Follow The Wild Evolution Of St. Barth Through The Eyes Of Michael Gross In New Book, Treasured Island

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts and entertainment magazine UK“, in Michael Gross’s new book, Treasured Island: The Story of St. Barth…and Its Barbarians, Billionaires, and Beauties, discover the wild, scandalous, and untold history of how an impoverished volcanic outpost became the ultimate playground for billionaires and celebrities.

Long before it became the ultimate see-and-be-seen sanctuary for the global elite, St. Barthélemy was a remote, rugged, and impoverished volcanic outpost. Over the past three decades, acclaimed social chronicler and New York Times bestselling author Michael Gross has documented its staggering transformation. In his book, Treasured Island: The Story of St. Barth…and Its Barbarians, Billionaires, and Beauties, Gross pulls back the curtain on how a forgotten Caribbean island morphed into a high-stakes playground for celebrities, tech titans, fashion moguls, and international oligarchs.

Rather than offering a standard, glossy travel guide, Gross delivers a dense, highly entertaining social history that investigates the island’s chaotic past, the colorful rogues who shaped it, and the complex consequences of unchecked ultra-luxury.

From Isolated Outpost to Global Playground

Gross draws on more than 30 years of firsthand visits to trace St. Barth’s unlikely journey. The island’s modern trajectory was initially paved by mid-century pirates, smugglers, and adventurous outsiders. Eventually, American industrialists, European aristocracy, and entertainment royalty discovered its pristine shores, setting off a real estate and cultural boom.

While superyachts now crowd the harbors and ultra-exclusive villas command weekly rentals as high as $250,000, Gross captures the multi-faceted spirit of the destination, balancing glossy tales of the glitterati with the gritty realities of local families whose lineages stretch back generations.

Eight Untold Secrets and Scandals of St. Barth

Gross’s deep dive uncovers stranger-than-fiction anecdotes that reveal the true character—and chaos—behind the island’s exclusive facade:

• The Ultimate Disco Carousel: One notable vacation home transformed into a hotel and disco passed through a wildly eccentric lineup of owners. The chain of custody stretched from Delaware Republicans (including a Mayor of Wilmington) to a drug-dealing felon, then to Jimmy Buffett alongside a pair of weed smugglers, and onward to David Letterman before ultimately burning out and landing in the hands of an absentee Russian oligarch.
• The Anti-Rockefeller Spark: David Rockefeller’s far-right-wing property caretaker inadvertently helped stoke local tensions, inspiring a fiery 1975 riot that laid the groundwork for the billionaire-friendly paradise seen today.
• A Discreet Hollywood Hideaway: Long before it welcomed modern socialites, the island hosted legendary secret escapes. Icons like Greta Garbo and her romantic partner, a member of the Rothschild family, vacationed incognito at a historic guesthouse that remains a celebrity sanctuary to this day.
• The Rise and Fall of a Rental Empire: Founded by an entrepreneur from a prominent Guadeloupe family and his American wife, the pioneer villa rental company Sibarth created the island’s first corporate powerhouse. However, a bitter family feud shattered their monopoly, triggering a real estate free-for-all.
• Wall Street Woes in Paradise: In a twist of corporate comedy, high-profile Goldman Sachs partners and a prominent developer thought they had successfully acquired a notorious local hotel. Instead, luxury conglomerate LVMH ultimately claimed the property, leaving the investors with a mountain of litigation and frustration.
• A Floating Orthodox Minyan: When billionaire beauty mogul Ronald O. Perelman needed to fulfill weekly Orthodox Jewish religious obligations while visiting the Caribbean, he didn’t head to land. Instead, he brought a quorum of Hasidic men aboard his superyacht, the Ultima II, via the Bermuda Triangle.
• Culinary Icons Meeting Resistance: Today, St. Barth is celebrated as a global culinary capital, but its earliest big-name arrivals faced steep hurdles. Both Tuscan-American chef Pino Luongo and Alsatian-American culinary star Jean-Georges Vongerichten initially flopped when they first attempted to launch restaurants on the island.
• The Drowned Eco-Resort Dream: Celebrity hotelier Andre Balazs had grand visions for a sustainable beachfront eco-resort on the island, but local resistance ultimately derailed the project, sinking the development before it could take root.

A Compelling Case Study in Luxury and Legacy

Gross evaluates the island through a wider lens, prompting readers to question the heavy footprint left by travelers and temporary guests. By weaving together tales of smugglers, old money, and modern billionaires, Treasured Island serves up an unvarnished look at paradise found and altered. It is essential reading for anyone captivated by the intersection of extreme wealth, social history, and island culture.

Find more from Michael Gross now:

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