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.
Click or scroll through, grab your sunglasses and let's take a tour of the ultimate retreats of the world's wealthiest people...
The world’s most famous illusionist David Copperfield spent $50 million (£40m) on a group of 11 islands around Musha Cay in the southern Bahamas in 2006. He reportedly parted with a further $40 million (£32m) to turn the property into a luxurious resort called The Islands of Copperfield Bay, which he describes as “the most magical vacation destination in the world.”
The magician spends about 10 weeks a year here, according to The Hollywood Reporter and says it offers him “this incredible kind of cleansing sorbet of creativity. It is many, many people’s dream to own a private island, as it was mine.”
The rest of the time, you can have it all to yourself and your nearest and dearest, at least if you happen to have a spare $50,000 (£39.4k) per night.
This spectacular paradise island in Fiji, was owned by the late Red Bull co-founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, prior to his death in October 2022. The Austrian businessman was reported to be the 71st richest person in the world and, according to Forbes, worth a cool $27.4 billion (£21.5bn).
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 (£7.8m) from the moneyed Forbes family. He has since transformed the island into a super-luxurious, all-inclusive eco-resort operated by Como Hotels and Resorts, which boasts an 18-hole golf course, a wellness centre, its own airstrip and a collection of five restaurants and bars, offering everything from beachside barbecues to fine dining experiences.
In keeping with its ultra-exclusive ambiance, staying on Laucala doesn't come cheap. While guests enjoy unlimited vintage champagne, gourmet delicacies, watersports and so on, rates begin at a hefty $6,500 (£5.1k) a night, and then there's the cost of your private charter.
Not that money is an issue for Mark Mateschitz, who inherited his father's multibillion-dollar empire and is the richest millennial in Europe, according to reports.
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 (£235m) 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, seen here, starts at around $2,150 (£1.7k) per night, 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 in 2019 submitted a 30-year proposal costing $340 million (£267m) 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 (£63m) 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 (£114m).
The former owners of The Telegraph newspaper and the Ritz Hotel in London, the Barclay brothers, had an estimated wealth of $8.9 billion (£7bn) in 2020 say reports, and bought the Channel Island of Brecqhou in 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.
Starting out as painters and decorators before moving into property, the identical twin brothers paid $4.5 million (£3.5m) for the island in 1993. In a bid to create their earthly paradise, they conducted a huge landscape makeover on the island, shaving off cliff edges, creating lakes and engineering pockets of shelter from the salty Atlantic blasts, that had made it impossible for anything to grow, reported The Guardian.
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. Sir David died unexpectedly aged 86 following a short illness in January 2021 and is rumoured to be buried on the island.
Meanwhile, Sir Frederick and his family, who were named the richest people in the Channel Islands on The Sunday Times Rich List 2023, 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.
While it's impossible to stay overnight on Brecqhou, guests staying at any of the four luxury hotels in neighbouring Sark can visit the island, subject to security clearance.
This heart-stoppingly beautiful Bahamian cay is the property of Liberty Media's John Malone. As the second largest landowner in the United States, Malone is worth a reported $9.9 billion (£7.8bn) and is one of the richest people in America.
Malone isn't the only prominent billionaire to own an island in the Bahamas, though. LVMH Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault holds the deeds to nearby Indigo Island. According to Forbes, in February 2024, he became the richest person in the world.
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 his country's largest TV channel to the cosmetics mogul, Ronald Lauder (of Estée Lauder) in 2004. He is now Chairman of Home Credit, a quick loans offering that is expanding into China and Vietnam, and is the founder of investment group, EMMA.
Built at a cost $200 million (£158m) 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 sport toys, shaded tennis courts and the Velaa Spa, which has partnered with Dr Burgener Switzerland, a leading expert in beauty and rejuvenation.
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.
It doesn't come cheap, however – prices begin from around $2,400 (£1.9k) per night for a Sunrise Water Pool Villa.
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 (£118m).
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.
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..and 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 reported that Dmitry's company, Mykinai SA, is planning to transform Skorpios into an exclusive €1 million-a-week ($1m, £86k) mega-resort for no more than 50 guests at a time by summer 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.
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.
Although it is possible to rent the entire island, at a cost of around $149,100 (£117k) per night, Branson announced he was making the uber-exclusive private resort with its Balinese-inspired interiors, available to individuals over the festive period in 2023, reported The Mirror. Rates started from $5,400 (£4.2k) per night based on two people sharing a room.
Not just satisfied with one private island, the 73-year-old billionaire acquired the neighbouring island of Moskito in 2007 for $12.6 million (£10m) 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 $25,360 (£19.9k) for four nights in high 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 renamed Meta Platforms. Just 20 years later, the entrepreneur is considered to be the eighth-richest person in America with an estimated net worth of $136 billion (£106bn), 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 (£79m) and, in March 2021, he expanded his estate to include another 600-acre parcel.
This time, Zuckerberg paid a reported $53 million (£42m) 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 neighbouring 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.
But this isn't Zuckerberg and Chan's 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 (£47m) for the magnificent 10-acre spread. The deal included the 100-year-old Brushwood Estate and the Carousel Estate.
In most recent news, Zuckerberg is reportedly building a top-secret billionaire compound with an underground bunker on his Hawaiian land. Watch this space!
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