They bought a Caribbean island to start their own country. Heres how they did it – Deseret News

The idea of owning a tropical island may seem unachievable but this group of travelers made it happen by purchasing Coffee Caye, making it the worlds first crowdfunded island.

Who wouldnt want to buy an island? said Marshall Mayer, per CNN Travel,

And I dont know about you but I certainly cant afford to buy an island on my own!

How it happened: Mayer is the co-founder of Lets Buy an Island, a project started in 2018 with the goal of purchasing an island. In 2019, this group of 80 investors raised over $250,000, enough to buy the Coffee Caye island.

Details: A short boat ride from Belize City, the uninhabited 1.2-acre island is almost shaped like a coffee bean, with a small beach on one side and scrub and mangroves on the other.

What theyre saying: Marshall Mayer, co-founder and co-chairman of the Lets Buy an Island board, toldTravel + Leisure, Many of the initial investors were really into traveling off the beaten track, including to places where there were micronations, and they were interested in (creating) an island where you can make your own rules and laws.

But we are a tongue-in-cheek micronation falling squarely within the laws of Belize, stressed Mayer.

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They bought a Caribbean island to start their own country. Heres how they did it - Deseret News