Welcome to the lost bunker where Osama bin Laden’s brother lived during the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers.
Osama bin Laden’s brother Khalil bin Laden bought the house for $1.6 million in 1980 for his wife as a wedding gift and was staying at the vacation home in Florida with his wife Isabel and their son Sultan on September 11, 2001.
In the aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center, Khalil feared for his family’s safety and fled the United States on a private jet.
The FBI interviewed Khalil bin Laden after the attacks because he had suspected links to Brazil’s notorious terrorism region.
In conversation with an informant, he makes inquiries about bringing Arabs from Saudi Arabia and Brazil to attend flight school in Florida.
According to the officials, there was no indication of any connection to terrorism.
Khalil bin Laden bought this abandoned house in Oakland, Florida for $1.6 million in 1980 for his wife as a wedding gift
The backyard of the abandoned property is pictured here with dead grass
An old style cannon was shot on the grounds of the Auckland property
The property is equipped with a swimming pool and jacuzzi
Khalil was questioned by the FBI for his involvement in terrorism after the World Trade Center
The seafront patio area of the Auckland Mansion is soaked in the sun
In February 2006, at the height of Florida’s housing boom, his company, Desert Bear, sold the property for $4 million. He made a profit of $2.4 million from the sale of the property.
The pictures show a massive mansion complete with pool and jacuzzi overlooking the waters in Florida.
The house is devoid of furnishings but has a unique design throughout.
These photos were taken by urban explorer Leland Kent known online as the Deserted Southeast. This is one of the most unique explorations that Leyland has completed.
In the small town of Oakland, Florida, just a short drive from Walt Disney World, lies this abandoned house that is often referred to as the “Bin Laden Mansion.”
The property is linked to Osama bin Laden, the founder of the terrorist organization Al Qaeda and the mastermind of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
One of the bathrooms in the house is covered with marble stones
The interior of the house was still furnished when photographer Leland Kent first visited the property in 2016.
The bathroom in the property has a shower built in with gold trim
The property is linked to Osama bin Laden, the founder of the terrorist organization Al Qaeda and the mastermind of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
The 5,854-square-foot Mediterranean-style mansion features five bedrooms, five bathrooms, arched doorways and entrances, a pool, horse stables, a detached four-car garage, a 3,000-square-foot carriage house, and a 1,200-foot private. coastline.
Leland has had the privilege of visiting this mansion twice, once in 2016 when it still had furniture, plants, and even a canon on the property.
He returns in the year 2023 to a much more empty house with no signs of life for many years.
“Committed in 1928, the house was originally built as a vacation home for William Pratt, the New Yorker and chemist who helped invent Jell-O,” Leland said on his blog.
In the 1950s the property was owned by Earl S. Tupper, founder of the Tupperware Company. In 1952, Tupper moved his company headquarters from Massachusetts to Orlando, Florida.
After a falling out with Vice President Brownie Wise, which led to her dismissal in 1958, Tupper sold Tupperware to the Rexall Drug Company for $16 million.
Shortly thereafter, he divorced his wife, gave up his American 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, bought the house for his wife as a wedding gift through his company, Desert Bear, for $1.6 million.
The jacuzzi bathtub is also plated in gold and overlooks the Auckland waterfront
The property has large windows that let in plenty of light. The kitchen area is pictured here
The property is very light with white walls all around and stone floors
A large sitting room inside the now abandoned house is pictured here, with one boarded-up window
Under bin Laden’s ownership, the house has been referred to as the Desert Bear. On September 11, 2001, he and his wife Isabelle and their son Sultan were at their holiday home.
Eight days later, fearing for their safety in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the wealthy businessman, along with several of his relatives, fled the United States on a private plane under police escort and never returned.
The FBI interviewed Khalil bin Laden after the attacks because he had suspected links to Brazil’s notorious terrorism region.
In conversation with an informant, he makes inquiries about bringing Arabs from Saudi Arabia and Brazil to attend flight school in Florida. According to the officials, there was no indication of any connection 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, Alim Hussain, majority owner 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 on and then bought by a local investment group for $1.7 million.
Renovation work began on the property but was never finished due to the bankruptcy
The large living room with vaulted ceiling and stone fireplace provides plenty of natural light
Khalil and his family fled home after the 9/11 attacks by private jet
The Oakland home was booked in 2019 and has been vacant ever since
The home was sold to a Virginia-based development company for $7.7 million
In 2012, John LeClaire, an online poker player and paralegal, entered into a lease and 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. Keep four Clydesdales in the horse stables.
After securing several deposits from modest spouses, LeClaire left with the money and abandoned the property.
A judge ordered John LeClaire to pay $37,000 in damages for unfair business practices. However, those involved never got their money back since LeClaire sold or hid all of his assets.
Gary and Dana English purchased the 17-acre property in 2014 for $2 million with plans to restore. To fund the restoration, the couple planned to sell the 11 acres to Birmingham-based LIV Development and proposed building a 242-unit condominium and apartment complex.
Neighboring residents opposed the plan, stating that the complex would lower their property values and increase traffic congestion on an already busy six-lane highway. In the end, city officials voted to reject the proposal.
In 2019, Gary English filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the property went into foreclosure.
The house was later sold to a Virginia-based development company for $7.7 million.
Find out more at Lelands blog.
