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St. Barth isn’t just a party island for bold-faced exhibitionists, says a reviewer. “What emerges in Treasured Island isn’t the standard narrative of speculators bulldozing a sylvan idyll,” says Bloomberg Pursuits. Though “his book details how a first generation of wealthy vacationers initiated, then profited spectacularly from, the island’s descent into crass ostentation…Gross personally agonizes…
“I appreciate finding, all gathered in a single volume, everyone’s memories and anecdotes—often transformed by time and retelling— not to mention the various storytellers who try to explain the island’s recent evolution.” — Laurence Hervieux O’Keefe, Co-founder, St. Barths Online The post An island expert’s review appeared first on Michael Gross .
Jane Wilkens Michael invited me onto Better Than Before, her show/podcast on iHeartRadio Talk, Amazon, Pandora, Google Play, Spotify, and Apple Music. She says Treasured Island “traces the remarkable transformation of the once-sleepy Caribbean island of St. Barth into an international playground for billionaires, celebrities, and royalty. Filled with unforgettable characters, hidden history, and…
“Discover the wild, scandalous, and untold history of how an impoverished volcanic outpost became the ultimate playground for billionaires and celebrities,” says England’s The Table Read arts and entertainment magazine. “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.…
In a new sneak peek excerpt from Treasured Island, Palmer: The Palm Beach Reader looks at the power struggle for control of St. Barths’ original villa rental company, Sibarth and at its role in the creation of an island paradise and the business of online vacation rentals. This tale of extraordinary innovation and devastating family tragedy is […] The post Did Success Spoil the Ur-Airbnb? appeared…
In today’s New York Post, Realty Check columnist Steve Cuozzo writes up the real-estate comedy of errors that saw Taiwana, an iconic St. Barth hotel-restaurant darling of the 1980s and 1990s–Madonna and P. Diddy were both 86’d–disappear into the maw of LVMH. It features a Goldman Sachs banker and a NYC superstar developer. “We couldn’t […] The post 740 Park at the Beach appeared first on Michael…
The post “Great reading, especially in a summer heat wave,” says tastemaker William Norwich appeared first on Michael Gross .
Superbroker Martha Kramer of Brown Harris Stevens touts Treasured Island in the July issue of Inbox Concierge: “With his trademark wit and meticulous reporting, Gross traces St. Barth’s remarkable evolution from a quiet Caribbean outpost to the international playground of billionaires, celebrities, and tastemakers. It’s equal parts social history, real estate, and irresistible gossip—perfect…
Watch my in-depth interview with Amir Korangy of The Real Deal on its Coffee Talk show, and read about it here. “For an island that doesn’t even span 10 square miles, St. Barts has taken on an outsized importance in the world of luxury living,” writes Holden Walter-Warner. “The rich and richer have transformed the island […] The post In Deep with The Real Deal appeared first on Michael Gross .
New York Trend, an alternative weekly, says Treasured Island “pulls back the curtain on St. Barth’s billionaires, celebrities and long-hidden scandals” in an article out today. “Readers will also find stories involving Wall Street executives, luxury hotel developers and billionaire business moguls. Food lovers will discover that even celebrity chefs have struggled to conquer St. […] The post “One…
