Abramovich's personal island in the Caribbean. How to live on the island of billionaires in Miami - the most expensive area on earth. video. Necker Island, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean Sea

Saint-Tropez, Maldives, Bali - the names of these resorts often appear in gossip columns and are symbols of luxurious, respectable holidays. But all of them cannot compare in prestige and elitism with the small island of St. Barthelemy, which has rightfully earned the name “island for billionaires.”

Saint Barthelemy, or Saint Barth, as the French call it (the island is French territory), is a modestly sized (only 45 sq.m.) mountainous island in the Caribbean Sea, a real, albeit hard-to-reach, pearl of this region.

By the way, it was the inaccessibility that made this island so popular, because celebrities having a rest here have nothing to fear from the paparazzi.

To get to it, a mere mortal must first land on neighboring island St. Maarten, and from there a boat or small plane will take you to your final destination.

Another thing is that the middle class is unlikely to have a holiday on this paradise island, since not even every celebrity can afford it.

A modest one-bedroom villa here costs approximately 1–1.5 million dollars, and for a luxury villa, those who want to relax here pay from 15 to 30 million.

For example, oligarch Roman Abramovich bought himself a mansion on Caribbean island for $90 million and now regularly throws parties in St. Barts, inviting his friends to them.

Saint Barthélemy owes its popularity to David Rockefeller and other wealthy individuals who chose it as a place for their residences in the 50s.

And now on the island you will not find hotels below the star category. The usual attributes for a local holiday are also expensive boutiques, private clubs and chic restaurants, of which there are about 90. By the way, it is believed that on St. Barth best cuisine in everything Caribbean region.

This resort is famous for its cultural life. Several annual events take place here music festivals, as well as the Caribbean film festival, a film festival that showcases new works by European and American directors.

But the attractions here are tight, but vacationers can enjoy the unique underwater and flora. Everyone who comes to St. Barths forever falls in love with its hilly landscapes, colorful sunsets and the smiles of the locals, who number only 6 thousand people.

Surprisingly, it is the only island in the Caribbean that never experienced slavery, so there is virtually no black population.

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General

Saint Barthelemy, or simply Saint Barth, is an island in the Caribbean region that belongs to the Overseas Territories of France. The island of millionaires, even billionaires, accomplished individuals. The low percentage of indigenous people to newly settled residents, as well as the high standard of living, makes living on this island comfortable. But on one condition - if you are willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money to maintain your properties, yachts and sometimes even personal aircraft.

How to get there.

First you need to fly to the island of Saint Martin. They fly there from Paris, Amsterdam and from a bunch of American cities. Make sure you have a French Overseas Territories Visa.

The two popular modes of transport for mere mortals from Saint Martin to Saint Barths are by sea and by air. By water cheaply and quickly on the Voyager 3 Dreamliner catamaran: http://www.voy12.com/en/bate aux.php

Departs from Marigot on the Island of Saint Martin at 09.15, arrives at the port of Guadeloupe (Saint Barth) at 10.30 This pleasure costs 72 Euros in both directions. Departures back at 17.45, arriving in 45 minutes. You can buy tickets online or simply book by phone and pay both ways upon arrival at the port.

Photo from their website // www.voy12.com

By air, on DHC-6 Twin otter aircraft of WinAir, it costs 215 dollars round trip.

Takeoff from St. Gustav Airport // estay.livejournal.com

Departure from Princess Julianne Airport (Saint Martin), arrival at St. Gustav Airport. I don’t know the schedule, you can look on the website.

Arrival

From a distance the island is just a mountain, although surrounded beautiful palm trees, white sand, turquoise water and dotted with red roofs of elite households. When arriving on the island, you must reserve a car in advance. Otherwise, at the rental office seaport There may be no cars. This is the story we got ourselves into: the tourists took the last car right in front of our noses.

View of the embankment // estay.livejournal.com

We caught a taxi, and after finding out where another car rental office was located, we headed towards local airport St. Gustav. Across the road from the terminal is Hertz, there isn't much choice, but we found a BMW 1 Series for 90 euros with insurance.

