Necker Island, British Virgin Islands Owned By Sir Richard Branson

Privacy
Although the land on the island is entirely privately owned, under British Virgin Islands law, all beaches up to the high water mark are crown land, and are open to the public. In practice, the security personnel which accompany guests to Necker Island are known for making it difficult for ordinary members of the public to enjoy the beaches, particularly when high profile guests are in residence. On one of the occasions when the late Princess Diana stayed at the resort, security personnel kept a 150 metre perimeter around the island, within which the public were excluded.
When the island was being purchased, environmentalists expressed concerns that Necker Island was one of the relatively few places in the world that a rare species of gecko lives and breeds. When Branson was granted an alien land-holder's licence to enable him to purchase the island, it was made conditional upon Branson's agreement that any legitimate scientific expedition to study the geckos should have full and unfettered access to the island.