One of the toughest sells in real estate history, Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous Caribbean private islands have finally found a buyer after languishing on the market for more than a year. The parcel, which consists of the 70-plus-acre Little St. James and 160-plus-acre Great St. James islands, has been purchased by Stephen Deckoff, founder of private equity firm Black Diamond Capital Management, for $60 million, less than half of their initial asking price of $125 million.
Deckoff, who has a net worth of $3 billion, according to Forbes, plans to use the property to construct a “state-of-the-art, five-star, world-class luxury 25-room resort” with the aim of boosting tourism and economic development “while respecting and preserving the important environment of the islands.” Deckoff clarified to Forbes that he never met Epstein, and had never set foot on the islands before they were first placed on the market after his death in 2019.
A New York City native, Deckoff first moved to the Virgin Islands in 2011 and has since given more than $1.2 million to non-profits there, predominantly to private schools and nature preservation organizations. “I’ve been proud to call the U.S. Virgin Islands home for more than a decade and am tremendously pleased to be able to bring the area a world-class destination benefitting its natural grace and beauty,” Deckoff told Forbes.
The islands, which are located just off the coast of the tourism hot spot St Thomas, may boast pearly sands, crystalline waters, and lush tropical vegetation, but it's no great surprise that their dark past deterred buyers for so long. Dubbed ‘pedophile island’, Little St. James once played a role in the disgraced financier’s sex trafficking ring and alleged victim Virginia Giuffre has claimed that Prince Andrew, Duke of York, sexually assualted her on the island, a claim that has been denied by Buckingham Palace.
The smaller of the two islands, Little St. James, already offers a helipad, multiple pools, several guest villas and some more unusual structures as well. In an unauthorized exploration of the island, independent media organization WeAreChange acquired close-up footage of Epstein’s notorious private temple, which has sparked a host of conspiracy theories in spite of the fact that it was most likely used as a music room. Other unusual finds on the island included strange statues and sculptures, an ambulance and a massive sundial.
Epstein originally purchased the Little St. James back in 1988 for a reported $8 million and lived there for many years in a large mansion. He subsequently bought the neighboring island, Great St. James, which remains largely undeveloped, in 2016 for a reported $22.5 million. Today, both islands are still recovering from two category 5 hurricanes, which caused substantial damage in September 2017. It only remains to be seen if guests will be willing to set foot on the infamous islands after Deckoff’s resort opens.
Read on to explore more opulent private islands of the rich and famous...
When you're a multi-billionaire, spending your money is a difficult task. So what better way to off-load your fortune than with a dreamy private island well away from prying eyes and nosy paparazzi? From Richard Branson's celebrity haunt on Necker Island to Mark Zuckerberg's sprawling Hawaiian hideaway, these pristine private islands are where the mega-rich spend their holidays. Grab your sunglasses and let's take a tour of the ultimate retreats of the world's wealthiest people.
This spectacular paradise island in Fiji is owned by Red Bull co-founder, Dietrich Mateschitz. The Austrian businessman is reported to be the 56th wealthiest person in the world, according to Forbes, and is worth a cool $27.4 billion.
Spread over 3,500 acres of land, the pristine Laucala boasts a virtually untouched tropical rainforest interior and exquisite sugar-white sand beaches, fringed by coconut palms. With a wealth of natural resources, it would be the perfect prepper property for surviving the end of the world in style.
Mateschitz purchased Laucala in 2003 for $10 million from the moneyed Forbes family. He has since transformed the island into a super-luxurious, all-inclusive eco-resort that's now home to an 18-hole golf course, a wellness center, its own airstrip and a collection of five restaurants and bars, offering everything from beachside barbeques to fine dining experiences.
In keeping with its ultra-exclusive ambience, staying on Laucala doesn't come cheap. While guests enjoy unlimited vintage champagne, gourmet delicacies, watersports and so on, rates begin at a hefty $5,600 a night, but an additional $14,000 is due as a landing fee for using the island's private airstrip.
The biggest island in our round-up, Lanai (aka Pineapple Island) is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian islands. Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison owns a whopping 98% of the land on Lanai.
Ellison spent an estimated $300 million on his Pacific island purchase in June 2012. Relatively unspoiled, Lanai has no traffic lights or shopping malls, and features 90,000 acres of land, a 3,200-person town and two Four Seasons resorts. As you'd expect, the island's hotels are of the five-star luxury variety. A room at the swanky Four Seasons Resort Lanai in Manele Bay starts at around $1,818 – so you'll need very deep pockets if you want to stay for a week.
The north side of the island comes with stunning beaches and rugged nature, which offers the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure. But Ellison has plans to develop the urban footprint of the island and has submitted a 30-year proposal costing $340 million to the State Land Use Commission. This would potentially see 200 acres turned into an industrial park, extra housing built to bring the population up to 6,000 people and new amenities developed such as a university, film studios and a tennis academy.
