12 Vacation Spots For Billionaires
Ever wondered where the world’s richest people go to unwind? When you have billions in the bank, ordinary vacation spots just won’t do. The ultra-wealthy seek privacy, exclusivity, and experiences that most of us can only dream about.
From private islands to historic villas, these destinations offer the ultimate in luxury, security, and bragging rights.
1. Monaco: Playground of the Super-Rich
The glittering Mediterranean principality beckons billionaires with its zero income tax and glamorous Casino de Monte-Carlo. Mega-yachts line the harbor while helicopter transfers from Nice Airport ensure discreet arrivals.
During the Grand Prix, penthouses overlooking the race circuit rent for over $300,000 for the weekend. Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo offers suites with personal butlers and wine cellars stocked with rare vintages.
For shopping, billionaires browse the Carré d’Or district where a single handbag might cost more than a car. The royal family’s presence adds an extra layer of prestige to this tiny tax haven.
2. Saint-Tropez: Where Billionaires Sunbathe
Once a humble fishing village, Saint-Tropez transformed into a billionaire hotspot after Brigitte Bardot’s 1956 film ‘And God Created Woman.’ Exclusive beach clubs like Club 55 serve magnums of champagne to tech moguls and oil tycoons lounging on custom daybeds.
The old port hosts vessels worth hundreds of millions while security teams keep paparazzi at bay. Billionaires rent historic villas hidden behind tall hedges in the Les Parcs neighborhood, where prices start at $250,000 weekly.
By night, they dine at three-Michelin-starred La Vague d’Or before heading to Les Caves du Roy nightclub, where a table reservation requires a five-figure minimum spend.
3. Malibu: California’s Billionaire Beach
Along Carbon Beach, nicknamed ‘Billionaire’s Beach,’ tech titans and entertainment moguls own oceanfront homes worth $100+ million. Neighbors casually include Oracle’s Larry Ellison, who owns 12 properties on this stretch alone.
Privacy is paramount here, with homes featuring state-of-the-art security systems and private access to the Pacific. Nobu Malibu serves as the unofficial cafeteria for this elite crowd, where waiting lists don’t apply to regulars who arrive via chauffeured Bentleys.
If they tire of their infinity pools, billionaires surf at private breaks or take their helicopters for lunch in Napa Valley. The ultimate status symbol is owning a home on both Carbon Beach and Paradise Cove.
4. Aspen: Where Billionaires Hit the Slopes
Forget first-class – billionaires land private jets at Aspen’s Sardy Field before being whisked to compounds in exclusive Red Mountain, nicknamed ‘Billionaire Mountain.’ When Amazon’s Jeff Bezos wants to ski, entire slopes are temporarily closed for his privacy.
The Little Nell hotel offers $10,000+ per night suites with ski valets who warm your boots before you arrive. For dinner, members-only Caribou Club serves $5,000 bottles of wine while Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro hosts champagne-spraying parties that make headlines.
Summer brings the Aspen Ideas Festival, where tech billionaires network between mountain biking excursions guided by Olympic athletes. The unwritten rule: pretend not to notice other billionaires enjoying their ‘privacy.’
5. Dubai: Desert Playground for the Ultra-Wealthy
When billionaires visit Dubai, they don’t just book a room – they take over entire floors of the Burj Al Arab, where butlers outnumber guests two-to-one. The Royal Suite includes a private elevator, cinema, and 24-karat gold iPads that control everything in the $25,000-per-night sanctuary.
Shopping means private after-hours access to the Dubai Mall, where personal stylists bring merchandise to your hotel. Helicopter transfers to desert polo matches come standard, as does dining atop the world’s tallest building.
For recreation, billionaires race supercars on private tracks or play golf on courses designed by Tiger Woods.
6. Seychelles: Billionaires’ Private Island Paradise
If exclusivity had an address, it would be North Island in the Seychelles, where billionaires pay $11,000 per night for complete privacy. The island accommodates just 11 villas, each with dedicated staff and direct beach access where giant tortoises roam freely.
When British royalty and tech billionaires vacation here, the island’s policy forbids staff from acknowledging their presence. Marine conservation projects provide intellectual stimulation between snorkeling trips to pristine reefs.