Our convertible car // estay.livejournal.com

spotting

The first thing we did was find the end of the airport and start filming the planes taking off. From the far end of the airport, facing the sea, there is a beautiful view of the airport. Attention: the airport area is not fenced and there is not even a zone beyond which you can enter. The only sign says that planes take off here and everything is at your own peril and risk.

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Taking off and landing planes right above your heads, this is not Saint Martin, but it has its own thrill:

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Beach

The beaches in Saint Barth are very beautiful and clean. Take photos directly to your desktop:

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Dinner

Having googled about the Eden's Rock restaurant before leaving, we headed to it. The restaurant is chic, I think the prices are adequate for the island, and the taste is simply, as they say, “amazing.”

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At the end, when the summer camp is full of people, the waiter and the senior man come up and ask if they liked everything. The waiters are well-trained and neat. Lunch for 4 for 200 Euro is justified!

Further trip, a little spotting

The view from the top of the hill is magnificent // estay.livejournal.com

Perhaps many people indulged in dreams of where they would like to relax if money did not bother them at all. Would go to a luxurious ski resort? Have you visited a private island in the Caribbean? Or maybe enjoy a vacation in Europe? For some, dreams become reality: billionaires can afford whatever they want. So where do they go? Here are six vacation destinations chosen by the rich.

Richard Branson: British Virgin Islands

One of the islands of the archipelago belongs to Branson personally, where his vacation home is located. In addition, it is on the archipelago that he regularly spends time. Any billionaire wants privacy, which makes Necker Island such a good option. It is accessible to ordinary tourists, but the cost of five thousand dollars per night on the island prevents a wide range of people from getting there.
If you can afford it, you can enjoy water activities, snorkeling, spa treatments, gourmet cuisine, yoga and tennis classes. If the price is too high, head to Tortola, a nearby island where almost the same thing is available at a lower price.

Bill Gates: Croatia

This man became famous not only for his achievements, but also for his philanthropy. He is not afraid to relax in modest conditions and go where there are many tourists. Of course, he also vacationed on luxury yachts, but he also loves to stroll through the medieval towns of Croatia.
He loves the island of Hvar, which is also popular with other celebrities. This island has a mild climate, wonderful beaches, ancient architecture, beautiful nature and a charming atmosphere.

Roman Abramovich: Saint Barts

This oligarch often stops at luxury yacht on the island of St. Barth, popular with the rich. One of the largest yachts in the world belongs to him personally, so he can visit in complete comfort Paradise Island in the Caribbean.
By the way, Abramovich has his own home on one of the islands in the Caribbean. This destination attracts wealthy people, so you can find the most luxurious hotels, designer shops and gourmet restaurants here.

Steven Spielberg: Ireland

This director created the most legendary stories - it’s probably not so easy to impress him. Judging by the fact that he loves Ireland, this region is quite capable of conquering even discerning billionaires. Spielberg visited all over the country. He enjoyed music in pubs, eating fish and chips and cycling.
According to him, such a vacation changed his whole life. It is worth noting that a tour of Ireland is quite budget-friendly, so many people can repeat the celebrity’s route.

Oprah Winfrey: Fiji

One of the most successful female billionaires prefers to vacation on the island of Fiji.
Calm sea, tropical landscape, beautiful beaches and exclusive hotels - this place is simply ideal for a vacation for the rich.

Warren Buffett: Laguna Beach

Warren Buffett lives in a modest house in Omaha by billionaire standards, but sometimes splurges on a nice vacation.
For example, most often he goes to California, to the city of Laguna Beach. He went there even before this destination became extremely popular.

As you know, real estate increases in price year after year, which means its acquisition is an excellent investment in the future. Moreover, if it is not just some mansion with a view of the sea, but the whole island!

Many rich people today invest their millions in purchasing islands in various paradise corners of the planet. Indeed, in addition to the fact that the cost of the island will rise from year to year, you can also make good money on it by developing infrastructure and renting out places for recreation: hotels, villas, cottages, swimming pools, beaches and tennis courts.

In previous materials, we have already learned what cars successful people drive and what celebrities prefer to drink. Let's now see which islands are privately owned by the richest people on our planet.

