The newest resident of Washington D.C. is none other than Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He and his wife, Priscilla, paid $23 million in cash for a 15,000 square foot mansion in the Woodland Normanstone neighborhood. According to Politico, it marks the third most expensive real estate sale in the city’s history.
“Mark and Priscilla have purchased a home in D.C., which will allow Mark to spend more time there as Meta continues the work on policy issues related to American technology leadership,” a spokesperson for Meta told the publication on April 2.
The five bedroom, 7.5 bathroom house adds to Zuckerberg’s growing real estate portfolio, which includes homes in Palo Alto, California; San Francisco; Lake Tahoe, California; and Hawaii, among others.
So why the nation’s capital? “I think it’s proximity and being here,” Tom Daley, a real estate agent, told Politico. “It’s the ultimate bow to the man in the White House. To me, it’s a little reminiscent of when the Trump Hotel was the Trump Hotel. He notices who’s there. It’s an easy way to say, ‘Hey, we’re with ya. Here we are.’ I’m sure he takes it as the ultimate compliment.”
Another real estate agent, Jennifer Knoll, told the publication: “In everything in life you get a lot further by showing up. I think that these people want to be able to meet with the president and members of Congress and the administration when they want to get something done. To do that, they need to be in town. And they want the privacy and security that’s available to you if you have your own place.”
Zuckerberg is the latest tech CEO to purchase a home in D.C., including Jeff Bezos’ $23 million mansion; Peter Thiel’s $10 million home; and David Sacks’ $10.3 million penthouse. In addition, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt purchased a Georgetown home Jackie Kennedy Onassis once lived in, and former eBay executive Jeff Skoll purchased suburban Virginia properties.
“These people are buying homes but not necessarily spending that much time here,” said Gawain Kripke, an elected Advisory Neighborhood Commission member, whose district includes Zuckerberg’s property. “They’re definitely not participating in neighborhood gatherings or anything. Especially down in that part of the neighborhood, they’re very discreet.”
Zuckerberg’s new home was previously owned by Sylvia White and Frank White Jr., who purchased it in 2013 for $5.15 million. They tore down the original property and rebuilt it, with a house designed by Robert Gurney Architect, per the Washingtonian. “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,” Gurney said.
The house is just a 12-minute drive from the White House.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
