British billionaire breaks silence on how he bought £100m Caribbean island

British billionaire Sir Richard Branson has shared the remarkable story of how he bought one of the most exclusive islands in the Caribbean, and it all started as a way to impress a girl. Back in 1978, Sir Richard was just 28 years old and running Virgin Records when he heard about an island that happened to share a name with his company.

"To be honest with you, I had never heard of the 'Virgin Islands'," he wrote in a blog. "I had no idea where they were located or that they were actually called the British Virgin Islands. But one Thursday in 1978, I was told that they existed and that I could potentially own one."

With hopes of winning over the woman he had fallen for, he called the estate agent and expressed interest, despite not having the money to buy it.

"We were still in the early days of Virgin Records, and I by no means had the cash to buy an island," he admitted.

But the agent didn't know that and invited him for an all-expenses-paid visit to the Caribbean.

"To my delight, the object of my affection agreed to join me on the trip," Sir Richard recalled.

"I fell in love twice that weekend, once as our helicopter swooped over the turquoise water and white sandy beaches of Necker Island, and again when I saw the smile on the face of the beautiful girl who sat beside me."

But the dream was quickly dashed. The discounted asking price was $6 million, and Sir Richard only offered $100,000.

"The realtor was less than impressed, and left us high and dry to find our own way back home," he said.

A year later, the island was still unsold and the owner was desperate. Sir Richard agreed to buy it for $180,000 (£143,000), on the condition he built a resort within four years.

But even that didn't go smoothly. He was initially denied a licence to purchase the land because the Governor didn't like his music industry ties.

"I asked the Chairman of Coutts bank to vouch for me," Sir Richard wrote. "Thankfully, he told the Governor that I was perfectly respectable, and the sale went through."

Today, Necker Island is estimated to be worth around £100 million and is part of the Virgin Limited Edition portfolio.

It took three years and around $10 million (£7.9 million) to transform it into a luxury retreat.

The 74-acre island now welcomes up to 48 guests at a time across 24 rooms, with the whole place available to book for £80,700 per night.

The resort includes two private beaches, tennis courts, yoga sessions, and activities like paddleboarding and snorkelling.

Despite being privately owned, the beaches remain open to the public under British Virgin Islands law.

Necker Island has hosted some of the world's biggest names, including Barack Obama, Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry, and Kate Moss.

Sir Richard also married his wife there 11 years after the first visit, surrounded by family and friends.