World’s Most Exclusive Club
This remote area of Montana is home to fewer than 900 people, but together, they are worth over $290 billion. Many of them are either extremely rich or very famous.
Five years ago, tech entrepreneur and Shark Tank cohost Robert Herjavec fell in love with the Yellowstone Club, a private resort located about an hour from Bozeman, Montana, and 50 miles north of Yellowstone National Park. The club owns a private mountain with more skiable terrain than any resort on the East Coast. “It’s an amazing place for families,” Herjavec says, adding that his 6-year-old twins already ski better than his wife, Kym. The couple, who met on Dancing with the Stars, first bought a condo in 2019 before deciding to build their own house. They spent three years and $28 million on a 13,500-square-foot, eight-bedroom home with stunning views of the Rockies. “Out of all the homes we own, this one is our favorite,” says Herjavec.
Herjavec is one of 885 members of the exclusive Yellowstone Club, which spans 15,000 acres and offers skiing, golfing, fly fishing, and horseback riding. The club has many attractions, like a movie theater for kids, a concert venue that has hosted acts like Sting and Norah Jones, and “sugar shacks” offering free snacks and hot soup. The club’s mountain has 21 chairlifts, 2,900 skiable acres, and no lift lines. North Carolina real estate billionaire Roy Carroll, who lives near Herjavec, says it’s common to be the only person on a ski run.
Carroll, who built a $37 million home for his future grandchildren, says the club is a great place for families of all ages. But the biggest appeal is its exclusivity. The club caps membership at 914 to avoid overcrowding, and getting in requires strong recommendations, a background check, and buying property. The least expensive plot costs $10 million, and homes are priced at $20 million or more. There’s also a $500,000 deposit and $78,000 annual dues, which include skiing and golfing for your family plus 140 guest days a year.
It’s hard to know who all the members are, but celebrities like Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, Mark Zuckerberg, and Tom Brady are known to be part of the club. Some hide their membership by purchasing through LLCs, and it’s estimated that the club has 50 to 80 billionaire members. After researching public records and other sources, we found 19 billionaires, including names like hedge fund tycoon Bill Ackman, Waffle House chairman Joe Rogers Jr., and Slack founder Stewart Butterfield. Melinda French Gates also got a house there in her divorce settlement.
The club was founded by former billionaire Tim Blixseth, who bought land near Yellowstone in 1991 and traded it for the current property. The Yellowstone Club opened in 1999 but filed for bankruptcy in 2008 after Blixseth mismanaged funds. Boston-based real estate firm CrossHarbor Capital, along with about 40 club members, bought it out of bankruptcy in 2009. They’ve invested over $1 billion into the club since then, and early investors have already earned 4.5 times their money. CrossHarbor’s Sam Byrne says the club offers a unique experience that can’t be found anywhere else.
Bill Ackman
The outspoken founder of Pershing Square Capital owns two properties at the Yellowstone Club: a four-bedroom home valued at around $20 million and an eight-acre undeveloped lot assessed at $10 million.
Tom Brady
The former NFL quarterback, who divorced supermodel Gisele Bündchen in 2022, appears to have kept their Yellowstone Club home. He enjoys spending time there, bringing his parents and kids over the summer and sharing photos of their adventures on Instagram, including ropes courses and rock climbing. He has also hosted former Patriots teammates for mountain biking on the club’s trails.
Ron Burkle
The founder of Yucaipa Companies and chairman of Soho House, Burkle owns an estimated $75 million property at the club, which includes 46 acres and several homes. One of the homes is a nine-bedroom, 7,600-square-foot residence. Burkle’s investment firm also held a stake in the Yellowstone Club, which he sold in 2021 for five times what he paid in 2010.
Stewart Butterfield and Jen Rubio
Butterfield, the billionaire founder of Slack, and his wife Jen Rubio, founder of Away, purchased their Yellowstone Club home in 2021, the same year Slack was sold to Salesforce for nearly $28 billion. Their home is now worth about $38 million.
Melinda French Gates
After her divorce from Bill Gates in 2021, Melinda received their $40 million Yellowstone Club home, which has eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms, located on “Billionaires’ Ridge.” She also got 18 acres of nearby land. In May, she posted a Facebook selfie with Big Sky’s Lone Peak in the background, captioning it: “2024 so far.”
Jimmy Haslam
The Cleveland Browns owner built a five-bedroom, 6.5-bathroom home near the golf course in 2018. It is valued at around $22 million.
Frank McCourt
The former L.A. Dodgers owner purchased a 160-acre property at the Yellowstone Club, known as Ranch #2. Though currently undeveloped, there are plans for a main residence, guest cabins, stables, and a covered bridge.
Eric Schmidt
The former Google CEO hosts a small, exclusive annual conference at the Yellowstone Club in July, bringing together notable figures like Lady Gaga, journalist Ronan Farrow, author Adam Grant, and economist Ian Bremmer. This event often overlaps with the town’s Professional Bull Riding rodeo.
Justin Timberlake
The pop star and his wife, actress Jessica Biel, reportedly joined the club in 2015. The couple sought a quieter lifestyle and lived full-time in Big Sky for a while, even sending one of their children to a local school. They’ve donated over $100,000 to the community center. They still own a home at the club but may now reside in Bozeman.
Nick Woodman
The founder of GoPro, Nick Woodman, bought his Yellowstone Club home in 2011 and moved there full-time in 2018. He and his wife Jill donated $4 million to help create Big Sky’s community and recreation center. “This is the most special place I’ve ever been able to live,” Woodman said during the center’s groundbreaking ceremony in 2019.
Mark Zuckerberg
The Meta billionaire offered a peek into his life in Montana on Instagram, sharing photos in March that included a closet full of ski suits and a video of Lone Peak. While his membership at the Yellowstone Club is unconfirmed, locals have reported sightings, and Forbes found an LLC linked to Zuckerberg that owns three homes purchased in 2015 under the name Ferragosto, tied to Roman emperors—just like his daughters’ names.
Published: 9th October 2024
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