By E.B. Solomont

Former Sprint Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure has sold a large property in Aspen, Colo., to his neighbor for $37.3 million, five years after buying it for $11 million.

Located just outside downtown Aspen, the roughly 21-acre property has a long-vacant house. It was listed for $45 million in 2023 with plans for two new, roughly 15,000-square-foot houses.

Property records show the buyer is Joseph A. Badia, the owner of an adjacent property. He also purchased development rights from Claure for just under $4 million.

Badia's father started Florida-based Badia Spices, which makes and distributes spices, seasoning blends and marinades. Joseph and his wife, Nancy Badia, purchased a six-bedroom house on roughly 10 acres in Aspen last year for $18.5 million. They bought Claure's property to prevent it from being developed, said real-estate agent AJ Morris of Aspen Snowmass Sotheby's International Realty, who represented the Badias with his father and colleague, Craig Morris. "They did not want massive spec homes being built right next to their house that would impact their views tremendously, and also have a very negative impact on the natural beauty and elk migratory path," AJ said.

The Badias don't have immediate plans to build anything on their newly purchased property, AJ said. There are several old buildings that could be torn down or rehabbed. "It's really up in the air and there are no decisions in place," he said.

Claure didn't respond to requests for comment. He had planned to build a family compound in Aspen, but decided it was too difficult for his six children to get together there, he previously told The Wall Street Journal. He sold another Aspen home he owned for $18.5 million in 2023.

The Badias' most recent purchase encompasses two adjacent parcels, according to the listing. One, a roughly 10.5-acre site, contains the existing, roughly 11,000-square-foot house and comes with plans for a new seven-bedroom house. The other parcel is about 10.8 acres with approved plans for a five-bedroom house and equestrian facilities.

Claure is the founder and CEO of Claure Group, an investment firm and family office. He recently joined private-equity firm Brightstar Capital Partners as partner and co-chair. Previously, he was CEO of Sprint from 2014 to 2018, and served as chief operating officer of SoftBank Group, a Japanese conglomerate, until 2022.

Joseph, who goes by Pepe, and Nancy also have a home in Miami's Coconut Grove neighborhood, which they bought for $12.4 million in 2017, property records show. In 2024, Badia Foods was acquired by Bia Foods, an investment firm, with BDT & MSD Partners, a merchant bank.

Listing agent Brittanie Rockhill of Douglas Elliman declined to comment on the Claure sale.

Market snapshot

The number of home sales of $10 million and up in Aspen and Snowmass Village rose 35% during the first quarter compared with the prior-year period, according to data from Tim Estin of Aspen Snowmass Sotheby's International Realty. In April, an Aspen home sold for $53.3 million in an off-market transaction. In a separate deal, a pair of Aspen homes traded for $52.45 million, records show.

Write to E.B. Solomont at eb.solomont@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 28, 2025 17:01 ET (21:01 GMT)

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