Ekaterina Rybolovleva, the 24-year-old daughter of Russian billionaire and investor, Dmitry Rybolovleva, has reportedly purchased the private island of Skorpios in Greece for an undisclosed amount. The island was sold by Athina Onassis Roussel, the sole surviving heir of late shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.
According to Forbes, various Greek media reports have estimated the value of the island to be somewhere around the range of $150 million. In early 2000, the property was valued at around $200 million, before recession hit the continent.
The purchase deal also includes acquisition of a nearby island, Sparti. Rybolovleva has purchased the islands not only for leisure but also for business purposes. The Independent reports a statement that the Rybolovleva family issued after the purchase deal was inked.
The statement reads:
"A company belonging to a trust acting in the interest of Ekaterina Rybolovleva has completed the purchase of a group of companies formerly ultimately owned by Mrs Athina Onassis.
"Amongst the assets of this group of companies are the islands of Skorpios and Sparti. Ekaterina is delighted that the trust has negotiated this purchase. She sees significant potential for further improvement of the islands using environmentally friendly technology and regards the acquisition as a long-term financial investment."
Anyhow, the deal will most probably be a long lease as Onassis stated in his will that the isle could never be sold or leave the family, reports Reuters.
Onassis purchased the island in 1962 for around $20,000 only. Sitting off the west coast of the Greek mainland, Skorpios spans 74 large acres in the Ionian sea. Currently, the island has three residences, a helipad and a boat quay all built by Onassis. The heavily forested island also happens to be the venue where he famously wed former first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy. Onassis is buried on the island along with son Alexander and daughter Christina.
After his death, the isle was passed on to Christina and then to Athina. The island had been the subject of a real estate acquisition scuttle for long now. Celebrities like Bill Gates and Madonna and Giorgio Armani had expressed interest in purchasing the island, reports Greek Reporter.
This is not the first time that the Rybolovleva family has grabbed real estate headlines. In 2011, Ekaterina purchased a Manhattan penthouse worth $88 million while her father, Dmitry famously snagged the palm beach property of Donald Trump in 2008 for a good $98 million.
