It has been revealed that Larry Page secretly owns at least four private islands, including one next to Richard Branson’s Necker.
The Google co-founder has three paradise rigs in the Caribbean and one in the South Pacific, according to legal documents.
They include Hans Lollik, the smaller neighboring island of Little Hans Lollik, Eustatia Island 40 miles to the east, and Tavarua Island in Fiji. Business Insider reports.
It comes after the billionaire previously pledged to test wacky new tech ideas in what he called “safe places.”
Google co-founder Larry Page has been revealed to own at least four private islands that are speculated to be “safe” testing grounds for wacky tech ideas.
They include Hans Lollik Islands (pictured) and Little Hans Lollik which he purchased in 2014
According to legal documents, Page bought Hans Lollik and its smaller neighboring island, Little Hans Lollik, in 2014 for $23 million.
The publication claims that an investigation into Page and fellow co-founder Sergey Brin revealed that he has been quietly acquiring the network of islands around the world.
Just under 40 miles east of Lolliks is the 36-acre Eustatia Island, and according to documents obtained in 2020, Page added Tavarua Island, in the Mamanuca region of Fiji.
Page’s Eustatia Island estate, which sits right next to billionaire Richard Branson’s Necker Island, has been an open secret among locals for many years.
But unlike the Virgin Group founder, Page never publicly acknowledged that it was his.
The Hans Lollik Islands are home to a dense and diverse coral habitat and boast stunning views and cliffs, palm forests and crystal clear waters.
Little Hans Lollik is said to have magnificent cotton candy white sand beaches and stunning views of the island.
After Page bought the Hans Lollik Islands eight years ago, a legal battle broke out between the seller and a property developer named James Eckel.
Eckel claimed to have a deal to buy the island, but a judge ruled against him, the legal case is still ongoing in the Virgin Islands.
Page purchased the islands from Liberty Bankers Life Insurance Company through a limited liability company called Virgin Island Properties LLC.
The negotiations were led by Wayne Osborne, chief executive of Page’s family office, Koop, who was ousted in 2017 as part of the years-long legal battle over the islands.
Transcripts obtained by Business Insider revealed that Page’s identity was withheld from the seller of the island during the negotiation process, reflecting his desire to keep his life private.
While Page’s family office eventually purchased the islands outright, Osborne’s statement revealed that there were discussions about purchasing the corporation that owns the islands in hopes of reducing taxes incurred.
Ownership of the Hans Lollik Islands (pictured) came to light amid a legal battle over the island.
In 2020, Page added another island to his collection, the heart-shaped Tavarua Island in Fiji’s Mamanuca Archipelago (pictured)
Just under 40 miles east of Lolliks is the 36-acre Eustatia Island (pictured), and according to documents obtained in 2020, Page added Tavarua Island, in Fiji’s Mamanuca region.
“I think there is an issue where you don’t have to pay stamp duty if you buy the corporation,” Osborne said, according to the transcript.
Only one piece of correspondence to Osborne is mentioned, which simply says, ‘please proceed…thank you’ from Page in the statement.
It’s unclear what the world’s sixth-richest person with a net worth of $117 billion hopes to do with the Hans Lollik Islands, but the largest island has personal significance.
In the statement, Osborne suggested that Page had proposed to his wife, Lucinda Southworth, and then married the research scientist there on Branson’s Necker Island in 2007.
During the deposition, Osborne confirmed that, as of March 2014, Eustatia was the only other island Page owned. It is not clear if he possesses others beyond those identified above.
An email referenced during Osborne’s 2017 deposition reveals that Page was looking to buy Cayo Norte, Puerto Rico’s largest private island, before acquiring the Hans Lollik Islands.
It is speculated that Page’s private island collection reflects comments he has made in the past about building “safe places” for technologists to test ideas without having to deploy them in public.
Employees of his now-defunct flying car company, Kittyhawk, tested vehicles on Page’s Eustatia Island, joking at the time that “Larry just wanted a flying car to get from his yacht to his private island.”
The billionaire applied for special permission to fly to New Zealand with his son, who is around 12 years old. His wife stayed in Tavarua with her other son.
In 2020, Page added another island to his collection, the heart-shaped Tavarua Island in Fiji’s Mamanuca Archipelago.
Tavarua has white sand beaches and is surrounded by a coral reef with a luxurious resort that offers its visitors surfing, sport fishing, diving, snorkeling and kayaking.
The island is a surfer’s dream with seven surf breaks, including Cloudbreak, famous for generating waves up to 20 feet high.
Page bought a stake in the parent company that has a 99-year lease on the island, Aquarius Tours Ltd, documents obtained by Business Insider show.
He later bought more shares to take a 51 percent controlling stake.
Page entered Tavarua in 2020 at the height of the pandemic using a special initiative that allowed superyachts to circumvent Fiji’s COVID travel restrictions.
He spent several months there and on the surrounding islands with his family.
At the time, Fijian health officials lobbied a television network to run a story about him donating COVID-19 medical supplies to the country, as the tech titan went to great lengths to avoid the public.
Page, 48, has grown reclusive in recent years, avoiding being photographed except for a few times since stepping down as chief executive of Google parent Alphabet Inc. in 2019.
During the pandemic it was reported that the billionaire’s wealth allowed him to enter Fiji even as the country closed its borders to traditional travelers.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern faced backlash for allowing Page and her son to enter while strict border controls were in place.
Fiji’s ‘Blue Lane’ initiative allowed the super-rich to visit the archipelago on their superyachts and private jets, even when other travelers were banned.
“Superyachts are welcomed with open arms for which the access procedures are easier, while for sailboats like ours it is not easy,” Lorenzo Cipriani wrote on his blog.
“The government is launching a welcome campaign for those who have a lot of money to spend and are waiting for the arrival of hundreds of luxury yachts.”
The couple is very private and has not revealed the names of their two children who were born in 2009 and 2011.
While living on the island during the pandemic, Page was allowed into New Zealand despite its closed border so her son could receive urgent medical attention.
The billionaire applied for special permission to fly to New Zealand with his son, who is around 12 years old.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern faced backlash for allowing Page and the boy to enter while strict border controls were in place to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Ardern denied any knowledge of the 2,600-mile round trip that outraged New Zealanders living abroad who were unable to see their families for months.
The country’s immigration chief, Kris Faafoi, told reporters that Page had applied for a waiver “to ensure that his son received the treatment that was required.”
Page does not appear to have been accompanied by his shy wife Southworth or their other son, who is around 10 years old.