A mansion in Martha’s Vineyard where Barack and Michelle Obama vacationed during his term in the White House has sold for $37 million — and the buyer is reportedly businessman Les Wexner.
The property, known as Blue Heron Farm, was the Obama family’s summer rental for three years in a row starting in 2009. Reports at the time said the Obamas paid about $50,000 per week to rent the property.
After the 7,800-square-foot estate was sold to new owners, who took the property off the rental market while renovating it, the Obamas stopped being summer regulars at the home.
The property’s owners, Norman Foster and his wife, Elena Ochoa Foster, decided to list the home in May for $39 million, and it went under contract just weeks later. The deal closed on July 10 and was purchased through a trust known as Blue Heron Farm Nominee Trust, according to The Real Deal, which is tied to Wexner, the founder of the now-defunct L Brands (which was the former parent company of Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret).
The trust is managed by Matthew Zieger, Wexner’s attorney, according to records. Disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein was Wexner’s financial advisor for about 20 years until 2007.
The sale was represented by Brian Dougherty and Maggie Gold Seelig of Corcoran Property Advisors. The home last traded in 2011 for $22.4 million.
After the couple purchased the property, Norman Foster, who is an architect and founder of Foster + Partners, made significant upgrades to the home.
The estate’s amenities include a guest house, a barn and equestrian riding rings, a private dock and private beach, a gym, tennis court and 30 acres of “lush landscaping,” according to the listing description.
After the Fosters took ownership of the home, Barack Obama reportedly tried to convince Norman to allow the Obamas to rent the home as they had in the past.
Obama had placed “jokey pressure” on Foster, according to a February New Yorker interview with the architect, but the plea didn’t work.
“[He] was quite amusing about it,” Foster said, but he ultimately wasn’t to be persuaded.
As a result, the Obamas started renting a different property in the area, and eventually bought a home there in 2019 for $11.65 million, which they still own.
Another vacation home of the former president and first lady also recently hit the market in Oahu for $14.9 million, according to Robb Report.
The family stayed at the property for the first time in 2011, and it is now being represented for sale by Olivia Sadeler of Compass. It overlooks 110 feet of ocean frontage and sits on about three-quarters of an acre. The exterior space features a courtyard with lagoon-style saltwater pool and spa, a lanai and plenty of palm trees and tropical foliage.
The home features five bedrooms, four of which have direct access to the gardens, a two-car garage and a home gym.
The Obamas currently own a handful of properties in addition to the Martha’s Vineyard one, including their primary residence in Washington, D.C., which they purchased for $8.1 million in an off-market deal around 2018. They also own a $1.65 million property in Chicago, and it is rumored that they also own a home in Hawaii.
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