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He made a fortune from water and now, according to the New York Post, Shark Tank investor Rohan Oza is spending $13.51 million in cash to live beside it. The striped Art Deco waterfront mansion in Miami Beach that Oza recently purchased might look like it was taken out of a bygone era, but there's nothing old-school about Oza's wealth. He made his cash from several recent popular brands that have become staples on supermarket shelves.
Oza's new Miami Beach home was built in 1936 and sculpted by architect Lawrence Murray Dixon, who owned it as a personal residence. Dixon is best known for designing the Raleigh, the Tides and other noted Art Deco buildings in South Beach. The 3,756-square-foot property contains six bedrooms and four bathrooms and enjoys a pool and dock.
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The Real Deal states that Oza's Gaadi, a Montana LLC, bought the home at 214 West San Marino Drive from Villa Madison, a Florida entity managed by art gallery owners Rudolf and Nicole Budja. The Budjas previously listed the house for $29 million in 2022, reducing the price four times to its most recent listing of $13.5 million. Not surprisingly, according to broker Douglas Elliman, Oza doesn't plan to keep the house as it is but tear it down and build a new waterfront palace.
Dubbed "the Brandfather," Oza - a 53-year-old Zambian-born, English-educated groundbreaking ad man - recognized the importance of celebrity branding. Early on, he involved singers and rappers to help raise the profile of his products, most notably Sprite, using the tagline "Obey Your Thirst," sending sales soaring.
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Oza's financial masterstroke came when he was the chief marketing officer for Glaceau, the parent company for Smartwater and Vitaminwater. He recruited rapper 50 Cent to be involved with the drink's marketing. Subsequently, he sold Glaceau to his former employer, Coca-Cola, for $4.1 billion in 2007. 50 Cent was estimated to have made between $75-$100 million from the deal, after taxes.