Worth: $10 MillionRed Bull billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz’s island is one of the world’s most luxurious vacation spots for the rich and famous. Laucala Island is home to an incredible resort, which includes 25 private villas built into a cliff-side and overlooking the beautiful, blue water, along with a full-service bar, stocked with all of the best spirits and plenty of Red Bull. One of the cliff-side villas actually makes it possible for its guests to jump directly from the balcony into the ocean below. The billionaire has his own private home on the property as well. 400 staff members stick around to maintain the tropical paradise for up to 80 guests at any given time.
The glass sided swimming pool is a hot spot for celebrity Instagram photos, and the resort has attracted such high-profile guests as Oprah Winfrey and Elle Macpherson. And the island doesn’t lack fun and exciting activities for its guests, either. You can call up a private, beach-side yoga lesson, or ride a horse through the white sands. Ready for a round of golf? Hit up the 18-hole course before dinner, compliments of your highly skilled private chef.
John Malone - Sampson Cay, Bahamas
Worth: Undisclosed AmountTelecommunications billionaire John Malone actually owns more land than any other single person in the entire world. Malone owns more than 2.2 million acres of land in the United States alone, and a 31-acre island in the Exumas' Sampson Cay. The tech mogul opened an exclusive resort on the property, including five vacation villas, a marina, and a full-service restaurant. In 2013, however, Malone announced he’d be closing the resort to the public and using it privately for his friends and family from then on out.
Locals were pretty upset about Malone’s decision, as the resort had become a haven for fishing guides and tour guides, as well as the two dozen employees who worked there on a regular basis. Going private meant that all of those employees lost their jobs and saw a major reduction in workflow (for the guides.) But, in the end, it is a privately-owned island, and if Malone wants to enjoy it with his loved ones, he should be able to do so without contending with vacationing guests.
Rudolf Nureyev - Il Gallo Lungo, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Worth: $2.4 MillionThe late ballet phenomenon purchased Li Galli Island on the Amalfi coast of Italy in 1980. It is commonly referred to as “the dance island,” due to its history of ownership. The island, which is shaped like a jumping dolphin, includes a large mansion which Nureyev himself used to live in, but was actually built by the former owner of the island – another Russian dancer named Léonide Messine.
Nureyev passed away from AIDS in 1992, long before he saw his dream of opening a ballet school on the island come to fruition. Today, the three-bedroom mansion is rented out by the week for around 150,000 euros. The stay includes swimming in the incredible saltwater infinity pool built into the cliff-side. Boaters in the area typically hang around and look longingly at the shores, dreaming about spending the night in the exclusive villa, and, do you blame them?
Eddie Murphy - Long Cay, Bahamas
Worth: $15 MillionFunnyman Eddie Murphy is no stranger to owning land in the Bahamas. But in 2007, he outdid himself by throwing down $15 million on Rooster Cay near Nassau. As Murphy is a very private person, there isn’t too much known about what he’s doing with the island, other than using it as a private vacation resort.
The island is in one of the most desirable areas of the Bahamas and is in the perfect location for a tropical paradise. A large home sits at the center of the island, and is surrounded by white sands and crystal clear, blue waters. Visitors in the area tend to take boat trips in the direct vicinity to the island, since it’s in a great scuba and snorkeling zone with plenty of coral reefs and colorful sea critters.
Lenny Kravitz - Eleuthera, Bahamas
Worth: Undisclosed AmountLenny Kravitz’s family roots can be traced back to the same area where he now owns land – the beautiful Bahamas. In fact, one of the rock legend’s biggest hits, “Fly Away,” was written about the Bahamas in the Bahamas. Although the singer grew up in New York City, his grandparents lived in the tropical paradise, and he used to go visit when he was younger. He said that it was a “whole other world” to be able to pick mangoes and go to the beach, rather than live in the “concrete jungle.”
In a recent music video, Kravitz’s daughter, Zoë, appeared with her father, strolling down the street of the island rolling suitcases behind them. The street, it turns out, that was the same one that Lenny had spent so much time on as a child visiting his grandpa. Now, he lives in a villa on the island of Eleuthera, but he also owns a smaller island in the vicinity. His private island is undeveloped, and he stays in a trailer when he makes the trip out there.