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A RUSSIAN billionaire oligarch is building an ultra-exclusive resort on his private island off the coast of Greece.
Dmitry Rybolovlev is steaming ahead with plans to transform the island of Skorpios into a super-luxe haven for the ultra-rich.
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Rybolovlev, who has a net worth of £5.4billion and owns Ligue 1 side AS Monaco, is hoping the staggering project will be completed by 2024.
The so-called “Fertiliser King” has been sanctioned by Ukraine over Russia’s brutal war, but has not faced any prohibitions in the West.
And he has sought to distance himself from the Russian regime, including with large humanitarian aid donations to the Red Cross.
Skorpios however was famous before it was bought by the oligarch – being the place where JFK’s widow Jackie married her second husband Aristotle Onassis, who at the time owned the island.
The Russian is claimed to have fended off interest from ex-Chelsea boss Roman Abramovich, Microsoft chief Bill Gates, and fashion designer Giorgio Armani as he moved to buy the island.
His so-called VIP Exclusive Club will reportedly boast a massive 60-bedroom resort, a helipad, spa and a marina for superyachts, stables, a football pitch, and even an amphitheatre.
Incredible concept pictures by Norwegian firm Snøhetta show the ultra-modern resort amongst the trees on the picturesque island in the Ionian Sea.
And publically viewable satellite images taken by Google Earth reveal construction is underway with earthmovers and construction sites visible.
The project was described as a “James Bond-style” resort by The Art Newspaper – with reports that Rybolovlev could move his art collection there.
The resort which will be divided into nine units will be available for rent to VIP guests on a weekly basis for a staggering minimum of £835,000- £1.6 million a week.
No more than 50 guests at the time will be allowed.
The project is designed by the Norwegian firm Snøhetta, which is also behind the new Library of Alexandria in Egypt, Under, the first underwater restaurant in Europe, and the headquarters of Le Monde newspaper in Paris.
The renovation of the luxury resort that is expected to be completed next year initially was meant to cost £200 million but local media report it has now risen to over £355 million, citing sources close to the project.
Heavily guarded reportedly by snipers and security cameras the tiny island near Lefkada, is entirely secluded.
Access to visitors is allowed only to a single beach of the island – and only when the Rybolovlevs are not there.
The plans for the island’s iconic “Pink Villa” have not been revealed as it remains unknown whether it will be turned into a residence or kept as a museum.
Rybolovlev bought the 74-acre Ionian island on a 99-year lease from Greek heiress Athena Onassis in 2013 for a whopping £128 million.
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It was a pricey birthday present to his first-born daughter Ekaterina, who later got married there.
Skorpios belonged to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis who bought it for the equivalent of £10,000.
The island would become known as the “Onassis Island” and legendary parties would often take place with dozens of celebrities attending.
It was also where the millionaire married Jackie Kennedy, the widow of JFK, in 1968.
Following his death in 1975, the island passed to his daughter Christina before the heiress tragically died of a heart attack in Buenos Aires in 1988, aged 37.
Her brother Alexander had previously died in a plane crash in 1973.
Aristotle and his daughter and son are all buried in Skorpios.
Skorpios would then be passed to her only daughter Athena Roussel-Onassis.
Despite being stated in Aristotle Onassis’s will that the island should be given to the Greek State after his death, the heiress decided to lease it to the Russian billionaire in 2013.
Rybolovlev also bought neighbouring Sparti for an additional £25 million.
Locals on the nearby island of Lefkada were left disappointed with the decision as many hoped it would remain in the family.
There was also a dispute over the ban on boat passage but an agreement was reached and the matter was resolved when other investments were launched in the area.
Rybolovlev made a number of generous donations in Lefkada including an £80,000 ambulance to the local hospital.
Greek authorities approved the project in 2020, detailing the rules in a 55-page including nature preservation,
When Rybolovlev’s plans to rebrand Skorpios were revealed, concerns were raised over the loss of the island’s character and authenticity.
The former mayor of nearby Meganisi, Christos Zavitsanos said at the time they did not want the island to become the “Ionian Mykonos” raising concerns about the environmental impact.
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Aliki Kraterou
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