Nicolas Cage

We have already written about this famous Hollywood actor and the financial problems he encountered at one time, due to which he had to sell some of his real estate. But it is unlikely that he will ever put up for auction his island in the Bahamas, located not far from Johnny Depp's island.

The island, purchased by Cage in 2006 for $3 million, is fully developed and has a hotel complex of 19 buildings, a marina and a runway for jets of wealthy guests.

Richard Branson

The owner of the huge Virgin conglomerate, worth more than $4 billion, owns Necker Island, one of the tropical British Virgin Islands, not far from Puerto Rico.

Interestingly, anyone can rent an island by paying $53,000 for every night of stay. This price includes not only accommodation, but also the services of 60 staff.

In addition, Branson is the owner of several other islands.

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp, one of the most famous Hollywood actors, did not stay away from the fashion trend - buying islands. Its island is called Little Holls Ponds Cay and is located among the islands of the Bahamas archipelago.

Before his divorce from Vanessa Paradis, Johnny loved spending time on his favorite island with his family.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Handsome DiCaprio purchased the island for $1.75 million, which is now being actively developed. It is known that the island will be supplied with electricity from solar panels, and in general this piece of paradise will be an example of an ecological resort.

Bill Gates

The creator of Microsoft did not become modest and acquired the most big Island off the coast of Belize (a state in Central America, adjacent to Mexico and Guatemala) in the waters Caribbean Sea.

The island is real paradise on earth: palm groves, virgin forests, clear sea and 365 sunny days a year. What else does a person need to meet old age with dignity?

David Copperfield

Performing the most mind-blowing tricks, during his creative career Copperfield managed not only to become the most famous illusionist of all time, but also a very wealthy man with a fortune of about 1 billion dollars.

So that the money would not lie idle, he acquired 4 islands in the Bahamas, the total area of which is about 700 acres (283 hectares). The islands are fully equipped and can offer a truly royal holiday.

Eddie Murphy

One of the highest paid actors on the planet did not stay away from the purchase of his own island and in 2007 purchased his island in the Bahamas for $15 million.

Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson in 2005 purchased the island of Mago, part of Fiji, for $15 million. This island is one of the largest private islands today (more than 2000 hectares). It is a piece of pristine tropical nature, among the lush greenery of which is located the villa of a famous actor.

Robbie Williams

The famous Hollywood actor Robin Williams, who plays sweet simpletons, turned out to be not so simple. As it turns out, he owns Pender Island, located in British Columbia (Canada).

Michael Schumacher

The famous racer and multiple Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher became the lucky owner of an island worth $7 million, given to him by the Prince of Dubai, who is a fan of his talent. Well, what can I say - lucky))

Athena Onassis-Rousselle

One of the most expensive private islands today is the island of Skorpios (Greece), purchased in 1963 by Aristotle Onassis for a completely ridiculous sum of 12 thousand dollars, today it is estimated at 200 million dollars.

The current owner of the island, Athena Onassis-Rousselle, is not against selling the island, but this is prevented by some conditions of the will of the wealthy ancestor from whom Athena inherited it. Most likely, the island of Skorpios will be rented out. At one time, Madonna, Armani and Roman Abramovich were eyeing the island.

When billionaires and millionaires already have absolutely everything their heart desires,
Now is the time to buy your own island.
I invite you to check out the 10 most interesting private islands in the world.
Note: for ease of perception, the area of the islands was measured in football fields.
The area of one football field is taken to be 10,800 square meters -
maximum permitted area according to FIFA standards.

Oracle Director's Hawaiian Paradise

Cost: $500–600 million
Area: 39,000 football fields
Usage: travel industry
Location: Hawaii (USA), Pacific Ocean
Oracle Corporation CEO Larry Ellison loves the good life. What is only $100 million worth?
invested in winning the America's Cup regatta, or the yacht " Rising Sun", which, according to rumors, was sold for $300 million.
Now Ellison appears to have broken the record by purchasing Lanai, one of the most expensive private islands in history.
(however, for a person with a fortune of $36 billion, this is mere pennies). The purchase price for 98% of the island has not been disclosed.
However, observers estimate the value of a piece of land with two prestigious resorts and golf courses at half a billion dollars.

