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Celebrity Island OwnersDavid Copperfield, Musha Cay
Marlon Brando, Tetiaroa Atoll
Mel Gibson, Mago Island
Aristotle Onassis, Skorpios Island
Richard Branson, Necker Island
Malcolm Forbes, Laucala Island
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Usually renowned for making the Statue of Liberty disappear or flying over the Grand Canyon, David Copperfield's most recent trick is making $300,000
disappear for a week's worth of accommodation on his private island, Musha Cay. Copperfield purchased Musha Cay and the surrounding 3 islands in 2006 for
a sum of about $50,000,000. The three other islands that serve as a privacy buffer to Musha Cay aren't the only acquisition Copperfield claims to have
made with the purchase. He claims Musha Cay boasts a fountain of youth. Copperfield says, "You can take dead leaves, they come in contact with the
water, they become full of life again. ...Bugs or insects that are near death, come in contact with the water, they'll fly away. It's an amazing thing,
very, very exciting." Musha Cay weighs in as the most expensive private island to rent. Makes you wonder if Copperfield is a master magician or
master marketer. 
At 42, Marlon Brando seemed to have it all. He was a screen legend, had a beautiful Tahitian lover and co-star, and he was the new ruler of the
Tetiaroa atoll, having purchased a 90 year lease. Marlon Brando fell in love with the Tetiaroa atoll, 26 miles north of Tahiti, while filming Mutiny
on the Bounty in French Polynesia during the early 1960s. The 13 islands are mostly uninhabited in recent times. Brando
lived on his property on and off until 1990, when he was beset by personal and financial difficulties. At various times he talked of plans to develop
a resort on the island, but the enormous costs involved made it financially impossible for him to carry through on his ideas. Current plans for the
island include a luxury eco-resort slated to open in 2008 on Motu Onetahi called "The Brando". Some claim that this post humus branding
of the hotel is quite contrary to the late Brando's wishes. 
Seemingly plagued by controversy at every turn, Mel Gibson's purchase of the large Fijian island of Mago in 2005 is no exception. The actor bought
the island from a Japanese corporation, but locals claim the sale wasn't valid because their ancestors were evicted from Mago Island in the 19th century.
The Fijian government has no plans to become involved because the island is freehold property; the transaction was simply between a buyer and a seller, approved
by the Land Minister. In Fiji, indigenous landholding is a controversial issue, having inspired many coups to date. Some feel the claim is merely an
attempt to extort money after locals heard about the huge sum of money being exchanged. Other locals claim that Gibson has been nothing but kind to
the locals, employing them on Mago Island. 
Up most mornings by 5.30 am, driven fun loving Branson starts work from his hammock, notebook in hand, cell phone in lap, West Indies breezes
blowing through his Balinese villa on Necker Island. When Richard Branson was 24 years old, he took a trip to the Virgin Islands, having heard that potential island buyers would be treated like royalty. Brokers learned he was not (yet) royalty when Branson made a lowball offer of £200,000
for Necker Island. He was no longer taken seriously, but later, the owner of Necker, Lord Cobham accepted the offer, with the government stipulating
that the island was developed within 5 years of purchase. The rest is history and Necker Island now regularly plays host to American royalty like
Oprah and Bill Gates.