The island currently is owned by Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin brand. The island acts like a resort, able to hold up to 28 guests at a time, while still holding the feeling of being one's own private island.
Many years before it was built up into a luxury property, two reporters once spent two weeks on the island in 1965, describing it as "... inhabited by snakes, scorpions and tarantulas (…) The mosquitos and other insects were more venomous and persistent than any I had encountered in Vietnam or the Congo." - Don McCullin
Clearly that's not the sort of real estate a luxury property would want to be associated with, and the fact that Richard Branson was able to turn the island into such a stunning resort was quite impressive, and one of the main reasons that I find this place so fascinating. He was able to purchase the island itself in 1979 for £175,000, totally undeveloped. He spent approximately $10 million developing the island, and the result was tremendous. The main building, a Balinese-style villa crowning a hill above the beach, has 10 bedrooms, each of which has open walls giving a 360 degree view of the surrounding island and ocean. Exotic hardwood from Brazil, local stone, Asian antiques and Indian rugs, Branson made the island a getaway fit for the rockstars who had signed with his record label.
Now the island resort is staffed by 60 and is ready and waiting for you, as long as you're fine paying $53,000 a day. If that's not an issue, I'd suggest taking the next flight to the island.
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