the outlet that he and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have "purchased a home in D.C."
As for why Zuckerberg felt the need to add a D.C.-based dwelling to his already-impressive property portfolio, particularly given that his company is headquartered in California, the spokesperson said that the purchase will "allow Mark to spend more time [in the city] as Meta continues to work on policy issues related to American technology leadership."
The home's purchase was initially shrouded in secrecy—and the property quickly vanished from view on Google Maps, adding to the intrigue surrounding the buyer. Picture: Google Maps
Of course, owning a home in D.C. offers another advantage to those within President Trump's pool of high-profile supporters: proximity to the White House.
Despite openly criticising Trump during his first term, Zuckerberg has done an about-face since the President won the 2024 election against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, offering very public support to the Republican, even donating US$1 million (approximately AU$1.5 million) to his inaugural fund.
His purchase of the US$23 million D.C. mansion came just three weeks before his latest visit to the White House on 2 April, when he lobbied President Trump and his aides to settle the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust case against Meta – which is due to go to trial on 14 April.
According to the Wall Street Journal, it was the third time Zuckerberg has visited the White House since Trump was reelected, with insiders telling the outlet that "some of Trump’s aides have grown frustrated at the company’s lobbying strategy, believing it has been too aggressive."
The outlet noted that Trump has yet to make a decision on whether to agree to a settlement on the case, which could force Meta to reverse its acquisition of WhatsApp and Instagram.
Still, Zuckerberg's new home – which is just over 3kms from the White House – provides him with much more private proximity to the president and sees him joining the likes of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, and Google CEO Eric Schmidt in becoming a homeowner in the greater D.C. area.
Zuckerberg's new property was actually listed by the same agent who brokered the deal for Fox News host Brett Baier when he sold his US$29 million D.C. mansion to Cantor Fitzgerald CEO, Howard Lutnick.
That same agent, Daniel Heider of Sotheby’s, told the Wall Street Journal in January that he had seen a surge in the number of high-powered property owners seeking a luxury dwelling in D.C. in the wake of Trump's election win – noting that many were simply hoping to "be close to the sun."
Zuckerberg bought the home from Democrat donors Frank and Sylvia White, who had the property designed by architect Robert Gurney in 2017, having torn down the dwelling that originally stood on their land. Picture: Robert Gurney; Anice Hoachlander
"There are a lot of folks who are coming to Washington that aren’t necessarily even politicians, but those that want to be close to the sun," he said. "They make 2016 look like amuse-bouche for the main entree, which is this moment in time right now."
The Facebook tycoon has made no secret of his desire to work his way into Trump's inner circle and was even included in a group of very high-powered businessmen who received a front-row seat at Trump's inauguration.
That group also included Bezos, Tesla founder and DOGE czar Elon Musk, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
Together, the men have a combined net worth of more than US$1 trillion (roughly AU$1.5 trillion).
The seats occupied by these powerful tech titans during the ceremony are "usually reserved for the president’s family, past presidents and other honoured guests," the Associated Press noted.
Such was the significance of their presence at the historic event that multiple headlines were dedicated to their attendance.
"The Tech Oligarchy Arrives," one read, as another branded the group "the broligarchs."
Mark Zuckerberg has been revealed as the mystery buyer of a $23 million mansion in Washington, D.C., just two months after he attended Donald Trump's inauguration. Picture: Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty
Records indicate that Zuckerberg's new home was previously registered to a trust that is linked to Democrat donors, Frank and Sylvia White, who bought the property in 2013 for US$5.15 million and then proceeded to tear down the existing dwelling to make way for a much more modern design.
The Whites enlisted architect Robert Gurney to design the red-brick home, which is made up of three structures joined together by glass walkways.
In an interview with Washingtonian, Gurney explained that the decision to build the expansive mansion out of three smaller properties helped to give it a much more cozy feel, despite its size, while also ensuring that it could serve as an ideal space for entertaining.
"It is a house that was cozy and comfortable when it was used just by the family but also could be converted and used for large-scale entertaining," he explained.
One of the aspects of the home that was perhaps most appealing to Zuckerberg is the amplified security measures that it offers, with Gurney revealing that these were put in place as a safeguard in the event that the property was purchased by an ambassador.
He explained that, while the home "has a beautiful aesthetic, it is locked down," courtesy of added walls and fencing that surround the entire property.
This story was originally published on Realtor.com
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