News of multimillion-dollar home sales keeps rolling in for St. Johns County, piquing curiosity about the buyers and sellers behind each luxurious mansion.
A five-bedroom, 7.5-bath home at 1039 Ponte Vedra Blvd., sold July 24 for $22.2 million and a new area price record
, was owned by celebrity entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis, star of "The Profit." The 8,720-square-foot home edged out the previous record set by another Ponte Vedra beachfront home sold in January 2024.Lemonis was represented by Clare Berry of Berry & Co. Real Estate, a specialist in beachfront homes for more than 40 years.
Who is Marcus Lemonis?
Lemonis is perhaps best known for his work on CNBC's "The Profit," which ran from 2013 to 2021 and followed him as he helped struggling small businesses. One such
business is downtown confectionery Sweet Pete's, named one of the best candy stores in the country by USA Today earlier this summer.
Additionally, Lemonis is chairman and CEO of Camping World, while also serving as executive chairman of Beyond Inc. (the parent company of Bed Bath & Beyond).
His life story, however, began in an orphanage in Beirut, Lebanon, where he was abandoned four days after his birth in 1973, during the Lebanese Civil War. He was adopted the following year by a Miami couple with ties to the automotive industry, who counted auto magnate Lee Iacocca among their friends. He mentored Lemonis on his career path and urged him to pursue the recreational vehicle sector of the business.
How is Marcus Lemonis connected to Jacksonville?
Lemonis came to Jacksonville in 2013 to film episodes of "The Profit" featuring Sweet Pete's during the show's first season. He reportedly fell in love with the area and purchased the Ponte Vedra Boulevard home in 2018 through an LLC. Transferred in February to a trust connected to his wife, the home was listed in May for $23.5 million and went under contract in less than two weeks.
His other business ventures in the area include Auto Match USA and an upscale clothing store at St. Johns Town Center, as well as a restaurant concept.
Did Marcus Lemonis film other TV shows in Jacksonville?
In 2022, Lemonis debuted "The Renovator" for HGTV, in which he combined his business acumen with a passion for design to help families improve their lives, as well as their homes. The idea reportedly developed out of the pandemic, when the forced togetherness of lockdown prompted so many to examine the functionality of their residential (and interpersonal) spaces.
His current project, "The Fixer," airs on Fox Business Network, where it debuted in July 2025. It follows Lemonis as he guides business owners through crucial turning points and decisions.
Who is Marcus Lemonis' wife?
Lemonis married Roberta "Bobbi" Raffel in 2018. A successful businesswoman in the world of fashion, Raffel is said to have been deeply influenced by her father's business and work ethic of perseverance, discipline and resilience. She got started coordinating runway shows and managing modeling agencies before founding Shopmarc, a luxury lifestyle brand.
She first connected with Lemonis at a 2016 fashion trade show in New York City, and since their marriage have become known as a business "power couple."
A member of the Times-Union team since 2011, Anne Hammock has worked as a writer and editor for more than 35 years, currently focusing on real estate features and managing the Opinion section. She can be reached at ahammock@jacksonville.com.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: All about 'The Profit' star Marcus Lemonis and his $22.2M home sale
