Alina Mildon and her husband were in contract to buy a couple of pricey Palm Beach County properties; neither transaction closed
By Katherine Clarke and Kejal Vyas
Two big-ticket home deals in Palm Beach, Fla., have fallen apart in recent months, both involving the same couple.
President Trump's former adviser Alina Mildon and her husband, Turkish executive Turhan Mildon, went into contract to buy two megamansions in Palm Beach County. Neither transaction closed, according to four people familiar with the situation.
Alina and Turhan declined to comment. Their real-estate agent, Simon Isaacs, said the couple had a "change of heart" on the properties and is continuing to look for another home. He said they have the financial capacity to purchase. "I saw the proof of funds," he said.
In Manalapan, the moneyed enclave that Larry Ellison calls home, the couple agreed in August to buy a home listed for $72.5 million, according to those people. The nearly 2-acre, roughly 17,000-square-foot estate has a seven-bedroom main home, two guesthouses, a pool and 155 feet of frontage on the ocean and Intracoastal Waterway.
The couple put down an initial deposit of several hundred thousand dollars and then asked for at least two extensions to make an additional payment, said people familiar with the situation. When they didn't deliver the funds by the transaction's deadline, the deal fell through, costing them their initial deposit, according to those people.
Earlier this year, in Palm Beach proper, the Mildons agreed to buy an oceanfront estate priced at $65 million, according to people familiar with that transaction. Again, they delivered an initial deposit. The deal fell through after the deadline to deliver additional funds passed without payment. The couple lost their initial deposit. The roughly 14,000-square-foot estate, located on the southern end of Palm Beach, had lush tropical grounds, two pools, a theater, a gym and staff quarters, according to the listing.
Neither of the sellers, a trust and a limited liability company, could be reached for comment.
Home sales can fall apart for any number of reasons, from issues uncovered during inspections to financing problems or changes in a buyer's circumstances.
Florida real-estate attorney Eric Jacobs, who has handled some of the largest single-family home transactions in the state, said buyers at the ultrahigh end of the market sometimes forfeit their deposits in the normal course of business. "They decide they don't want [the property,] or see another one that they like better," he said.
The Mildons' situation stands out because of the size of the transactions and because it happened twice in quick succession.
"I wouldn't say it's very common for deals to fall apart. Most deals that go under contract close," said Jacobs, who wasn't involved in the Mildons' transactions. "But when you get up to the very high price points, all bets are off as far as what's normal."
In Palm Beach County, buyers typically put down a small initial deposit, then provide additional funds to bring it up to about 10% of the purchase price after an inspection period that is typically around two weeks. After that period is over, a deal typically "goes hard," meaning that the initial deposit is at risk. In both cases, the Mildons delivered the first deposit but not the second.
The Mildons married in September at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, with guests including Mike Tyson and FBI director Kash Patel. Alina, previously known as Alina Habba, was President Trump's personal attorney from around 2021 to 2025. Turhan is listed online as the CEO of Miller Holding. On its website, the Turkish company is described as having invested in the fuel, automotive, maritime, aviation, construction, energy and mining industries.
The president criticized Alina this past weekend over her reported $50 million deal over four years to work for the family of a Venezuelan billionaire, who received a presidential pardon weeks later. "I don't want her paid," Trump said, adding that he views her receiving such funds as "outrageous" and "not acceptable." Alina has previously denied playing any role in securing the pardon.
Turhan's cement, shrimp, and coffee businesses in Venezuela have come under scrutiny following the U.S.'s overthrow of Nicolás Maduro in January. Miller Holding had been granted control of those operations last year during Maduro's tenure, but the businesses suffered from underinvestment, according to several business consultants who had tracked the company, leading to layoffs and production declines.
A spokeswoman for Miller Holding didn't respond to requests for comment on the Venezuelan businesses. A U.S. official told the Journal last month that the Trump administration had urged Venezuelan authorities to investigate and cancel Turhan's 10 cement factory concessions if obtained corruptly. A spokeswoman for Mildon has said in the past that Miller Holding operates the shrimp facilities but doesn't own them.