7. Bora Bora: Overwater Villas for Billionaires
How do billionaires experience Bora Bora? By booking all 100+ rooms at the Four Seasons for complete privacy, as one tech mogul did for his birthday. The resort’s most exclusive overwater villa costs $45,000 per night and features glass floors, private pools, and personal chefs.
Arriving via private seaplane, the ultra-wealthy enjoy custom experiences like midnight scuba dives with marine biologists or dinner on deserted motus (small islands) reached only by helicopter. When even that feels crowded, billionaires charter the 300-foot superyacht Cloudbreak to explore remote South Pacific atolls.
The ultimate status symbol is the underwater suite at Conrad Bora Bora Nui, where billionaires sleep beneath the sea while sharks glide overhead through reinforced glass ceilings.
8. Lake Como: Historic Villas of the Elite
George Clooney’s Villa Oleandra may be famous, but billionaires prefer the even more exclusive Villa Sola Cabiati, available for $150,000 weekly. This 18th-century palace features original frescoes, priceless antiques, and gardens designed by royal landscapers.
Vintage Riva boats ferry guests between lakeside restaurants while security teams ensure no photographers document these private moments. For ultimate discretion, tech billionaires rent Villa La Cassinella, accessible only by water and staffed with Michelin-trained chefs.
Helicopter day trips to Milan for private shopping at Prada’s appointment-only atelier are common diversions. The true mark of status? Being invited to Sir Richard Branson’s Villa La Cassinella for his legendary midsummer parties.
9. Maui: Hawaiian Hideaways for Tech Titans
Along Maui’s Kaanapali coastline, tech billionaires own compounds so private they don’t appear on any map. Oracle founder Larry Ellison went further – he purchased 98% of the entire island of Lanai for $300 million, essentially buying his own Hawaiian paradise.
Helicopter transfers between islands are routine, as is closing entire restaurants for private dinners prepared by celebrity chefs flown in from the mainland. The Four Seasons Maui offers the $26,000-per-night Palms Villa where billionaires enjoy 180-degree ocean views and personal concierges.
For recreation, private whale watching excursions on 100-foot yachts or pre-dawn volcano hikes (with champagne breakfast at the summit) provide exclusive experiences.
10. Capri: Mediterranean Jewel for the Ultra-Elite
When Saudi princes and fashion moguls visit Capri, they bypass hotels entirely, instead renting historic villas like the cliffside Villa Lysis for $200,000 weekly. These properties feature private funiculars to reach secluded coves where superyachts anchor away from tourist crowds.
At La Fontelina beach club, billionaires pay five figures to reserve front-row daybeds, while personal shoppers close Via Camerelle boutiques for private browsing sessions. For dining, Da Paolino restaurant’s lemon grove hosts secret dinners where tech titans and European royalty mingle.
The ultimate Capri experience? Chartering the classic wooden yacht once owned by Jackie Kennedy to cruise around the Faraglioni rocks at sunset, with a private soprano performing on deck.
11. Cabo San Lucas: Billionaires’ Mexican Retreat
At the exclusive Pedregal neighborhood in Cabo, tech billionaires own cliffside compounds with personal security teams and helipads. The One&Only Palmilla resort’s four-bedroom Villa One costs $35,000 nightly and comes with a dedicated staff of 12, including a personal astronomer for stargazing.
When privacy is paramount, billionaires retreat to Norman Foster-designed homes in Puerto Los Cabos, where private beaches and golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus await. For dining, Flora Farms arranges secret tables in their organic gardens where Silicon Valley deals are negotiated over farm-to-table feasts.
12. St. Barts: Caribbean Playground for the Super-Rich
During the December-January high season, Russian oligarchs and tech billionaires compete for the island’s most coveted villas, where weekly rates exceed $400,000. Villa Rockstar at Eden Rock features its own recording studio used by music industry titans and a garage filled with vintage Harley-Davidsons.
Mega-yachts line Gustavia harbor during New Year’s Eve, when celebrities perform at private parties costing millions to produce. For shopping, Hermès and Louis Vuitton boutiques offer exclusive collections not available elsewhere, with personal stylists making house calls to villas.