The Super Bowl isn’t the only thing with snipers keeping the peace, considering Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev has begun construction on his private Greek island where he intends to open an ultra-exclusive private resort for the world’s wealthiest, likely complete with an art museum filled with his own sizable collection. However, the resort on the Greek island of Skorpios sounds more like a Bond villain lair than the Waldorf Astoria.
It’s reported that 400 local workers have been working for several months on the construction of the 12-villa resort, who are required to give up their phones as they step foot on Skorpios to prevent unsanctioned photography and are constantly observed by security cameras. The planned luxury accommodation was first announced in 2019, several years after Rybolovlev paid US$150 million (AU$216 million) to the granddaughter of the original owner Aristotle Onassis for a 99-year lease on the private island, reportedly outbidding Giorgio Armani and Bill Gates for the Mediterranean paradise.
Onassis paved the way for the island’s current project by importing sand and trees in the 1960s, with the resort having been designed by the Norwegian design studio Snøhetta and will accommodate no more than 50 guests at any one time who will be expected to pay up to US$1 million (AU$1.4 million) per week to stay. With the project expected to total close to €400 million (AU$618 million) by the time it’s complete, it’s understood the Skorpios resort will open its doors in 2024.
