Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen purchased the island in 1992. Allen originally intended to build a vacation home on Allan Island, until he bought a separate property in the San Juans in 1996 that he preferred instead.[3] An attempt to sell Allan Island in 2005 for $25 million failed to attract buyers. Allen again tried to sell the island in 2011 for $13.5 million.[1] He finally sold it in December 2013 for $8 million.[4] The current owner of Allen Island is Eric C. Anderson, the co-founder and chairman of Space Adventures, a commercial spaceflight company promoting space tourism.[5]
The island has six beaches, and caretaker's quarters but remains largely undeveloped. Access to the island is by small aircraft landing on a grassy airstrip, or by boat or seaplane mooring to a dock.[6]