"New Holland" by Roman Abramovich

Investment: $365 million
Area: 7 football fields
Use: development
Location: St. Petersburg
The artificial island of New Holland appeared between the Moika River in the era of Peter I after construction.
Until the 2000s, warehouses of the Leningradskaya naval base. In 2004, the Ministry of Defense transferred the island to the city,
two years later, the competition for reconstruction was won by the company of Shalva Chigirinsky and Igor Kesaev.
The partners planned to invest $1 billion in the island, but financial difficulties prevented their plans.
In the fall of 2010, Roman Abramovich’s company New Holland Development LLC won the repeat competition.
which pledged to invest 12 billion rubles ($365 million at current exchange rates) in reconstruction by 2017.
Investors are going to build museums on an area of 7.8 hectares, exhibition complexes, cultural centers,
and also restore the architectural appearance of “New Holland”. This island cannot be classified as Abramovich’s complete private property,
but still almost everything built by him will belong to his company. According to the terms of the agreement with the mayor's office,
after the project is completed, the developer will be required to transfer utility networks and two bridges to the island to the city.
The famous patron of contemporary art, Abramovich’s close friend Daria Zhukova, is taking an active part in the project.
whose name is also associated with the now defunct cultural center"Garage" and the renovated Gorky Park in Moscow.
Partly because of this, the media dubbed New Holland “the Mecca of St. Petersburg hipsters.”

Skorpios of the Greek Onassis clan
Cost: $125–200 million
Area: 12 football fields
Usage: owners leisure
Location: Ionian Sea, Greece
The Greek Aristotle Onassis can be called a trendsetter in the fashion for buying islands.
A wealthy shipowner purchased the island of Skorpios, just east of Lefkas, Greece, back in 1963.
Five years later, it became the site of the wedding of Onassis and Jacqueline Kennedy, the widow of the 35th US President John F. Kennedy.
The island is currently owned by the granddaughter of Greek tycoon Athena Onassis. According to rumors, the owner appears there quite rarely,
and the island itself is up for sale. Among potential buyers in different time were called the Emir of Qatar, Roman Abramovich,
Microsoft owner Bill Gates, singer Madonna and fashion designer Giorgio Armani. None of them, apparently, have bought Skorpios yet.
Which is not surprising: according to various sources, the cost of the island ranges from $125 million to $200 million.

Richard Branson's eco-friendly islands

Total purchase and investment cost: more than $120 million
Total area: 84 football fields
Usage: travel industry
Location: Mosquito and Necker Islands - British Virgin Islands, Caribbean Sea; Makepeace Island - Australia
Virgin founder Richard Branson, 61, bought his first island, Necker Island, when he was 28.
The island is currently open to visitors. In addition, there is the personal residence of Branson and his family.
In 2011, the extravagant entrepreneur’s villa, in which he had invested about $100 million by that time, burned down during a hurricane.
The owner treated the loss philosophically - as an opportunity to build a new one, even better than the previous one.
In 2003, Branson bought the tiny island of Makepeace in Australia, which is shaped like a heart.
Initially it was planned that Virgin employees would holiday there, but the island is now open to the general public
(for a company of 22 people, rent will cost up to $17,000 per night).
In 2007, the entrepreneur acquired Mosquito Island next to Necker, where he intended to develop an “eco-resort”
with 20 villas and a restaurant, which are powered exclusively by solar and wind energy.
The island became home to of the rarest kind lizards - dwarf geckos. The businessman also announced plans to bring lemurs there,
who languish in zoos for " mainland" - an initiative criticized by a number of environmentalists.

The Magical Islands of David Copperfield

Purchase price: $50–65 million
Total area: 187 football fields
Usage: travel industry

The richest illusionist on the planet, David Copperfield, bought four islands in the Exuma ridge in 2006.
The place of purchase was not chosen by chance: Copperfield claims that before the purchase he drew two lines,
connecting the locations of the four wonders of the world - the Pyramid of the Sun in Mexico, Egyptian pyramids in Giza,
Stonehenge and stone idols on Easter Island. And (lo and behold!) at the intersection of two lines was the prestigious Masha Kay resort,
where TV presenter Oprah Winfrey and singer Robin Williams once visited. On one of the islands, Copperfield discovered the “fountain of youth”
the waters of which, according to the owner’s words, are capable of bringing dried leaves and half-dead insects back to life.
Ravings of a madman? Publicity stunt? Check it out for yourself - renting an island will cost you about $400,000 a week.

