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mystery buyer linked to Microsoft has been quietly assembling a sprawling oceanfront compound in Palm Beach, with an estimated price tag between $250 million and $350 million. The buyer, whose identity remains unconfirmed but is widely rumored to be billionaire Charles Simonyi, has spent the past several months acquiring prime properties on North Ocean Boulevard.

    The core of the assemblage includes two rare oceanfront lots at 1063 and 1071 N. Ocean Blvd., previously owned by cosmetics heir William Lauder. The buyer paid more than $160 million for these parcels in February via a transfer of LLCs, rather than a deed. In addition to the Lauder properties, the buyer has acquired a Mediterranean-style home across the street, as well as a neighboring inland property.

    The buyer has also purchased two non-oceanfront homes across the street in separate off-market transactions. A Delaware entity called Creekshore LLC bought a 3,600-square-foot home for $18 million from former Hearst executive Cathie Black and her husband, Thomas Harvey. Another Delaware LLC named Mango Leaf paid $30 million for a 5,800-square-foot home next door.

    The assemblage now spans nearly 4.2 acres and boasts 360 feet of beachfront on North Ocean Boulevard. If completed, it would rival Palm Beach's most legendary compounds. While the buyer remains publicly unidentified, incorporation records link the purchases to Seattle-based attorney Greyson Blue, who has ties to the Gates family through his past work at the Gates Foundation.

    Sources close to the deals speculate that Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, or Charles Simonyi could be involved, but none have confirmed their involvement. Simonyi, credited with creating Microsoft Word and Excel, has an estimated net worth of $8.2 billion. Despite the buyer's aggressive push, not every property on the block has been secured, including rock legend Jon Bon Jovi's adjacent estate.