Somehow, owning an island still trumps buying a private jet, a mansion, or even a castle. Private islands give out that air of luxury and extreme wealth in a way that perhaps nothing else can.
This despite the fact that in some places private islands aren’t really that expensive. However celebrities and CEOs constantly target the Caribbean, Central America and the South Pacific which is pretty costly.
The trend of owning a private island might have first started with Marlon Brando in 1966 when he bought an island in Tahiti for USD270,000.
Actors Nicholas Cage and Johnny Depp have purchased islands in the Bahamas while Leonardo diCaprio owns a 42-hectare Blackadore Caye island off the coast of Belize, which he is reportedly planning to turn into an eco-friendly resort.
Steven Spielberg has an island in Madeira, Portugal which he uses for family getaways. George Clooney on the other hand not only has a US$12 million island on England’s River Thames but it comes with a historic castle to boot.
Mel Gibson owns Mago Island which is one of the largest private islands in Fiji, South Pacific, He bought it for about USD15 million in 2004.
The actor runs a cattle farm and fishing projects off the island in order to preserve its sanctity. The volcanic property is described by a real estate company as “fringed entirely by protective reefs, powder-white beaches and turquoise lagoons” The volcanic soil also lends itself to a fertile crop of tropical fruits, vegetables and other flora.
Singer Shakira owns Bonds Cay Island in the Bahamas. She bought it for USD16 million. An hour from Miami by plane, the island has five beaches and a private cove beach plus a number of luxury hotels.
Pamela Anderson also owns an island. The 90’s Baywatch bombshell’s ex-husband presented her with an island off the coast of Dubai in the hopes of winning her back years ago.
Oracle ex- Chief Executive Officer Larry Ellison and Virgin’s Richard Branson have a stake in islands in Hawaii and the British Virgin Islands respectively.
Monaco royal Princess Caroline’s daughter in law Beatrice Borromeo has five islands off the coast of Italy.