Most actors bring home a souvenir from a movie set, but Johnny Depp took things a little further while filming Pirates of the Caribbean in the Bahamas, when a tropical island caught his attention.
The secluded paradise left such an impression that he eventually bought it for $3.6 million.
And that wasn’t the end of the spending spree either.
Depp later spent another $8 million on a yacht, partly so he could travel to his private retreat in style.
Johnny Depp bought the island after seeing it during Pirates of the Caribbean
For most people, spotting a beautiful luxury island while working would simply make for a nice memory, but for Johnny Depp, it turned into a major real estate purchase.
The Hollywood star purchased Little Hall’s Pond Cay in the Bahamas for around $3.6 million after discovering it while filming Pirates of the Caribbean.
Vladi Private Islands
According to Vanity Fair, Depp said he had never seen a place that felt quite like it.
“As soon as I saw it, I immediately thought, ‘Wow,’” Depp told the magazine.
The 45-acre private island sits in the Exuma chain and features six beaches, each named after people close to the actor, including his children Lily-Rose and Jack.
Vladi Private Islands
Vladi Private Islands
Depp once described the island as the one place where he could completely switch off from the pressures of fame, but he’s no stranger to extravagant purchases.
“It’s my decompression,” he said.
“It’s my way of trying to return to normal.”
The island’s beaches, crystal-clear waters, and secluded location helped make it one of the most famous celebrity-owned islands in the world.
Vladi Private Islands
Vladi Private Islands
The celeb’s island paradise came with a yacht
Buying a private island might sound like the ultimate luxury, but the purchase price is only the start.
The island itself can cost millions, but maintaining it is an entirely different challenge.
Staff, boats, fuel, generators, maintenance, repairs, and transport all add up quickly, but unlike a home in a city, a private island often has to support its own infrastructure, making ownership a constant financial commitment.
Vladi Private Islands
And Depp didn’t stop at buying the island.
To help reach his secluded paradise, he purchased the Vajoliroja yacht for around $8 million.
The vessel became a regular way for the actor to travel between locations and visit Little Hall’s Pond Cay.
Taka Yacht Design
The yacht’s unusual name was created by combining parts of the names of Depp, his then-partner Vanessa Paradis, and their children.
While spending $3.6 million on a private island sounds extravagant, the reality is that owning a piece of paradise often means committing to a lifetime of bills that can easily dwarf the original purchase price.
Taka Yacht Design
Wikicommons
Still, for Depp, finding a secluded Caribbean escape while filming Pirates of the Caribbean appears to have been worth every penny.