6 Celebrities Who Own Private Islands

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It all started in 1967. That was the year Marlon Brando bought a private island to call his own: Tetiaroa, a French Polynesian atoll about 30 miles north of Tahiti made up of 12 small islets strung around a lagoon. The actor had fallen in love with the serene spot, for which he paid a reported $200,000 (or about $1.89 million in today’s dollars, adjusted for inflation), while on location for his 1962 film Mutiny on the Bounty. “If I’ve ever come close to finding genuine peace, it was on my island,” Brando wrote in his autobiography. The actor envisioned the development of an eco-friendly resort on Tetiaroa—a dream that was posthumously realized in 2014, when The Brando officially opened for business, eventually drawing the likes of Beyoncé and President Obama.

Nearly six decades later, the precedent set by Brando continues to have its allure. Seeking a peaceful spot outside the reach of prying eyes and paparazzi, the rich and famous continue to follow in his footsteps, dropping millions to acquire their own private island paradise. Below, we’ve rounded up a few of the celebs who have done just that.

Tyler Perry

Media mogul Tyler Perry celebrated his 40th birthday in 2009 by splurging on some land in the Bahamas: the 25-acre White Bay Cay and a nearby seven-acre island. The larger of the pair was listed for a reported $7 million, though the total that the filmmaker paid for the two parcels is unknown. “There was nothing there when I bought [White Bay Cay],” Perry told AD. “I had to bring in the water and electricity—even my own palm trees from Miami.”

Ricky Martin

According to People, Ricky Martin bought a Brazilian island in 2008 called Ilha do Maia. The King of Latin Pop paid $8 million for the nearly 20-acre plot, Forbes reported. Located about two hours from Rio de Janeiro, the compound reportedly has 12 cannons and watchtowers guarding a Portuguese colonial–style villa equipped with a party room.

David Copperfield

In 2006, magician David Copperfield shelled out $50 million for the deed to Musha Cay, an archipelago of 11 islands in the Bahamas, spanning a whopping 700 acres. Starting at $57,000 a night, guests can rent out the entire property, which boasts five luxe villas. “Everything truly magical that I’ve ever experienced, everything that has created wonder for me, we’re recreating here at Musha Cay,” reads a statement from Copperfield on the website. Some of those “magical experiences” available on the island reportedly include a pirate-themed treasure hunt, dining in a “secret village” accessed via a hidden statue, a full-scale movie theater on the beach, and a $25,000 fireworks package.

Leonardo DiCaprio

A scuba diving trip to the coral reefs in Belize inspired Leonardo DiCaprio to buy Blackadore Caye, an island off the coast of the Central American country. The Killers of the Flower Moon actor spent $1.75 million on the 104-acre property in 2005. Like Brando, DiCaprio planned to build an eco-resort on the undeveloped island, but (pardon our pun) the project’s development hasn’t exactly gone swimmingly. The resort was originally scheduled for completion in 2018, but repeated delays and redesigns prompted by activists concerned with the development’s ecological impact have slowed construction, which seemingly has yet to begin. “Plans for Blackadore Caye will only move forward if they meet the most rigorous environmental and ecological standards,” a representative told The Sun in 2021.

Bear Grylls

Man vs. Wild star Bear Grylls has owned St. Tudwal’s West, a 20-acre island off the coast of Wales, since 2001. The survival expert paid a reported $120,700 (£95,000) for the property, which has no electricity or running water. However, it does have “a little lighthouse beside our house and is surrounded by amazing sea cliffs, seals, and dolphins. It is my favorite place on the planet,” Grylls told Vanity Fair in 2012. The home is an old cottage built to house the keeper of the lighthouse, which was built in 1877. “It’s as tough as you get, with two-foot-thick old limestone walls that make it cool in summer and warm in winter. But when those gales come in, you can still feel it almost shake, and sea spray reaches the windows despite the 150-foot elevation,” the British adventurer said of the rustic abode.

Richard Branson

In 1979, Virgin Group cofounder Sir Richard Branson paid $120,000 for Necker Island, a 74-acre landmass in the British Virgin Islands. Over the next three years, he spent a reported $10 million turning the island into a luxury vacation destination where the Obamas, Princess Diana, and Mariah Carey have all stayed. Four Balinese-style villas on the premises—which can be rented as a whole or individually—can accommodate up to 48 adults. The entrepreneur also has a private home on the island, where he reportedly spends much of his time. In 2007, Branson bought the nearby Moskito Island for about $12.7 million. An 11-bedroom estate on the 125-acre Caribbean island is also available for rent.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

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