Jennifer Gould

Jennifer Gould

Real Estate

Tech titan John Backus lists glass Miami house for $15.9M

This Miami Beach glass house is šŸ¼tooļ·½ beautiful for stones.

Tech titan John Backus ā€” co-founder of Cognito, an ID verification and KYC (“know your customer”) provider for fintech bought by Plaid for $252 million ā€” for $15.9 million.

The five-bedroom, šŸ’6Ā½-bathroom two-story home is at 7960 Biscayne Point Circle ā€” and it comeź§‹s with its own private dock.

This waterfront mansion captures indoor/outdoor living. Daniel Petroni / The Chad Carroll Group
The modern dwelling is filled with light. Daniel Petroni / The Chad Carroll Group
Palm trees and an infinity pool add to the home’s wow factor. Daniel Petroni / The Chad Carroll Group
A breakfast bar with a view of the sea. Daniel Petroni / The Chad Carroll Group

Backus bought the glass abode for $13 million in 2022, according to public records ā€” the same year that Plaid bought Cognito in a cash-and-stock deal.ļ·½

At the time, Backus said that less restrictive pandemic rules and a more welcoming business climate enticed him tź§‘o move from San Francisco to Miami, according to reports.

The seller was former nightclub owner Francis Milon, who paid $2ā™”.1 million for the tear-down property, and then built his dream house on just under one-third of an acre.

Working in style from the home office. Daniel Petroni / The Chad Carroll Group
Inside there are double-height ceilings and plenty of open space. Daniel Petroni / The Chad Carroll Group

Completed in 2019, the 6,408-square-foot š“”home boasts high ceilings and double-height glass walls to į€£showcase Biscayne Bay views. Design details also include marble and wood floors.

Inside, there’s a chef’s kitchen with a breakfast bar that overlooks the water, a gym, spacious open living areas, bedrooms with spa-like ensuite bathrooms and a “floating” home office under a glass ceiling skylight.

The outdoor area features an infinity pool and a covered car parkšŸ”„ for four vehicles.

The listing broker is Chad Carrollź¦œ of Compass.