Birkenstock couple buys $85 million home – realestate.com.au

Billionaires Alex and Vanessa Birkenstock, of the German Leather Sandals family, are the buyers of an $85 million Rose Bay mansion that sold in the days leading up to Christmas.

The last-minute purchase was the highest home sale of 2025.

The couple, who lived in Melbourne, had been looking to purchase in Sydney for several years with a budget of up to $200 million.

Alex has long dreamed of sailing in Sydney Harbour. And with their daughters starting at the exclusive Rose Bay school Kambala this year, the search gained momentum through top buyer Simon Cohen in the final months of 2025.

With Cohen last spotted in the Maldives and the sales agents, Brad Pillinger of Pillinger and Steven Chen of The Agency, still keeping a close eye on their buyers, it was left to other sources to spill the beans exclusively to News Corp.

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Vanessa Cush Birkenstock modeling some of Myer’s winter fashion range in 2006.

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An infinity pool of course.

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They had their eye on the five-bedroom property known as Bayview Hill House in Bayview Hill Rd since it was listed in May with a $90 million guide.

Vanessa Cush Birkenstock, a British-German model who had lived in Australia between 2002 and 2012 before meeting her German husband, appeared in campaigns for Kenzo, Myer and Bettina Liano.

She was spotted touring the property with Cohen late last year and liked it so much she asked her husband to hop on a plane and take a look.

The luxury home was owned by Lawrence Myers, CEO of James Packer’s family office Consolidated Press Holdings, and his wife Sylvia.

In a bizarre twist, the Myers are moving into the $80 million Barangaroo penthouse that the Birkenstocks had also been considering.

On a 1039m² block, the grand property, designed by David Walker and Peter Janks, offers fantastic views of the Harbor Bridge from almost every room – even the bathtub and gym.

There is also a spectacular wet edge pool, spa and cabana.

The Myers had purchased it from retailer Brett Blundy in 2018 for $43 million.

The property has been for sale since May last year.

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It was hoped for $90 million, but still a nice profit for the sellers who paid $43 million in 2018.

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The sale finished at number 2 in the top 20 sales nationwide for the year, with Pillinger behind this top Sydney sale at $85 million. The next highest was $82.5 million, also in Rose Bay, via Ken Jacobs of Forbes, with Simon Cohen representing the unnamed buyer.

Michael Pallier of Sotheby’s, which had sales of $1 billion last year, was the agent for six of the top sales.

Vanessa Birkenstock pictured in her modeling days.

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Alex and his brother Christian were reportedly worth $3.4 billion in 2023, after selling a majority of their stake in the family business in a $4.7 billion deal two years earlier.

The shoe company dates back to 1774, when Alex, Christian and their brother Stephan took over from their father Karl in 2002.

Stephan sold his share in 2013.

Alex, 57, also reportedly owns real estate in New York, Miami and southern Germany.

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