Australian mining magnate and former politician Clive Palmer is a prime example of how billionaires invest well beyond boardroom deals, stock portfolios, and massive superyachts they can crash.
Much like tech giants Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, who grab headlines with their endless mansions and tropical island bunkers, Palmer has built a property portfolio that extends from the golden sands of Queensland’s coast to the affluent suburbs of Brisbane and even his childhood home in Victoria.
This appetite for big-ticket real estate has seen Palmer sink tens of millions of dollars into beachfront blocks along “Multimillionaire’s Row” in Mermaid Beach, form a contiguous string of mansions in the exclusive Sovereign Islands, and quietly amass riverfront acreage in Brisbane’s western suburbs. Each piece of his collection seems to match his larger-than-life personality — expansive, bold, and shamelessly opulent. Note: All prices below are in AUD.
Mermaid Beach, Gold Coast
Overall Spend: Over $70 million
Properties: Multiple oceanfront blocks and homes
Hedges Avenue Spree
- Price: $26 million (latest vacant 993 sqm block)
- Size: 993 sqm
- Date of Purchase: 2024
Formerly owned by PointsBet founder Andrew Fahey, this coveted Hedges Avenue parcel added $26 million to Palmer’s wider Mermaid Beach splurge. Known for its prime location, it sits on one of Australia’s most expensive strips of coastal property. With luxurious design and sweeping ocean views, this was the deal that set a fresh price benchmark on the Gold Coast. Lavish palm trees and resort-style outdoor living make it one of the most envied addresses in the area, perhaps the entire continent.
Albatross Avenue Block
- Price: $16.95 million
- Size: 810 sqm
- Date of Purchase: Early 2024
Previously owned by V8 Supercars legend Paul Weel, this off-market deal reinforced Palmer’s fascination with prime beachfront. Its sweeping ocean vistas and proximity to top-tier amenities epitomise the ultra-exclusive lifestyle of Mermaid Beach.
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Hamptons-Style Beach House
- Price: $12 million
- Size: 809 sqm
- Date of Purchase: 2018
Purchased in 2018, this four-level home has been described as the “Gold Coast’s most admired beachfront home.” Lavish finishes, a grand beachfront facade, and impeccably styled interiors make it a major showpiece in Palmer’s growing lineup of luxury residences.
With Mermaid Beach land currently valued at around $26,000 per square metre, it’s clear that Palmer’s passion for Queensland’s most sought-after coastal real estate won’t slow down any time soon. In fact, local real estate agents confirm they are almost constantly fielding offers from him.
The Sovereign Islands, Paradise Point
Overall Spend: Over $40 million
Properties: At least nine consecutive blocks forming one of the largest private residential stretches on the Gold Coast
The Titanium House
- Price: c. $20 million
- Size: Over 3075 sqm, spans four combined blocks
- Date of Purchase: 2021
Politely dubbed “futuristic-looking,” this mansion is (in)famous for its spaceship-like architecture and advanced German engineering. It boasts a bulletproof bedroom — that’s a new one for us too — a gold-tiled pool, and steel spine staircase. Locally referred to as the “titanium house,” it offers sweeping views of the Broadwater and city skyline.
Other Sovereign Islands Acquisitions
- Addresses: 1–5 King Arthurs Court, 15–17 King Arthurs Court, and more
- Price: Not disclosed
Sovereign Islands is famed for its high-security living and direct ocean access, allowing owners to moor their superyachts practically at their doorsteps. Palmer’s acquisitions there — over $40 million worth in total —make him one of the largest single landholders in the enclave.
Palmer then painstakingly pieced together these lots to hold nine consecutive blocks. The combined effect gives him a sprawling waterfront presence in a secure, gated community known for mansions that look more like five-star resorts than suburban homes.
Palm Beach, Broadbeach Waters, and Southport, Gold Coast
- Overall Spend: > $7 million
- Properties: Three houses
Palm Beach (165 Jefferson Lane)
- Price: $3.9 million
- Size: 412 sqm
- Date of Purchase: June 2020
Nestled along the coveted Jefferson Lane, this property offers direct beach access. Though smaller in scale than Palmer’s Mermaid Beach holdings, it speaks to his desire to own a wide swathe of Gold Coast waterfront.
