Biohacking wellness influencer Gary Brecka dropped $19.5 million on a penthouse at Grove at Grand Bay in Coconut Grove.
Records show Brecka bought unit LPH-N in the building at 2669 South Bayshore Drive in Miami from LPH Grove Grand Bay LLC, a Florida entity managed by aluminum mogul Delfin Gilbert.
Chad Carroll and Lisandra Martinez of Compass’ Chad Carroll Group had the listing, and Rob Fuller and Malgozata Fuller with One Sotheby’s International Realty brought the buyer.
Brecka is a biologist, biohacker and wellness influencer with more than 2 million followers on Instagram. He is also the co-founder of 10X Health System, alongside multifamily investor and social media personality Grant Cardone. They launched the company in 2022, and offer genetic testing, blood testing and IV drips.
Gilbert was the longtime president of Youngstown, Ohio-based aluminum packaging manufacturer Exal. In 2019, it merged with Trivium Packaging, and stakeholders are now exploring a sale for as much as $3.5 billion, Bloomberg reported.
Gilbert bought the Grove at Grand Bay penthouse for $11 million in 2016, records show. It spans nearly 10,100 square feet, with six bedrooms, six bathrooms and two half-bathrooms, according to records and the listing. It also includes a theater, library, office and a four-car private garage.
Terra, led by David Martin, developed Grove at Grand Bay in 2016. The complex includes two 20-story buildings designed by Bjarke Ingels with a total of 98 units. The property has a library, pet spa, art gallery, club room and children’s play area, as well as a pool and gym facilities.
Gilbert listed the unit on and off for several years. It first hit the market asking $29 million in 2018, but was delisted the next year, according to Compass. It returned to the market in 2020, and since then the asking price has fluctuated between $19 million and $23 million.
Carroll said large scale units like this penthouse, once a tough sell, are in high demand now that wealthy buyers are relocating to South Florida with their families full-time.
“Their needs justify the space,” he said. “If you have a family of four or five and you work from home with staff that’s helping, you need the space.”
In September of last year, another similarly sized penthouse at Grove at Grand Bay sold for $19.3 million. Carroll said this latest sale shows the price growth in Coconut Grove is sticking.
“That price point is consistently achievable now,” he said.