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n a move that's sending shockwaves through Palm Beach's red-hot real estate market, billionaire William Lauder is poised to cash in on his oceanfront land holdings. Sources close to the deal reveal that Lauder has secured a buyer for two prime beachfront lots, with the sale price expected to eclipse $170 million - a record-breaking figure that would dethrone the previous high set by luxury car dealer Michael Cantanucci and his wife Kimberly in 2023.

    Lauder's masterstroke began when he assembled the land through strategic purchases in 2020 and 2021, before leveling existing homes to create a blank canvas for ultra-high-net-worth buyers. Initially listed at $200 million, Lauder trimmed the price to $177.8 million before finding a buyer willing to pay top dollar.

    Meanwhile, Lauder has been busy expanding his Palm Beach portfolio. Just weeks after listing these vacant lots, he dropped a staggering $155 million on Rush Limbaugh's former estate - a trophy property that solidifies his status as one of the island's most prominent players.

    Palm Beach's luxury real estate scene has been ablaze since the pandemic, with prices skyrocketing by over 24% in just a year. The median single-family home price now stands at $10.9 million, while the median luxury sale price has more than doubled to $34.4 million.

    Lauder's foray into high-stakes real estate is nothing new. In 2019, he attempted to sell a Manhattan apartment at 778 Park Ave. for $45 million before pulling it from the market. Now, he's listing another unit in the same building for $26.95 million - a price that's just above what he paid in 2023.