Private, Portable Islands - The Latest Bragging Opportunity Among The Super Rich?
If social media is really just one big brag-fest, particularly among the ultra rich with their over the top cars, toys, vacations and homes, then the contest for boasting just got a lot more interesting.
Thanks to a company named Migaloo Private Submersible Yachts, the ultra rich can now buy their own private, portable island.
Yes, an entire island, that can be towed around the planet.
Why be forced to mingle with herds of vacationers in the Bahamas, Cancun or Aruba when you can attach a private island to your own personal yacht or submarine and be free from such crowds and prying eyes right?
The selfie possibilities would be priceless. Who could top images of lounging on said private island amid its jungle decks, waterfalls and infinity pools?
Migaloo did not respond to requests for comment about its new island offering, which its calls Kokomo Ailand. Instead the company provided a press release describing the product, in which it offers the following explanatory Mark Twain quotation:
"They did not know it was impossible, so they did it."
The quixotically-oriented Austrian company was founded by professionals who have several years' experience in the yachting industry and who developed the floating island to address an increasing demand for personalization and individualization of super and mega yachts. The islands come in response to a growing focus on privacy among owners and guests of super and mega yachts.
The islands are constructed on semi-submersible platforms and are custom designed for each buyer, offering bespoke luxury and design, entertainment and state-of-the-art amenities.
Among the luxe details that could be part of your private island experience are an owner's penthouse 80 meters above sea level, that includes two private elevators and a glass-bottom jacuzzi. Your island can also include a spa deck with gym, massage areas and beauty salon. And for the outdoorsy types there's a garden deck for strolling, outdoor dining and relaxing.
This being a tropical island and all, there's also a beach deck with a barbecue area, entertainment pool and in-pool elevator to take you down to one of the island's two beach clubs.
Finally, if even having your own private island is not exclusive enough - there is the option to have distinct VIP and guest decks with private terraces and infinity pools. You know, to keep your guests from getting too familiar.
Manufacturing islands is not Migaloo's main line of business as it turns out. The company specializes in designing, engineering and building private yacht-sized submarines (in case you're in the market for one of those as well.)
The company's release does not provide price ranges for the islands or the submarines.
Migaloo is not alone in pushing the envelope when it comes to luxury marine toys or assorted offerings. A company in Dubai, Kleindienst, recently began selling what it is touting as a first of its kind luxury lifestyle product and marine retreat. Called Floating Seahorse, the three level homes, which are essentially boats, include an underwater master bedroom and bathroom.
Uniquely fabricated using marine approved materials and technology, the floating retreats look like an incredibly stylish townhouse, albeit with one or two levels beneath the ocean. Imagine living in a home located in the center of an aquarium, and watching fish swim by while you lie in bed - and you start to get a sense of what this home looks and feels like.
It's not clear just how much a Floating Seahorse might set you back though, as company representatives were not available for comment either.
The Floating Seahorse website however, describes the exclusive floating retreats as an "excellent investment" and notes that there are only 42 available.
So what to make of all of this cutting edge, marine luxury? Daniel Levine, one of the world's best known trend experts, and publisher of WikiTrend.org, says it all stems from -- you guessed it -- bragging rights, both for companies and individuals.
"Where I see this fit in trend wise is within the idea that people, and companies, are looking for braggability," Levine said. "That's the new meaning of luxury - it is about braggability. So companies keep coming out with these ideas in much the same way car companies come out with concept cars."
It doesn't cost a company all that much to put together a press release and perhaps create a cute video describing their latest over the top idea, such as a private, portable island. Engaging in this type of marketing effort typically earns a few headlines and the attention the company is seeking, Levine says.
"It puts them at the forefront of coolness and technology and braggability," continues Levine, who is also the director of the Avant-Guide Institute. "And there is a possibility that some billionaire might step up and plop down for one of these things."
As for the individuals who might want to buy such pricey toys, they too fit into a trend Levine has studied, among the rich, that involves those who seek out unique items and opportunities to set themselves apart. And right now those items include such things as private submarines, super yachts and even space travel.
"When we're studying this stuff, most of what's behind it is how people perceive themselves, and and how they want to be perceived by others," Levine continued. "Those things have been human characteristics since the beginning of time. The only thing that's changing now is that people are becoming so wealthy, that to stand out from their neighbors, it is becoming more and more difficult."
Levine foresees Kokomo Ailand and items of that ilk appealing to the super rich, who would be excited by having something that would really set them apart. But even that, says Levine, may be a bit of a stretch.
"The idea of the mobile island, I think is going to be confined being the lair of the villain in the next James Bond film," he concluded.