Of course, this isn't the only piece of real estate owned by Ellison. In 2020 the computer software tycoon snapped up a 15,514-square-foot beachfront mansion in North Palm Beach, Florida. The estate cost him $80 million but that doesn't mean Ellison was completely satisfied with his purchase. In August of 2022, Ellison re-listed the property for a whopping $145 million.
Named on The Sunday Times Rich List as having a fortune of $9.7 billion, Britain's billionaire Barclay brothers have owned the Channel Island of Brecqhou since 1993. The 74-acre island is located off the coast of Sark in the Channel Islands and has its own village, chapel and pub, as well as vineyards and orchards.
The identical twin brothers conducted a huge landscape makeover on the island, shaving off cliff edges and creating lakes so that the profile was transformed.
The billionaires also commissioned a mock-Gothic castle to be built on the island. Designed by Quinlan Terry, the imposing property commands great views of the English Channel and features three-foot-thick granite walls, luxury reception rooms, two swimming pools and a helipad.
While it's impossible to stay overnight on Brecqhou, guests booking through any of the four luxury hotels in the Sark Island Hotels group can take advantage of a complimentary tour of the charming little island. Sadly, Sir David passed away in January 2021 at the age of 86 and is rumored to be buried on Brecqhou, however, Sir Frederick is said to have been 'banned' from the island after a bitter falling-out between the brothers before David's death, leaving the future of the island unclear.
Another blissful tropical bolthole, French entrepreneur Georges Cohen bagged the Caribbean island of Calivigny back in 2000. Situated off the coast of Grenada, the island caught the eye of his wife, Martine Cohen, who happened to swim ashore while moored nearby on their yacht. According to Yachts International, Martine persuaded her husband to get on the next plane when she discovered that it was for sale and the couple decided to buy it on the spot.
Over the decades, George, Martine and their family have invested heavily in developing the island to the highest specifications, bringing in thousands of plants, trees and bespoke luxury accommodation. Their hard work has paid off and this private paradise has attracted the likes of the Kardashians and Justin Bieber, who celebrated his 21st birthday there.
Encompassing a landmass of more than 80 acres, the island is dotted with palm trees and lush tropical vegetation. It also boasts a total of six dreamy white sand beaches that are guaranteed to be crowd-free all year round.
There are three suitably grand residences on the island and a huge pool. Guests are waited on hand and foot by an army of staff and no request is too much to ask. You'll have to dig deep, though, if you're interested in staying on Calivigny – exclusive island charters for up to 40 guests cost in excess of $132,000 per night.
This heart-stoppingly beautiful Bahamian cay is the property of Liberty Media's John Malone. As the single largest landowner in the United States, Malone is worth a reported $9.2 billion and was named among the wealthiest Americans in 2020, alongside Micheal Bloomberg and Oprah Winfrey.
Malone isn't the only prominent billionaire to own an island in the Bahamas, though. LVMH Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault, the third-richest person in the world, holds the deeds to nearby Indigo Island. In April 2018, he became the richest person in fashion, topping Zara's Amancio Ortega for pole position.
Once home to a small resort and marina, which was a popular destination for affluent yacht owners, Malone closed the island to the public in 2013 and has converted Sampson Cay into a private retreat for his family.
The island covers a total of 31 acres and seriously wows with some of the most stunning beaches in the Bahamas.
Velaa, a 19.4-acre atoll in the Maldives, is owned by Czech billionaire Jiří Šmejc, and his wife Radka. According to Forbes, Šmejc made his fortune through his involvement in selling Russia's largest TV channel to the cosmetics mogul, Ronald Lauder (of Estée Lauder) now jointly owns the company Home Credit, a quick loans offering that is expanding into China and Vietnam.
Built at a cost of $200 million in 2014, the resort consists of 42 palatial thatched villas and benefits from a wide array of facilities, including a restaurant headed by a Michelin-starred chef, a golf course, the newest hi-tech water sports toys, shaded tennis courts and a Clarins spa.
A 'beyond luxury' exclusive boutique hideaway, Velaa island has been voted one of the world's top high-end resorts – and it isn't difficult to see why! The architect Petr Kolár designed the island to meet the billionaire's exacting standards, filling a niche for total private getaways that allow freedom and entertainment in equal measure.
Part private bolthole and part exclusive holiday destination, the island can comfortably accommodate up to 80 guests who are each assigned a personal butler. During your stay, you can enjoy sunset boat trips to go dolphin watching, private meditation sessions in the elevated yoga pavilion, and one-on-one golf tuition from PGA professionals. You'll have to pay through the nose, however – prices begin from around $2,200 per night.
The legendary 74-acre Skorpios Island in Greece, which once belonged to the late shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis, was snapped up in 2013 by Ekaterina Rybolovleva, the daughter of Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, who has a reported net worth of $6.4 billion ($5.1bn).
