Canadian banker and reality TV star Michael Wekerle is putting his waterfront Fort Lauderdale estate on the market for $19.25 million.
Wekerle bought the property at 1000 Riviera Isle Drive from Antony Von Elbe in 2014 for $12.5 million, records show. Ruchel Coetzee of Douglas Elliman has the listing, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The home was built in the 1930s by Adolphus Busch III, then-president and CEO of brewing company Anheuser-Busch, who died in 1946. Some of the original features are still intact, like stone columns, inlaid wooden floors and decorative tilework.
Wekerle, though, has since made renovations to the roughly 14,000-square-foot home, including bathroom renovations, a new electrical system and the addition of several new bedrooms, making the total now nine, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Wekerle also has added his art collection, which he values between $2.5 and $3 million. It is for sale, separately.
A Canadian resident, Wekerle used the Fort Lauderdale mansion as a vacation home, and is citing travel restrictions due to the pandemic as an important reason for listing the estate, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Wekerle co-founded the Toronto specialty investment firm Difference Capital, which was acquired by Mogo Finance Technology this year. He’s also known for his appearances on the Canadian version of “Shark Tank,” “Dragon’s Den.” [WSJ] — Jordan Pandy