Richard Branson reveals he bought his island paradise to impress his future wife
The 74-acre Caribbean retreat has plenty of opportunities for fun.
The recently remodeled Great House has a 1,500-square-foot master suite with panorama ocean views. A zip line brings visitors down from the house to the white sand beach, where they can kitesurf or hang out on Branson's yacht, Necker Belle.
Branson bought the island for $180,000 in the late 1970s.
He explained how the purchase came about in a Virgin blog post Tuesday.
About a year later, Branson writes, he was informed that no one else had made an offer on the island. He agreed to pay $180,000 for the island under the condition that he would build a resort there.
In addition to Necker Island, Virgin's luxury property portfolio now includes a lodge in the Swiss Alps, a safari camp in Kenya, and a kasbah in Morocco's Atlas Mountains.
Branson married his island guest - current wife Joan Templeman Branson - in a ceremony on Necker in 1989, 11 years after their first trip there.