Some billionaires don’t just buy mega-yachts, estates, or even sprawling ranches. They go further and acquire entire islands – chunks of land in the middle of the ocean that become private kingdoms. While the rest of us book a week at a seaside Airbnb, the richest people on earth can own the actual shoreline.
A map designed by Madevisual.co, using information from Forbes, Bloomberg, and Wikipedia, lines up several of these privately owned islands. Seeing them next to each other shows just how much variety there is, from Lāna‘i in Hawaii – a full-fledged inhabited island – to smaller Caribbean specks transformed into luxury retreats.
Island Name
Country / Region
Area (km²) / (mi²)
Owner
Purchase Price & Year
Lāna‘i
USA (Hawaii)
~365 km² / ~141 mi²
Larry Ellison (Oracle co-founder)
~$300 million in 2012
Pelorus & Orpheus Islands
Australia
~4 km² / ~1.5 mi²
Chris Morris (booze and pokies tycoon)
Acquired in 2017
Laucala
Fiji
~14 km² / ~5.4 mi²
Dietrich Mateschitz (Red Bull co-founder)
~$10 million in 2003
Dunk Island
Australia
~10 km² / ~3.9 mi²
Mike & Annie Cannon-Brookes (Atlassian founders)
~$24 million in 2022
Hans Lollik, Cayo Norte, Eustatia, Tavarua
USVI / Puerto Rico / BVI / Fiji
~3.85 km² / ~1.5 mi² combined
Larry Page (Google co-founder)
~$55 million (2014–2018, estimates)
Musha Cay & nearby islets
Bahamas
~2.8 km² / ~1.1 mi²
David Copperfield (illusionist)
~$50 million in 2006
Bell Island
Bahamas
~1.4 km² / ~0.55 mi²
Aga Khan IV (religious leader & philanthropist)
~$100 million in 2009
Great St. James & Little St. James
US Virgin Islands
~0.95 km² / ~0.37 mi²
Stephen Deckoff (financier; formerly Jeffrey Epstein’s properties)
~$60 million in 2023
Necker & Moskito
British Virgin Islands
~0.3 km² / ~0.12 mi² (Necker)
Richard Branson (Virgin Group founder)
Necker bought 1979 (~$180k), Moskito ~2007; total ~$10 million
What’s fascinating is how differently these islands are used. Larry Ellison didn’t just buy Lāna‘i for vacations – he turned it into a testbed for sustainability projects and eco-tourism, while still controlling much of the island’s development. Richard Branson uses Necker as both a private retreat and a luxury resort where paying guests can rent the island for tens of thousands per night. Dietrich Mateschitz turned Fiji’s Laucala into one of the most exclusive resorts in the Pacific, with golf courses and villas that rent for more than most homes cost.
Others keep things more personal. David Copperfield’s Musha Cay in the Bahamas is famous for hosting celebrities and friends in near-total privacy. Chris Morris, who made his billions from liquor and casinos, uses Pelorus and Orpheus Islands as tropical escapes. The Cannon-Brookes couple bought Dunk Island with a mix of leisure and redevelopment in mind, and Larry Page has quietly accumulated a grab-bag of islands scattered across the Caribbean and Pacific – less about resorts, more about private retreats.
Even among billionaires, the motives vary: some see their island as a business venture, others as a family hideaway, and a few as both. And prices don’t always match size – Bell Island, barely over a square kilometer, cost more than the much larger Laucala. It’s a reminder that exclusivity, location, and prestige often matter more than raw acreage.
