10 MOST IDYLLIC ISLANDS OWNED BY BILLIONAIRE ENTREPRENEURS

10 Most Idyllic Islands Owned By Billionaire Entrepreneurs
By Julian, Business Pundit, 19 March 2015.

The possibility of one day being rich enough to afford a privately owned island paradise is the definitive property dream for many budding entrepreneurs. The appeal of such a getaway is undeniable: a Robinson Crusoe-like fantasy of absolute privacy coupled with the surrounding natural beauty of a world far from the pressures of normal life.

For some, of course, it will remain an unrealized aspiration, yet for others it has become an enviable reality. Indeed, whether viewing the acquisition as a possible money-spinning venture or simply with a mind to a future secluded escape, the following billionaire entrepreneurs have all expanded their portfolios with the purchase of their very own idyllic island utopias.

10. Mikhail Prokhorov - North Island

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Jennifer Aniston, J.K. Rowling and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have all stayed at the Seychelles’ heavenly North Island. No doubt they paid a pretty penny for the pleasure, too, as a single night in one of its 11 villas can cost as much as almost US$5,000 per guest. For that price, though, visitors are free to enjoy what The Guardian refers to as a “paragon of tropical island escapes” that’s 18 or so miles from Mahé, the Seychelles’ biggest island. North Island also boasts a pair of white sandy beaches and three granite ridges - the smallest of which is 360 feet high. The tract of land’s lush centre, meanwhile, is a haven for coconut and takamaka trees. Mikhail Prokhorov - a businessman, investor and former Russian presidential candidate worth around US$9.8 billion - bought North Island for US$35 million in March 2011.

9. Richard Branson - Necker Island

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Richard Branson first paid a visit to Necker Island in 1978 with the intention of “get[ting] a leg over” with his future wife Joan. However, he was so taken with the deserted British Virgin Islands paradise that he purchased it a year later for US$180,000. It’s not hard to see why Necker Island so appealed to Branson: the remote 74-acre utopia offers unrivalled privacy and is a haven of pristine beaches, exotic wildlife and lush greenery. Indeed, the Virgin founder finds it so idyllic that he moved there for good in 2006. Necker, though, isn’t just an exclusive retreat for a man worth around US$4.8 billion; it’s also available to hire. The island in its entirety can be rented for US$65,000 a night, while a room for a week in the Great House is a snip at US$28,805.

8. Louis Bacon - Robins Island

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Eighty miles from New York City, in the Great Peconic Bay, sits a sublime slice of land nicknamed the “Mona Lisa of the East End.” Indeed, Robins Island’s stunning perimeter is essentially one long sandy beach, while its unblemished 435-acre total expanse is home to deer and a variety of beautiful foliage types. It’s the ideal place, then, for a successful entrepreneur seeking to host renowned hunting retreats. And Louis Moore Bacon, institutor of hedge fund setup Moore Capital Management, does just that, having bought the island in 1993 for US$11 million. However, Bacon - who has a net worth of some US$1.6 billion - is also a dedicated conservationist and has pledged a significant amount of money to ensure that the island’s habitat is preserved and its native wildlife protected.

7. Larry Ellison - Lanai

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With a net worth of some US$52.9 billion, Larry Ellison is the third-richest man in the United States, so he can afford to be a little more ambitious when it comes to purchasing an island. In 2012 the founder and former CEO of Oracle is thought to have paid David Murdock US$300 million for 87,000 acres of Lanai - just 3,000 acres shy of its total extent - and he has subsequently revealed plans to turn the spellbinding Hawaiian island into “the first economically viable, 100 percent green community” as well as a top tourism site. In 2013 Ellison bought a local airline to transport guests to the island, where they can enjoy indulgent resorts, golf courses, and natural wonders like pristine beaches and the offshore Sweetheart Rock. Ellison’s so-called “cool 21st-century engineering project” remains on-going.

6. Craig McCaw - James Island

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In 1994 Craig McCaw and his siblings generated US$12.6 billion with the sale of McCaw Cellular. In the same year, McCaw - himself worth in the region of US$1.83 billion - snapped up British Columbia’s James Island for somewhere between US$19 and US$26 million. At the time, the island was a forsaken, rundown patch of land ruled by roaming deer, but McCaw has sensitively turned things around. A fifth of the island is now comprised of protected habitats, while the remaining portion of its 780 acres is a magnificent dreamland of idyllic beaches, an 18-hole golf course, a “western village” and the destination’s own private airstrip. Due to family commitments, however, McCaw placed the island on the market in 2012. The price for the next billionaire entrepreneur looking to escape from it all to here? A cool US$75 million.

