7 Reasons Why Billionaires Are Increasingly Flocking To This Small Country

7 Reasons Why Billionaires Are Increasingly Flocking To This Small Country

At a time of turmoil people look to places of calm – safe havens and pleasant countries to savor their savings and their lives.

So why are billionaires and others seeking a bolthole, or more, in this country?

Favorite bolthole countries are far and wide, from Switzerland with its withering secrecy laws and beauty, Uruguay with its beauty, economic soundness and banking privacy, Thailand with its low cost of living and relative stability.

But most are now losing out to a country that offers all of these things and more – beauty, safety, lack of corruption, strong banking system, Western legal system and a range of attractions that rival any place on earth.

The place the billionaires are loving?

New Zealand.

capital-home>> One of New Zealand’s Capital’s Top Homes – The Beautiful Capital – Check It Out Here!

So here are some of the billionaires who are flocking to this country at the bottom of the world – best known recently for being the place where “Lord of the Rings” was filmed and now home to two of the world’s best known and richest directors, “Rings'” director Peter Jackson and “Avatar” director/producer James Cameron.

But the billionaires too are finding the economic, physical, legal and social attractions such that they are moving there or – at the very least – building their boltholes, often along with their golf courses and vineyards.

The Billionaires Making New Zealand a Bolthole

Here are some of the billionaires who are increasingly using New Zealand as their second home.

 

Julian Robertson

Julian Robertson
Julian Robertson

Hedge Fund guru, chief and founder of Tiger Asset Management, Julian Robertson was an early convert to New Zealand’s environmental, social and fiscal charms, having developed two golf courses in the country which have ranked as among the best in the world, as well as providing financial, philanthropic and cultural donations within the country he calls his second home.

 

 

 

Peter L. Malkin

Peter Malkin
Peter Malkin

The billionaire co-owner of the Empire State Building via his Empire State Realty Trust, Malkin is a major real estate investor and philanthropist who has bought in the billionaires’ playground at Queenstown and is developing his New Zealand interests.

Alexander Abramov

alexander_abramovThe former scientist and now Russian steel magnate employing over 125,000 people, Alexander Abramov who is building a $50 million, 2,500 square metre mansion in the country’s sub-tropical north.  Enjoying the peace, serenity and security of New Zealand his luxury bolthole is worthy of any such retreat anywhere in the world and Abramov intends spending more time in New Zealand where he can help direct his iron and steel empire.

 

 

 

Peter Thiel

thielInternet entrepreneur and Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel has a home in the country’s ski resort hotspot Queenstown.

Thiel is a major Silicon Valley investor who has also invested heavily in New Zealand, including in one of the country (and the world’s) hottest start-up enterprises, Xero, the accounting software group based in New Zealand capital, Wellington.

Peter Thiel's Queenstown home.
Peter Thiel’s Queenstown home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

William Foley

billfoleyUS insurance and wines magnate William Foley has bought vineyards and the exclusive Wharekauhau estate in the wine growing and farming region of the Wairarapa, as well as other food and wines investments in the heavily agricultural country, thoroughly enjoying his expensive and expansive boltholes in the country.wharekauhau

 

 

 

Xu Jiayin

Xu Jiayin
Xu Jiayin

The Chinese rich are rapidly discovering New Zealand, one of those first off the mark being Chinese billionaire Xu Jiayin, owner of the Evergrande Group, the second largest property developer in China, owns properties in New Zealand and enjoys the peace of the country and its investment potential also.

 

Ric Kayne

Ric Kayne
Ric Kayne

Billionaire private investor Ric Kayne of Kayne Anderson Private Investors has bought and developed one of the most exclusive golf resorts in the world, at Tara Iti, 70 minutes north of Auckland.

A manager of a multi-billion dollar alternative asset fund, Ric Kayne’s super yacht can be frequently seen in New Zealand waters where he cruises the beautiful coastline and checks on his jewel-in-the-crown golf environment designed to blend into the beauty of its natural environment.

 

Tara Iti
Tara Iti

 

 

 

 

7 Reasons Why New Zealand Makes Sense To Live

And here are 5 reasons why New Zealand may – right now, at least – be the best country in the world to live

1.  Remoteness.

  1. Remoteness.     Okay, so New Zealand is a small country at the bottom of the world, but isn’t that exactly what many people are looking for at a time when Europe – 11,000 miles away –  is swamped by refugee asylum seekers and debts that threaten the survival of whole countries, where the United States is facing a “Fortress Trump” future and where South America is riven by economic and social issues. There’s Asia, of course, but therein lie a raft of issues also, ranging from terrorism to social discord.    Living in a country that is well removed from these issues holds a high level of appeal.

2. Stability.  

New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy, once part of the British Empire and presently a member of the British Commonwealth but governed under the British Westminister system with strong laws and a secure legal and political system.  The politics are central with both major parties occupying center left and center right positions but overlapping so much they could represent the same party in many, major respects.

3. Safety.  

New Zealand is regarded as the third safest country in the world, according to thew 2013 Global Peace Index and safety is something anyone interested in their future will attach the greatest importance to.

4.  Size.

The country itself is not tiny, being about the same size as the UK, but it has just 4.4 million people

5. Lack of corruption.

One of the least corrupt countries in the world, New Zealand offers haven to those seeking honest government and law enforcement. According to Transparency International, New Zealand achieves a 90 per cent score and ranks as one of the least corrupt countries in the world.  Although the country has one of the highest rankings in the OECD of bureaucracies and government departments, its bureaucracy is still efficient and the reigning National Government under John Key, a former investment banker, are slowly unwinding some of the bureaucratic structures and the public service numbers.

6.  Climate.  

The climate in New Zealand is very pleasant, ranging from sub tropical in the north to temperate further south and with ample, unspoiled areas of rainforest, deep bush, beautiful beaches and rivers.  This is a country offering a clean, unspoilt and unpolluted environment that is at once both welcoming and comfortable.  Ample rainfall means the pastures are lush with very few water issues.

7. Business Ease.  

Ranked as the second easiest place in the world to do business (World Bank, 2015 report), including the first in the world for the ease in doing business, New Zealand becomes a no-brainer for entrepreneurs and others seeking a new business and a new life.  The World Bank report also said the country was the second in the world for actually doing business and according to a Forbes ranking in 2014 the third best country for business, behind Hong Kong and Denmark.New Zealand is the second easiest place in the world to do business, according to the World Bank in 2015 (and first for ease of starting a business).Forbes ranked us as the third best country for business in its report of December 2014, just behind Denmark and Hong Kong.New Zealand is second amongst OECD countries for the competitiveness of its taxes overall according to the Tax Foundation’s 2014 International Tax Competitiveness Index (ITCI).The Heritage Foundation in 2015 ranked our economy the third freest in the world.

Living in New Zealand – An alternative worth considering?

>> Live In New Zealand – A Capital Purchase

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