There is no well-supported list of eight current billionaires who own private islands. The documented examples instead include an inhabited Hawaiian island largely held by entities controlled by Larry Ellison, private-stay resorts, individually owned homes on a shared island, and celebrity properties whose present ownership is not established. Those distinctions matter: owning most of an island is not the same as owning a home or operating a resort on one.
What counts as a “private island”?
The phrase can describe very different arrangements. An owner may hold most of an inhabited island’s land, own an uninhabited island, operate a resort on an island, or own a house within a private-island community. It does not necessarily mean owning every acre, controlling public access, or owning the surrounding waters.
The examples below are limited to properties for which the cited sources provide meaningful evidence. They are not a verified ranking of eight billionaires: the available records do not establish eight people who are both billionaires and current private-island owners.
Lānaʻi: Larry Ellison’s island-scale holdings
Lānaʻi is an inhabited Hawaiian island, not simply a secluded holiday property. Hawaiʻi’s Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism wrote in its 2025 report, Hawai‘i Property Ownership Trends 2025: “With the exception of just over 800 acres of government land, Lanai is entirely owned by entities controlled by a single investor, Larry Ellison.” The wording is precise: the report attributes ownership to Ellison-controlled entities, while recognizing government land.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
- By Enrico Bernardo (Author)
- 296 Pages
- Over 200 Illustrations
- Hardcover
- Imported
The same report says large-scale private landholders—defined in its analysis as private owners with holdings of at least 1,000 acres—account for 33.2% of statewide acreage. That figure describes the category as a whole, not Ellison’s share and not one owner’s share of Hawaiʻi.
Ellison’s holdings make Lānaʻi the strongest island-scale example in this group, but the island is also home to residents and an economy shaped by land ownership and tourism. Bloomberg’s 2022 reporting examines local concerns and the effects of Ellison’s plans; its account is a useful counterweight to the image of an island as a billionaire’s private playground: Bloomberg’s report on Ellison and Lānaʻi.
Kauaʻi: Mark Zuckerberg owns land, not the island
Mark Zuckerberg’s Hawaiian properties are on Kauaʻi. WIRED reported an initial 700-acre purchase in 2014 and subsequent additions, describing a ranch and compound—not ownership of Kauaʻi itself. Its 2025 report also covers disputes involving kuleana land rights and community questions about the development: WIRED’s account of the Kauaʻi compound.
Kuleana lands are associated with longstanding Native Hawaiian land rights. The existence of lawsuits and local debate is part of the story; acreage alone does not explain the history or legal interests involved. The reported purchases should therefore be described as substantial private landholdings on an island, not as a private island.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteRank #3
- By Dan Rattiner (Author)
- 312 Pages
- Over 200 Illustrations
- Linen Hardcover
- Imported
Necker Island: Richard Branson’s home and guest property
Necker Island is in the British Virgin Islands. Virgin Limited Edition describes it as “home to Sir Richard Branson” and operates it as an all-inclusive private-island stay. The company’s property page says its main accommodation sleeps up to 48 guests; with additional rooms, capacity can extend to 56 guests plus 14 children. These are operator-published figures and can change: Virgin Limited Edition’s Necker Island page.
This is a clearer private-island retreat example than a large landholding on an inhabited island, but the source is the property operator. Its description establishes how the property is presented and used, rather than serving as an independent title-record search.
Moskito Island: a private community, not one owner’s island home
Also in the British Virgin Islands, Moskito Island has a different ownership model. Its official FAQ says Branson acquired the island in 2007 and invited founding homeowners. The current description presents four estates for exclusive private stays among individually owned homes. In other words, it is a community of private homes and guest accommodations, not simply a single billionaire’s island residence: Moskito Island’s official FAQ.
Musha Cay: David Copperfield’s resort property
The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism’s 2024 hotel directory identifies David Copperfield as the owner of Musha Cay and the Islands of Copperfield Bay, classifying the property as a private island and listing a 12-room luxury resort. This is current, dated government-directory evidence for the resort classification and named owner; it does not establish an unchanging room count or booking conditions: The Bahamas’ 2024 hotel directory.
Best Value
Little Hall’s Pond Cay: a historical celebrity-island report
Forbes reported in a 2012 profile that Johnny Depp had bought Little Hall’s Pond Cay in 2004 and described the property as 45 acres. That article documents a reported historical purchase; it does not prove Depp owns it today or establish his current billionaire status. It belongs in a history of celebrity island ownership, not a confirmed list of current billionaire island owners: Forbes’ 2012 profile of Little Hall’s Pond Cay.
How these properties compare
| Property | What the evidence establishes | Location and use | Evidence date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lānaʻi — Larry Ellison-controlled entities | Nearly all land, except just over 800 acres of government land, is held by entities controlled by Ellison, according to the state report. | Inhabited Hawaiian island; landholding and tourism context. | Hawaiʻi state report, 2025. |
| Kauaʻi — Mark Zuckerberg | Reported acreage purchases and a ranch/compound; not ownership of Kauaʻi. | Hawaiʻi; private land and compound. | WIRED report, 2025; initial purchase reported as 2014. |
| Necker Island — Richard Branson | Operator describes it as Branson’s home and an all-inclusive private-island stay. | British Virgin Islands; home and guest accommodation. | Official operator page accessed 2026-10-08. |
| Moskito Island — Branson and individual homeowners | FAQ describes individually owned homes and four estates available for exclusive stays. | British Virgin Islands; homeowner community and private stays. | Official FAQ accessed 2026-10-08; acquisition stated as 2007. |
| Musha Cay — David Copperfield | Bahamas tourism directory names Copperfield as owner and lists a 12-room resort. | Bahamas; luxury private-island resort. | Government directory, 2024. |
| Little Hall’s Pond Cay — Johnny Depp | Forbes reported a 45-acre property and a 2004 purchase; present ownership is not established. | Bahamas; historical celebrity-property report. | Forbes profile, 2012. |
Why the “eight billionaires” count does not hold up
The documented examples do not support the title’s exact count as a factual roster. Some concern billionaires’ land on larger inhabited islands, some concern resort operations or communities with multiple homeowners, and one is a historical purchase without proof of current ownership. The cited evidence also does not verify current billionaire status for every named celebrity-owner. Calling all of them “billionaires with private islands” would collapse materially different forms of ownership and overstate what is known.
A more accurate takeaway is that extreme island property can mean control of most land on an inhabited island, a private resort, a shared island with separately owned homes, or a reported celebrity purchase from years ago. The label alone does not tell readers who holds title, who lives there, or whether the reported owner still does.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →
