10 Richest Private Island Owners

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Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich spent $400 million on buying New Holland Island, a collapsing ex-military base in a St. Petersburg canal. He intends to transform the island into a cultural center. The bid to run the island was won by Abramovich and is the latest of Abramovich's lavish spending sprees. The newly formed company will now invite architects to bid for the contract to transform the 18-acre island, which will take about six years to complete. New Holland island was created in the 18th century through the construction of two canals and gains it name from its resemblance to areas of Amsterdam. Bornrich.com 

  10 Richest Private Island Owners -- The Richest 

There’s nothing like owning an island to tell the world you’ve made it – that you are, in fact, wildly successful. Owning an island used to be more mysterious and less publicised than it is nowadays. Billionaires have always been secretly running off and buying remote pieces of property for their own delights, but then Hollywood got on the bandwagon and now almost every star owns a private getaway somewhere. Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp are just a few well known island owners, and although they didn’t make the list of richest islands, they sure make owning an island look cool, and have contributed to the popularity of the island as a status symbol.

We might all dream about what we’d do with our very own private annex; would we open it up to world, make it a party spot, or keep it a well-preserved secret tucked away from the world? Have a look at what these 10 wealthy people did with theirs; we’ve ranked them by the huge costs of their islands, which typically correlates with huge net worths.

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My Comment: It is all about location .... and this location (New Holland Island) is in one of the best spots in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Update: Here is another great list of islands.

Are Private Islands Going Out Of Fashion?

Boat required: For those who want to get away from everyone, Jonathan Island is one of 600 islands up for sale around the world

Are Private Islands Going Out Of Fashion? The Elite Flee Their Luxury Isles As Owners Find Trouble In Paradise (And These Homes Have Sat On The Market For Months) -- Daily Mail

600 islands on the market around the world - ranging in price from $50,000 - $100 million
Petra Island in New York, which has property designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, available for undisclosed sum

With white sandy beaches, crystal-clear waters and unadulterated solitude, a private island is most people's vision of paradise.

But all may not be as it seems as a number of private islands languish on the market and experts warn that some buyers are realizing that the hassle of living on one is more than it is worth.

There are now 600 islands up for sale around the world, according to experts, from the Caribbean to the chillier waters of northern Scotland, ranging in price from $50,000 to $100 million. The number of isles on the market has jumped three-fold since 2006.

A number of stunning island properties have also been on the market for some time.

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My Comment: I would love the privacy .... but I guess for some it is too much of a sacrifice.

The World's Most Expensive Private Islands (For Rent)

Nautilus Island. Maine, USA

Size: 38 acres
Prices: from £10,035 per week
Notable features: century-old buildings, paintings by local artists, tennis court, vineyard, hire of boathouse and boat captain included, lobster-filled waters.

Editor: The photo gallery starts here.

Buy A Greek Island

In your dreams: it's unlikely that Crete will ever come up for sale, but some of Greece's islands are tempting buyers

Splash Out On A Greek Island -- The Telegraph

With the Greek economy in dire straits, now could be the time to buy your own fantasy island.

The isles of Greece, the isles of Greece!” When Lord Byron wrote his poem pining for this history-saturated archipelago, Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire. It is an independent country today, but with the economy crippled by debt, outsiders are once more casting a covetous eye over its islands, which number more than 6,000.

Collectively, they form an odd piece of real estate, containing everything from rocky outcrops, home to a few goats and an olive tree, to world-renowned holiday resorts such as Crete and Rhodes. But they are blessed with an ancient mystique that never palls.

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Fantasy Private Islands For Sale (Photo Gallery)

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White Island in St Vincent and the Grenadines is an undeveloped 10-acre sanctuary with excellent diving and fishing opportunities – plus, if you fancy it, a really big rock to climb. You'll have to build yourself a house, but permission for one residence has already been granted. From: Private Islands. Guide price: around £2.8 million. Picture: Private Islands

The Editor: The photo gallery starts here.