Bin Laden Mansion

In the small town of Oakland, Florida, a short drive from Walt Disney World, sits the abandoned home commonly referred to as the Bin Laden Mansion due to its ties to Osama bin Laden, founder of the terrorist organization al Qaeda and mastermind behind the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center. The Mediterranean-style 5,854-square-foot mansion features five bedrooms, five bathrooms, arched doorways and hallways, a swimming pool, horse stables, a four-car detached garage, a 3,000-square-foot carriage house, and 1,200 feet of private shoreline.

Constructed in 1928, the home was originally built as a vacation home for William Pratt, a New York native and the chemist who helped invent Jell-O. In the 1950s, the property was owned by Earl S. Tupper, founder of The Tupperware Company. In 1952, Tupper moved his corporate headquarters from Massachusetts to Orlando, Florida. After a falling out with his vice-president Brownie Wise, which resulted in her dismissal in 1958, Tupper sold The Tupperware Company to Rexall Drug Company for $16 million. Shortly afterward, he divorced his wife, gave up his U.S. citizenship to avoid taxes, and moved to an island off the coast of Costa Rica.

In 1980, Khalil bin Laden, one of Osama bin Laden’s 54 siblings, purchased the home for his wife as a wedding gift through his company, Desert Bear, for $1.6 million. Under bin Laden’s ownership, the home was referred to as Desert Bear. On September 11, 2001, he along with his wife Isabel and their son Sultan was at the vacation home. Eight days later, fearing for their safety following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the wealthy businessman along with many of his relatives fled the United States on a private jet under police escort and never returned.

The FBI interviewed Khalil bin Laden after the attacks since he had suspicious connections to a region of Brazil known for terrorism. In a conversation with an informant, he made inquiries about bringing in Arabs from Saudi Arabia and Brazil to attend a flight school in Florida. According to officials, there was no indication that he had any links to terrorism. In February 2006, at the height of Florida’s housing boom, his company, Desert Bear, sold the property for $4 million. The new owner, Aleem Hussain, the majority holder of a development company, was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2007 for running a $9 million real-estate scam. Soon after, it was foreclosed upon and then purchased by a local investment group for $1.7 million.

In 2012, John LeClaire, a paralegal and online poker player, made a lease-purchase agreement with a local investment group. LeClaire moved into the carriage house with very little furniture and set up the main house as a wedding venue. He kept four Clydesdales in the horse stables. After securing several deposits from unassuming couples, LeClaire left with the money and abandoned the property. A judge ordered John LeClaire to pay restitution of $37,000 for unfair business practices. However, those involved never received their money back since LeClaire sold or hid all of his assets.

Gary and Dana English purchased the 17-acre estate in 2014 for $2 million with plans for restoration. To fund the restoration, the couple planned to sell 11 acres to Birmingham-based LIV Development and proposed building a 242-unit apartment and townhome complex. Nearby residents opposed the plan citing the complex would lower their property values and increase traffic congestion on an already busy six-lane highway. Ultimately, city officials voted to reject the proposal. In 2019, Gary English filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the property went into foreclosure. The home was sold to a Virginia-based development firm for $7.7 million in 2021. Today, the house sits vacant with no immediate plans for the property. According to news reports, demolition of the historic home began in April 2024. Developers are planning to build a 242-unit apartment complex on the site. The complex is planned to feature two main apartment buildings — both three stories tall — with access to Orange Avenue and State Road 50.

The former bin Laden mansion in 2016

The Bin Laden Mansion in 2023

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