24-Year-Old Russian Billionaire Heiress Is The Buyer Of Greece's Most Famous Private Island

skorpios greece
skorpios greece

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Last week we learned that Skorpios, the famous private Greek island that once belonged to shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, had sold to an anonymous Russian billionaire for $153 million.

It's now been confirmed that the buyer was Ekaterina Rybolovleva, the 24-year-old daughter of Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, a potash tycoon said to be worth $9.1 billion and the largest shareholder in the Bank of Cyprus.

Does her name sound familiar?

Ekaterina Rybolovleva made headlines in late 2011 when she bought former Citigroup CEO Sandy Weill's penthouse at 15 Central Park West for $88 million, one of the biggest residential real estate deals in New York City history. Presumably, her father bankrolled the purchase.

A representative of the Rybolovlev family confirmed the Skorpios deal to Forbes, saying in a statement: “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 Scorpios and Sparti."

She will reportedly use it for leisure and as a long-term investment.

Skorpios, which Onassis bought in 1962 for $15,000, was made famous as the location of his wedding to former First Lady Jackie Kennedy in 1968.

The island was sold by Athina Onassis Roussel, Onassis's granddaughter and only surviving heir.



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