© Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Tech entrepreneur Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates have paid $43 million for an oceanfront home near San Diego, Calif., in one of the largest deals recorded in the area.

The Del Mar property was most recently on the market for $48 million and the deal closed in late March, according to listings website Realtor.com. The Gateses bought the home from Madeleine Pickens, the former wife of Texas billionaire T. Boone Pickens. When reached by phone, Ms. Pickens said she wished the new owners well.

The six-bedroom home spans about 5,800 square feet, according to the listing. It has a 10-person Jacuzzi overlooking a fire pit, a long oceanfront deck, limestone flooring, and a swimming pool.

Mr. Gates, one of the world’s richest people and the co-founder of Microsoft, has been in the public eye recently due to his early warnings about the global pandemic. This purchase adds to the couple’s already sprawling real estate portfolio, although Mr. Gates has historically treated his compound in Medina, Wash., as his primary home. In 2014, he also bought weight-loss guru Jenny Craig’s Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., equestrian estate for $18 million, The Wall Street Journal reported at the time.

Listing agent Brian Guiltinan of the Guiltinan Group declined to comment. The buyers were represented by Bruce V. Howard of Krone & Bushard, who couldn't be reached for comment.

Write to Katherine Clarke at Katherine.Clarke@wsj.com