If a man’s home is his castle, a private island is his kingdom. And while you don’t have to be uber-wealthy to buy an island—a small one can be had for about $50,000—many of the globe’s most exclusive properties are owned by billionaires. The trend to own a slice of paradise dates to the 60s when the late shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis married former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy on his Greek island Skorpios, according to Chris Krolow, chief executive of Private Islands, a Toronto-based company that specializes in private island real estate and whose website currently lists about 750 islands for sale worldwide.“ ‘Islomania’ is not your typical investment. It’s very much a purchase of passion. It goes beyond cachet: it allows owners to make their own mark, to do something that no one else has done.”
Here’s a sampling of some billionaire-owned private islands, from pristine secluded havens—ideal for modern day Robinson Crusoes—to tropical eco-friendly luxury resorts.
Lanai, Hawaii
St. Phillips Island, S.C.
Ted Turner and family and friends have enjoyed sailing, fishing and entertaining for more than 35 years on St. Phillips, on the South Carolina coast near the historic seaports of Charleston and Savannah. The pristine island, protected under a conservation easement with The
Necker Island, British Virgin Islands
Lucky for us, some billionaires like to share. From the first moment in 1978 when Sir Richard Branson visited Necker Island, the 74 acres of Caribbean Eden in the British Virgin Islands, he had a vision to create an exclusive retreat. “Necker Island is my home and favourite hideaway,” Branson says on the resort’s website. “I invite you to explore this idyllic island paradise for yourself and to be inspired by its beauty.” Rates for arrivals in 2016 begin at $16,460 per couple for a four night stay in the Love Temple; $29,960 per couple for 7 nights. But it’s not all about “barefoot luxury.” The island is committed to sustainable development, the local community and energy independence.
Moskito Island, British Virgin Islands
Just two miles and a short boat ride away from Necker Island, Richard Branson continues to share the love on Moskito Island, the British Virgin Islands property he acquired in 2007 and has since transformed into a luxury resort. “Welcome to your very own private paradise,” Branson wrote, referring to the island’s recreation area and the three villa Branson Estate that is now available to book on an exclusive-use basis. But all that seclusion in a stretch of unspoiled tropical heaven comes at a price. Arrivals in 2016 will set you back $47,300 per night ($2,150 per person, per night) for 22 guests.
John C. Malone
Sampson Cay, The Bahamas
Some billionaires buy islands and open them to the public. Others do the exact opposite, like John Malone, the billionaire media mogul who bought Sampson Cay in The Bahamas, one of 365 small islands in the Exuma chain, an archipelago that begins 35 miles southeast of Nassau. The island was home to the Sampson Cay Club, a resort with five villas, a restaurant and a marina. But it was taken out of commercial use in August 2013 for renovation and will not reopen for business; Sampson Cay will be Malone’s private Bahamian paradise to enjoy with family and friends.
Ekaterina/Dmitry Rybolovlev
Skorpios Island, Greece
Even the rich and famous can’t always get what they want. Bill Gates, Giorgio Armani and Madonna all vied in recent years to acquire Skorpios, the 74 acre private Greek island in the Ionian Sea off the west coast of the mainland, according to media accounts. The small island was the site of the highly publicized wedding of late shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis to former United States First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1968. But the trophy property along with neighboring islet of Sparti went to heiress Ekaterina Rybolovlev, daughter of Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev in 2013 for a price reported to be about $150 million.
Dietrich Mateschitz
Laucala Island, Fiji
Wild orchids; deserted, white, sandy beaches; and “endless jungle” are just a few of the South Pacific delights on Laucala, a seven-square-mile private island refuge turned resort owned by Austrian energy-drink tycoon Dietrich Mateschitz. The billionaire co- founder of Red Bull bought the Fijian island from the estate of Malcolm Forbes in the early 2000s and has since created a tropical hideaway offering up “unparalleled levels of luxury and privacy.” Guests can: stay at private Fijian-style villas nestled among coconut groves, ringed by the rainforest or boasting unbroken views of the sea; eat and imbibe at restaurants and bars offering up everything from beachside barbecues to customized fine dining; indulge in water sports, golf and horseback riding; and get up close and personal with the angelfish and coral reefs. Each villa comes with its own buggy for stress-free exploration.
Roman Abramovich
New Holland Island, St. Petersburg, Russia
Not all islands are surrounded by the deep, blue sea. New Holland, a small man-made island on a canal in the heart of St. Petersburg, was originally conceived by Peter the Great for the navy and was inaccessible to the public for centuries, but is now open in summer months. The New York based architecture and urban design practice Work Architecture Company was retained by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich (who owns development rights with a 100-year lease) to re-imagine the island into an urban playground and cultural center with cafes, galleries, retail stores, a hotel, offices, housing, public park and other outdoor spaces, and a contemporary art museum with a launch pad for a hot air balloon from which visitors can view the city below.
David and Frederick Barclay
Brecqhou, Channel Islands, UK
Lovers of Medieval history might enjoy a visit to the tiny, private island of Brecqhou in the English Channel, not far from the Normandy coast in France. British billionaire identical twins David and Frederick Barclay, known to be fiercely protective of their privacy, bought the remote island getaway in 1993. The brothers, who were knighted in 2000 for their charitable work and whose assets include major newspapers and luxury hotels, spent more than 20 years doing development work that, according to news reports include: a large turreted Gothic-style castle, swimming pools, a helipad, a carp pond with a bridge modeled on Monet's at Giverney, and olive groves, vineyards, and landscaped gardens that are havens for thousands of species of plants. One account calls the former eyesore “one of the most ambitious landscape makeover operations conducted in the British Isles.” In 2012, the island opened to the public for day tours.
Louis Bacon
Robins Island, NY
Sometimes the idea to buy an island begins with a dream. Louis Moore Bacon spotted Robins Island as a young 20-something-year-old working on a charter fishing boat in the area. Years later, in 1993, then a Wall Street trader, Bacon bought the more than 400 unspoiled acres of forest, beaches and bluffs off the coast of Long Island, some 80 miles from Manhattan, for $11 million to be used as a family retreat and to restore and preserve the habitat that had been deteriorating for centuries, according to news accounts. Local environmentalists at the time described the island as the region’s Yosemite Valley, the Mona Lisa of the East End, and a rare natural jewel in an overdeveloped part of the world. Today, the Robins Island Foundation continues the conservation work.