5. Ted Turner - St. Phillips Island

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Ted Turner has a net worth of around US$2.2 billion and owns land spanning roughly two million acres throughout the U.S.; St. Phillips Island occupies 4,680 acres of that total. The man behind Turner Broadcasting System snapped up the island in 1979 and has used it as a secluded retreat to be enjoyed by relatives and associates. Moreover, if it’s privacy he was after, Turner surely couldn’t have picked a better place, as the lush tract of land is only approachable via boat. Located across the water from Beaufort, South Carolina, the protected paradise also offers idyllic white-sand beaches and a wooded habitat as well as plentiful opportunities to sail and fish. It’s unknown how much Turner paid for St. Phillips, but following lack of use he is now trying to sell it for almost US$23.8 million.

4. David and Frederick Barclay - Brecqhou

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In 1993 Brecqhou was a desolate “eyesore” home to little more than an abundant rabbit population and harsh Atlantic winds. Still, that didn’t stop David and Frederick Barclay from purchasing the Channel Islands getaway for over US$5 million and subsequently making their mark on the 80-acre tract of land. The twin brothers’ island-wide revamp saw the addition of lakes, a new harbour and a mock fort-cum-palace, not to mention wholesale alterations to the landscape - including the embedding of 150,000 plants. The result: the ultimate isolated paradise for the incredibly private pair - who own the Telegraph Media Group and are together worth around US$5.1 billion. In 2012 the largely man-made masterpiece was made accessible to those staying at hotels owned by the Barclays on the nearby island of Sark. However, this access may be unlikely to continue beyond 2015, when the twins’ Sark lodging establishments will all be closed.

3. Bernard Arnault - Indigo Island

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With its near-blank website and lack of presence on maps, it’s safe to say that Indigo Island - a tropical utopia in the Bahamas’ Exuma archipelago - is equal parts exclusive and secluded. Advertising and media reviews of the island are also notable by their absence. This being said, it is possible to stay on the luxurious isle and enjoy its beaches and recreational facilities - but only if guests are willing to collectively pay US$300,000 a week. This considerable fee will get vacationers access to a handful of villas on the 135-acre destination and, naturally, the opportunity to take a dip in the bluest of blue seas. Indigo belongs to LMVH chief and chairman Bernard Arnault, who, along with his family, has a net worth of around US$35.7 billion. The French businessman paid a reported US$35 million for the island.

2. Dietrich Mateschitz - Laucala

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Laucala was in possession of the Forbes family for over 30 years, remaining a largely untouched Fijian paradise. Then in 2003 the Forbes sold the 3,000-acre island to Dietrich Mateschitz for US$10 million - likely an eminently affordable sum to the Red Bull co-creator, in view of his current net worth of some US$10.4 billion. Mateschitz, moreover, went on to build an extravagant resort on the island’s northern shore. Fortunately, the development was sensitively constructed, keeping the island’s natural tropical beauty - from dramatic peaks to lush forests - intact. A night for two on Laucala costs from US$4,200, with vacationers having a choice of 25 lavish villas, 38 pools, 12 beaches and a host of recreational activities.

1. John Malone - Sampson Cay

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In 2002 John Malone transformed Sampson Cay into a luxurious resort, reportedly going on to charge visitors as much as US$8,000 a week for the pleasure of staying on the Bahamian delight. The 31-acre destination - which was host to a clutch of villas and an eating spot - is part of the Exuma archipelago, a collection of 365 islands set among glistening turquoise waters. Today, though, it’s likely that no amount of money will get strangers onto Sampson Cay. Malone - a media investments supremo worth some US$7.3 billion - shut off the island to the general public in August 2013, and at present it’s used exclusively by him and his loved ones. The tiny island is just one piece of Malone’s incredible property portfolio, which comprises 2.2 million acres of land across seven U.S. states.

Top image: Sampson Cay. Credit: Alan Levine/Flickr.

[Source: Business Pundit. Edited. Some links added.]