Broadbeach Waters (1 Rio Vista Boulevard)
- Price: Not recorded
- Date of Purchase: November 1997
One of Palmer’s earlier acquisitions on the Gold Coast. While less publicised than his more recent deals, it marks his longstanding interest in the area’s canal-front lifestyle.
Southport (7 Wildash Street)
- Price: $2.8 million
- Size: 1,012 sqm
- Date of Purchase: December 2019
A Queenslander-style home with a charming historical ambience. Despite being overshadowed by his showier addresses, it remains part of his steadily expanding Coast portfolio.
Merrimac, Gold Coast
- Price: $11.5 million
- Size: 75 hectares
- Date of Purchase: 2010
Originally housing the Avica Resort and Spa, this large swathe of land near the Merrimac sewage treatment plant was the subject of a lengthy and well-publicised court battle over proposed residential development. Palmer aimed to build 3,000 homes on the floodplain, a plan eventually knocked back in court due to odour and planning constraints.
Fig Tree Pocket, Brisbane
Overall Spend: $17.5 million
Properties: Three adjoining estates
36 Needham Street
- Price: $7.5 million
- Size: 1.2 hectares
- Date of Purchase: 2018
Once owned by Linc Energy founder Peter Bond, this seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom mansion is perched along the Brisbane River. Palmer reportedly secured it after a previous high bid of $9.25 million was rejected at auction… riddle us that one.
Second Adjoining Lot
- Price: $5 million
- Date of Purchase: Settled in March 2020
A four-bedroom home on 1.62 hectares, complete with tennis court and pool, also backing onto the river.
Third Adjoining Lot
- Price: $5 million
- Date of Purchase: 2021
A five-bedroom residence spanning 1.21 hectares.
With these three deals, Palmer effectively owns a nearly 10-acre riverfront compound, offering both privacy and the prestige of Brisbane’s affluent western suburbs.
Williamstown, Victoria (Childhood Home)
- Price: $4.5 million
- Size: Four-bedroom bungalow
- Date of Purchase: Late 2023
In an unexpectedly sweet and nostalgic twist, Palmer returned to his childhood roots by purchasing the Williamstown house where he lived until he was about nine. Much like Jeff Bezos acquiring legacy properties in places of personal significance, Palmer’s buy signals a sentimental attachment that sets this purchase apart from his other, more straightforwardly business-first ventures.
A Portfolio to Match a Personality
From bulletproof bedrooms and spaceship-inspired designs to vast riverfront acreage, Clive Palmer’s properties seem to mirror the personality of their owner: grand, controversial, and unapologetically extravagant. Much like Jeff Bezos’ approach to real estate — that is, sweeping up prime properties in some of America’s most exclusive zip codes — Palmer has zeroed in on Queensland’s most coveted beaches, locking them down in a manner that redefines “cornering the market.”
What sets Palmer apart is his propensity to chase the highest-profile addresses. Agents have remarked that he’s “gone straight for the top,” We anticipate that his Gold Coast acquisitions won’t stop at his current holdings, and he reportedly remains on the lookout for the next listing.
But not everything comes quite so easily: his development proposal at Merrimac, aimed at adding thousands of homes in a floodplain near a sewage treatment plant, was overturned by the courts. Meanwhile, the quieter side of his empire in Fig Tree Pocket reveals a strategy that goes beyond big flips. He’s built what amounts to a private community, with lavish tennis courts, pools, and sweeping lawns — a testament to how Palmer’s property pursuits twin personal enjoyment with more strategic acquisitions.
Finally, it’s telling that even the home from his humble early years in Williamstown caught his eye. It seems that billionaires are fated to cement their legacies not just with futuristic mansions, but also by turning back to their past.
Final Word
Clive Palmer’s real estate empire shows no signs of slowing, much like his brash political forays and high-stakes business moves. His acquisitions may be varied, but many revolve around a unifying theme: prime waterfront. In a real estate market that relentlessly heats up, Clive Palmer remains an outsized character. Where he invests next is anyone’s guess, but it likely will be large, extravagant, and right in line with the rest of his high-stakes, high-profile empire.