During the 2000s and early 2010s, Madonna, Bill Gates and Giorgio Armani reportedly tried and failed to purchase the Greek island, which was bought by Rybolovlev for an estimated $150 million. The island was the pet project of Onassis, who imported trees and sand, and built the residences for him and his wife Jackie Onassis – widow of President John F. Kennedy – to enjoy vacations in total privacy.
The private island is set just off the western coast of Greece and has a population of only five people, according to a 2011 census. It features three rustic-style villas, a requisite billionaire helipad and a quay for those all-important yachts – not to mention plenty of wooded parklands and a bijou sandy beach. Heiress Rybolovleva married Juan Sartori on Skorpios in 2015; 47 years after the former first lady chose it as the site for her own wedding.
Rybolovleva has spoken about her passion for the island, calling it her "personal refuge" in an exclusive interview with the Greek newspaper To Vima. "It is my second home, the ideal destination for my holidays. It is the place where I can relax and feel totally free. It is also sacred, full of history, tradition and respect. All this is due to the legacy that Aristotle Onassis has left behind," she said. However, the Daily Mail recently reported that Dmitry's company, Mykinai SA, is planning to transform Skorpios into an exclusive €1 million-a-week ($1.1m) mega-resort for no more than 50 guests at a time. Local media report the ambitious project has so far set the oligarch back $438 million and it will be ready to welcome guests in the summer of 2024.
Sir Richard Branson's Caribbean jewel, Necker Island, is heaven on earth. A vacay magnet for billionaires, royalty and A-list celebrities, everyone from Barack Obama to Google billionaire Larry Page has stayed on the island. Kate Moss held her 40th birthday bash on Necker and the island has hosted royal guests including the late Princess Diana, Prince Harry and Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales.
Richard Branson bought Necker Island in 1979, for an almost depressingly low price of $120,000. He soon made the island his permanent residence and set about constructing an 11-bedroom Balinese-style home, which he called the Great House.
Yet Branson lost his dream home twice. The property was gutted in 2011 by a fire sparked by Storm Irene, before being flattened by Hurricane Irma in September 2017. Following both disasters, the property was rebuilt at a great cost.
Necker, which also rocks an uber-exclusive private resort with a luxe yet relaxed vibe, features six Balinese-inspired cottages, numerous pools, hot tubs and tennis courts. The entire island costs around $113,000 per night for up to 40 guests.
Not just satisfied with one private island, the 72-year-old billionaire acquired the neighboring island of Moskito in 2007 for $12.6 million and has spent a fortune turning the gorgeous 125-acre Caribbean idyll into an upscale eco-resort.
The ultimate celebrity holiday home, the island features a number of well-appointed villas that make up Branson's private family estate, plus a huge pool, several nature trails, an organic garden and a sustainable recreation area.
A haven for well-heeled hippies, Moskito is all about sustainability – as much as 80% of the island's energy supply comes from renewable sources, and Moskito is home to a sanctuary for endangered ring-tailed lemurs.
When the Branson family aren't staying here, the Caribbean island is available for hire. The Branson Estate, suitable for 22 guests, costs a whopping $28,750 a night in low season. With white sands, turquoise seas and all the luxuries you can imagine, this ultra-exclusive destination is like stepping into a dream.
In 2004, at the age of just 19, Mark Zuckerberg co-founded one of the world's most successful digital platforms, Facebook. Now, less than 20 years later, the entrepreneur is considered to be the fifth-richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $84.6 billion, according to Forbes. As well as using his money for good causes, Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have also invested plenty of pennies in eye-watering real estate, including a large part of the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Zuckerberg has been buying up land on Kauai for years and currently owns three separate estates. In 2014, the American media magnate acquired about 700 acres of land on Kauai for more than $100 million and, in March 2021, he expanded his estate to include another 600-acre parcel. This time, Zuckerberg paid a reported $53 million and the spread can be found on the remote waterfront of Larsen’s Beach.
But the community in Kauai aren't too happy with Zuckerberg's purchases. In 2015, he was accused of attempting to force residents to sell the neighboring land to him, while other Hawaiians are said to have inherited the land without a formal deed, putting ownership rights into question. Zuckerberg is even thought to have filed several lawsuits against Kauaians during the land battle, causing plenty of anger and controversy. The suits have since been dropped.
It's thought that Zuckerberg and Chan spent lockdown at their Hawaiian compound but this isn't their only estate. While they mostly live in Palo Alto, California, in January 2019 the couple purchased a waterfront property on Lake Tahoe (pictured), paying an estimated $59 million for the magnificent 10-acre spread. The deal included the 100-year-old Brushwood Estate and the Carousel Estate, upon which Zuckerberg apparently plans to build a billionaire compound. Watch this space!
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