Numerous celebrities have acquired private islands, crafting secluded retreats where they can escape the watchful gaze of the public. Below is an overview of a few of these luxurious hideaways:
1. Johnny Depp, Little Halls Pond
As the star in all the Pirates of the Caribbean films, it should almost be expected that Johnny Depp purchased his own 45-acre private island in 2004 for $3.6 million. In 2009, Depp told Vanity Fair, “I don’t think I’d ever seen any place so pure and beautiful. You can feel your pulse rate drop by about 20 beats. It’s instant freedom.”
2. Larry Page, Eustacia Island
Larry Page, one of the co-founders of everyone’s favorite search engine, Google, purchased an island part of the British Virgin Islands territories. With several luxurious villas, clean waters and coastlines, healthy reefs, and a large solar panel array to power all his electrical needs, it’s no wonder Page considers this island to be one of his favorite places.
3. Tyler Perry—White Bay Cay
Tyler Perry, best known for his portrayal of the character Madea, purchased this Bahaman White Cay Bay property in 2009 for an undisclosed amount. Perry also plans to renovate a nearby island that he owns as well. A marina, tennis court, spa, and bungalows for guests are in the works.
4. Dean Kamen, North Dumplin
Dean Kamen is a man whose company name precedes him. Kamen is the inventor of the Segway. While his gyroscope, a two-wheeled personal transport device, never really took off, he still earned a boatload of cash from it. Guests are expected to call Kamen “Lord Dumpling” if they are to stay on his $2.5 million, two-acre home off the coast of New York.
5. Dana Ross—The Tahitian Island
Together with her ex-husband, Arne Naess Jr., she bought this Tahitian residence after a honeymoon in another house in the immediate vicinity. In 2019, her net worth was $250 million. While the couple split in 2000, Ross had plenty of money to purchase several new islands.
6. Lenny Kravitz, Eleuthera Archipelago
Musician and actor Lenny Kravitz is the owner of a private island in the Eleuthera Archipelago of the Bahamas. The island itself does not have a single home built on it and instead, a single trailer. In fact, the only formal piece of construction on the island is a music studio. When Kravitz misses the finer things and comfort of a real home, he simply boats over to the large island of Eleuthera, where he owns one.
7. The Barclay Brothers—Brecqhou
Dave and Frederick, the British Barclay twins, are major real estate investors. Back in 1993, they purchased Brecqhou island, now worth $4.3 million. However, the island lies in the power of Sark (part of the Channel Islands off the coast of Normandy, France) and does not allow the use of helicopters and automobiles. They’re fighting for freedom for the power to ensure they can travel to their island in luxury.
8. Leonardo DiCaprio, Blackadore Cay, Belize
Because of its close proximity to the Belize Barrier Reef, Leonardo DiCaprio dropped $1.2 million on his Blackadore Cay island back in 2006. Off the coast of the Caribbean Sea, the home is now worth $3.6 million. He plans to open an eco-resort shortly that’s been in development for years.
9. Julia Roberts, The Bahamas
Julia Roberts seems to have a hard time keeping secrets. Roberts accidentally let it slip that she owns a private island in the Bahamas, although the price, location, and amenities haven’t been made public. So it’s safe to say she’s trying to keep this one as secret as possible.
10. Louis Bacon—Robins Island
While Louis Bacon is certainly not a household name, his net worth surely holds its own on Wall Street. This American investor and hedge fund manager is worth an estimated $1.7 billion. In 1993, Bacon purchased Robins Island, off the coast of Long Island, for $11 million. Rather than commercialize the property as you might expect a banker to do, he declared it to be a project for conversation. He seeks to maintain its coasts, waterways, and natural landscape.
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