Beautiful Virgin Islands


Google co-founder Larry Page reportedly hiding out in Fiji

Google co-founder Larry Page reportedly hiding out in Fiji

The reclusive billionaire and Google co-founder has stayed mostly on the heart-shaped Tavarua island in Fiji.

Larry Page, the secretive co-founder of Google, has reportedly spent much of the pandemic hiding out on tropical islands in Fiji, entering the country through a system designed to allow the ultra-wealthy to circumvent COVID-19 travel restrictions.


The reclusive billionaire has stayed mostly on the heart-shaped Tavarua island, which lies west of the main Fijian island, two people who have seen him there in the past year told Insider.

One source told Insider that Page has been spotted in the water around some islands with his wife, Lucinda Southworth, hydrofoiling, a kind of surfing where the board is elevated above the water.

“He’s good at it, too,” the person said.

Larry Page (right) and Sergey Brin stepped away from Google and parent company Alphabet in 2019.


Hydrofoiling is especially popular among the tech community, as demonstrated by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on several public occasions.

Page has also been spotted on the smaller Namotu, Insider reported, and there’s speculation among locals that he’s bought that island or another in the archipelago.

Page arrived in the country via its “Blue Lane” initiative for the super-rich.


It’s unclear when precisely Page first arrived in Fiji — a country of about 900,000 — but he arrived as early as last summer and has returned at least once since then, the source said.

Fiji closed its borders during the pandemic, but through the country’s “Blue Lane” initiative, superyacht and private jet owners can enter with minimal restrictions.

Page, who’s the world’s sixth-wealthiest person with a net worth of $117 billion, entered the country through the Blue Lane system, Insider reported, citing two sources.

He has mostly spent his time in the country on the heart-shaped island of Tavarua.


He brought his family and an entourage, the report said, and he’s spent an “extended period of time” in the country during the pandemic, according to one source who’s interacted with him.

Fijian authorities have helped Page keep his presence on the islands private, the report said.

On June 19, as Fiji was hit by a second wave of COVID-19 cases, Fijian Broadcasting Company News reported that Page had donated medical supplies to the country via his private jet.


But a few days later, the story disappeared. Fijian health authorities asked the network to take the article down, saying the information should not be public, Insider reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Despite his place among the wealthiest in the world and his commanding major sway over one of the most powerful companies, Page has largely avoided the public eye since he and co-founder Sergey Brin stepped away from Google and parent Alphabet in 2019.

Both Page and Brin remain on the board of Alphabet. And through special voting stock, the duo could at any time overrule management and impose their will on the company.

Fijian authorities have helped Page keep his presence on the islands private, according to the report.


And yet neither Page nor Brin has faced the same level of scrutiny as other tech founders and executives, including Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Apple’s Tim Cook, all of whom have been called to testify before Congress.

“It’s certainly unusual, and it’s certainly not good corporate governance,” Nell Minow, vice chair of consulting firm ValueEdge Advisors, told Insider. “You don’t normally see someone who’s still involved with the company hang a ‘Gone fishing’ sign on the door and disappear.”

It’s believed Page arrived in Fiji as early as last summer.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Couple in West Virginia Charged with Human Trafficking of Adopted Children
WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Returns to Australia as a Free Man
Hollywood Crew Union Strikes Deal With Major Studios on Pay Raise, AI Use
Dutch PM Mark Rutte Appointed as NATO Secretary General
Australia's Diplomacy Secures Julian Assange's Freedom
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Russian Military Officials
Spanish Police Investigate Missing UK Teen Case in Tenerife
Spanish Police Dismantle International Drug-Smuggling Network
Mark Rutte to Be Appointed Next NATO Chief
Four Men Arrested for Trespassing on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Country Estate
Heatwave Causes Thousands of Heatstroke Cases in Karachi, Pakistan
EU Initiates Membership Talks with Ukraine and Moldova
UK Police Officers Implicated in Election Betting Scandal
King Charles Hosts Japan's Emperor Naruhito for State Visit
Top-Secret US Underwater Drone 'Manta Ray' Revealed on Google Maps
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange stops in Bangkok on his way to a US court and later freedom
Homeless Man Turns in Wallet with 2,000 Euros at Amsterdam Station
Apple Faces EU Charges Over Digital Markets Act Violation
Macron Warns of Civil War Risk as French Elections Approach
Julian Assange Freed After US Plea Deal
Chaotic Portugal Win Over Turkey at Euro 2024
Global Headlines: Hajj Heatwave Tragedy, Flynn's Family Enterprise, and Rising Geopolitical Tensions
Political Shifts in France, Legal Battles in the UK, and Public Protests in Israel
UK's Richest Family Convicted for Exploiting Servants
Hollande Declares End to Macron’s Political Ascendancy
Hindujas Appeal Swiss Court's Human Trafficking Verdict
Prince William Celebrates Birthday at Taylor Swift Concert
Singapore to Implement Screen Time Regulations for Children
Hello and welcome back. Here we are with your latest news update from around the world.
Hello and welcome back. Here are today's top stories from around the world, you don't want to miss:
UK PM Sunak and the Election Betting Scandal
Climate Activists Target Taylor Swift's Private Jet in UK
United States Bans Kaspersky Antivirus
US to Supply Taiwan with Suicide Drones Amid Rising Tensions with China
Bodyguard of UK Prime Minister Arrested for Alleged Election Betting
Global Displacement Crisis: Record Numbers in 2023
Muslim Community Leader Criticizes Nigel Farage for Undermining Muslims
Melinda Gates Discusses 'Horrible' Divorce from Bill Gates
Child Obesity Surge in England: A Deep Concern
U.S. Sues Adobe Over Hard-to-Cancel Subscriptions
Deadly Heat Wave Claims Dozens of Lives During Hajj Pilgrimage in Mecca
Here are today's top worldwide stories you don’t want to miss:.
World’s Largest Pilot Union Calls to Eliminate Terms Like ‘Cockpit’ and ‘Manpower’ for Equity
Woman Suing UK Intel Services Denies China Spy Allegations
Iran Sentences Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi to 1-Year Prison Term for Propaganda
News roundup
Good day, everyone! We've got some gripping stories for you today, spanning from the Middle East to Europe, and even a touch of Hollywood.
Britain’s Refugee Visa Rules Stranding Children in War Zones
UK Elections Predict ‘Electoral Extinction’ for PM Sunak’s Conservative Party
Italian Activist Ilaria Salis Returns Home After Election to European Parliament
×