Bill Gates selling home next to his Medina mega-mansion
Want to be Bill Gates’ neighbor? For less than $5 million, you can make that happen.
The billionaire Microsoft co-founder is selling one of the homes surrounding his famous primary residence – a waterfront megamansion in Medina he purchased in 1988 called “Xanadu 2.0.”
On Thursday, Kim Florence of John L. Scott Real Estate listed the home east of Seattle across Lake Washington for nearly $4.8 million.
Compared to the opulent Xanadu 2.0, which looks like something between a tech campus and a luxury lake cabin, the 1953 home is somewhat unpretentious – although still located in one of Medina’s most coveted neighborhoods.
At nearly 2,800 square feet, the four-bedroom, 2 ½-bath home boasts a view of Lake Washington and a wide outdoor deck overlooking the nearby water.
Although the home isn’t a direct lakefront property, it comes with deeded water access, allowing the owners to reach the shoreline without owning it, according to the listing.
“The property borders a wooded open space, offering rare privacy and the perfect blend of forest and lake views,” the listing states.
Florence did not respond to requests for comment. The Seattle Times could not reach the LLC representing Gates’ Medina properties.
The home is hosting an open house Friday evening, and another is planned for Saturday between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. – but don’t expect Gates to be serving cookies.
The listing comes just as the businessman faces renewed scrutiny for his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In newly released emails, Epstein said Gates had extramarital affairs and used his help to secure drugs – accusations Gates has denied.
Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates divorced in 2021. But just after their marriage in 1994, Gates bought the newly listed home along with several others as a sort of multimillion-dollar shield around their primary residence.
“This is a family that holds privacy very dearly to them, Joe Cerrell, a family spokesperson, told the Seattle Times in 2004. “The properties create a buffer around the Gates home.
By 2004, Gates had spent more than $14 million buying up 11 properties, including nine houses, that surround his Medina estate, according to Seattle Times archives. At the time, neighbors said Gates’ employees occupied a number of the homes.
The LLC representing Gates still owns several of those properties, although many appear to have been sold off.
In 2024, Gates sold one of his surrounding homes for $4.85 million. Despite the sluggish housing market at the time, the home sold within just a few days.