Bill Gates Partner Island

Cost: $13.5 million
Area: 109 football fields
Usage: investment
Location: Washington State, USA
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes at $14 billion, bought Allan Island 20 years ago.
With all due respect to Allen's merits, it is worth noting that the island was named after the hero of the American navy,
and not an IT industry guru, as one might think. Currently, the island remains virtually undeveloped.
there's not even electricity there. Buying a piece of land in the middle of the sea is much easier than selling it.
Allen has been trying to get rid of the island's namesake since the mid-2000s, when it was put up for sale for $25 million.
The crisis has curbed the owner’s appetites: now they are asking for Allan twice as much – $13.5 million.

Mel Gibson Island

Purchase price: $15 million
Area: 2037 football fields

Location: Fiji Archipelago, Pacific Ocean
Hollywood actor Mel Gibson, known for his xenophobic statements, love of drinking and assault,
acquired Mango Island in 2005. Gibson bought one of the largest private islands in the world from the Japanese Tokyu Corporation.
Locals were against the deal, but no one took their opinions into account. Judging by satellite images in Google Maps,
most of The island is covered with forests and is not built up.

"Antarctica" by racing driver Schumacher

Cost: $7 million
Area: 2 football fields
Use: owner's leisure
Location: World Islands, Dubai
In October 2006, an era in the history of Formula 1 ended - the legendary racer Michael Schumacher ended his sports career.
Perhaps the most original gift he received was from the Crown Prince of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.
He presented Schumacher with an artificial island in the archipelago The World, the shape of which follows the map of the world. The island where the couple
Schumacherov is whileing away the days of his well-deserved retirement; on this map he is located in the Antarctic region. “You can only get to it by
boat or helicopter. Perhaps he will build a racing track there for karting,” the driver’s manager said right away
after receiving a valuable gift.

Johnny Depp's "Pirate" Island

Purchase price: $3.6 million
Area: 13 football fields
Use: owner's leisure
Location: Bahamas, Atlantic Ocean
Actor Johnny Depp bought the island of Little Halls Pond Cay after the first Pirates of the Caribbean (2003),
which have grossed more than $650 million worldwide. The island is located 60 miles south of Nassau and allows Depp to practice
favorite snorkeling (diving with a snorkel) away from the hustle and bustle of the world.

Leonardo DiCaprio's personal "beach"

Purchase price: $1.75 million
Area: 39 football fields
Use: development
Location: Belize, Caribbean Sea
Actor Leonard DiCaprio's name was made by his starring roles in "The Beach" and "Titanic", so his love for the sea is not surprising.
In 2005, DiCaprio earned enough to buy the island of Blackadore Cay. In 2007, the actor announced plans for the construction
there is an eco-friendly luxury hotel under the brand Four Seasons. Judging by information in open sources, the project
The “green hotel” remains unfinished; investments in it are estimated at $30 million.

Bonus: PayPal creator's libertarian islands

Investment: $1.25 million
Total area: unknown
Use: creating microstates
Location: neutral waters
The founder of PayPal, who once gave $500,000 to Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook team, Peter Thiel has always been distinguished by original ideas.
For example, the billionaire launched a project that helps talented school graduates start their own business without going through college.
Since 2008, Thiel has been funding the Seasteading Institute (“Institute of Marine Settlement”), which deals with the problem of creating
microstates for artificial islands living in accordance with the ideology of libertarianism. Platforms will be built
in areas of the world's oceans that do not fall under the jurisdiction of traditional states. The laws on these islands will be something like this:
no social support, maximally free construction legislation, no lower threshold wages And
minimal restrictions on carrying weapons. By 2050, “Sea Settlement” plans to recruit up to several million citizens,
which will require the construction of more than 40,000 platforms that can accommodate 270 residents.