The only private island in San Francisco Bay could be yours, as the 50-acre Point Buckler Island has hit the market for $75 million this week.
A billionaires oasis for kiteboarding, the marshland was once a billionaires paradise, with Silicon Valley giants like Larry Page and Sergey Brin visiting and docking their yachts, according to current owner John Sweeney. In 2011 he bought the island for $150,000, according to SF Gate.
But over the past few years, the island has been in a state of controversy.
An extended seven-year court battle that began with Sweeney's repairs to a broken levee culminated in $10 million worth of liens on the island, he said. In March 2023, Sweeney filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
I've run out of money to fight and the island is worth a lot of money, he said.
Sweeney established a private Kiteboarding club on Point Buckler in 2014, where wealthy members could join for a one-time fee of $750,000.
Sweeney utilized two shipping containers to create a bar and lounge space on the island, along with two helipads, so that the handlers and staff for tech giants could fly in ahead to set up a spread for the billionaires and their guests.
It's the island's ritzy past is the reason for its $75 million price tag, Sweeney said.
In his calculations, Sweeney said the land itself is worth $10 million to $15 million, the kiteboarding business is worth another $10 million, and the extremely-exclusive status of a private island 90 minutes from San Francisco is priceless catnip for the billionaire set.
Point Buckler, located in Solano County, California, is a rural area in the Bay Area, where a controversial new project was led by the boldest names in tech.
Flannery Associates, a venture funded corporation, spends $800 million in five years to purchase 52,000 acres of farmland in Solano County, a division of the company known as Flannery Associates.
Sweeney believes his island, and its placement in the Suisun Bay, became a legal target for future development and water use issues in the region, prompting him to sell.
However, it's possible for aspiring billionaire buyers to act quickly. Sweeney said at least one interested potential buyer has already reached out on Friday morning.