Far from the spotlight and media attention, one of the world’s most famous islands recently changed hands. Skorpios, the Greek island bought by Aristotle Onassis in 1963 for $ 10,000 is now owned by fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who paid no less than $ 190 million for the property of less than a square mile. Armani topped the offers by Bill Gates and the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.
* The island was part of the estate of Athina Onassis and was on sale since 2004. Athina rarely goes there. Still, she’s been paying about $ 1.5 million per year to cover the maintenance of the island with several beaches; two of them open to the public, and the Casa Rosada, the main house of the place. The sale did not include the chapel of the Virgin Mary, burial site of Aristotle and his two sons, Alexander and Christina, Athina’s mother.
* For now, Armani doesn’t confirm nor deny the purchase. Athina didn’t mention the matter, even with close friends. No wonder they were able to close one of the biggest real estate deals of the year without attracting anyone’s attention.