The name Ian Gowrie Smith is synonymous with the phrase “one of the richest persons we know today.” The Conflict Islands in Papua New Guinea are one of the few freehold atolls that are still in existence, and he is the proud owner of these islands.
The Conflict Islands are a series of 21 coral islands that are privately owned and are located in a gorgeous tropical island paradise. These islands are home to some of the highest levels of marine biodiversity that have ever been documented.
Who Exactly Is Ian Gowrie Smith, Relating to the Conflict Islands?
Ian Gowrie-Smith is a successful businessman who has worked in a number of different industries, including the pharmaceutical industry, the oil and gas industry, and the mining industry. The public market is where Ian focuses his attention when it comes to making investments in private sector opportunities.
His most notable accomplishment is that he established and served as chairman of Skyepharma PLC and Medeva PLC, both of which are pharmaceutical companies with a market value of one billion dollars each. In addition to investing in the mining, oil, and gas industries, Ian is active in the exploration and production of minerals in the countries of Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, and Zambia.
In addition, after being born in Australia, he went to school at Geelong Grammar and then continued his education at Melbourne University. Ian is a philanthropic individual who gives his money and time to a number of different charitable organisations, with a focus on those that improve society in terms of public education and the quality of the environment.
Ian, an ardent environmentalist who was dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of the islands and diversifying a precious ecosystem, purchased the Conflict Islands atoll in Papua New Guinea. Ian’s goal is to protect and preserve the natural beauty of the islands. He is responsible for overseeing volunteer efforts aimed at the research of coral and the preservation of turtles, both of which he initiated through the Conflict Islands Conservation Initiative, which he established.
A Death Has Occurred in the Family of Ian Gowrie Smith’s Spouse
His late wife, Jan Maree Gowrie Smith, was married to Ian Gowrie Smith during their time together as husband and wife. She was taken from us the previous year by unexpected events, but sadly she did not survive. The Sydney Morning Herald has now printed the obituary notice for her that was written there.
Baden, Skye, and Lachlan were her three beautiful children, and she was a mother. In addition, she had a number of grandchildren, including Ava, Maximus, India, Ottilie, Arne, and Viggo.
According to the information provided at the funeral, her sister Dell is the one who misses her the most now that both of her parents have passed away.
On the seventh of January, 2022, at 10.30 in the morning, a Christian burial mass for her was held at the St. Francis of Assisi Church on Oxford Street in Paddington.
According to Wikipedia’s bio, Ian Gowrie Smith Net Worth
The real estate purchases made by Ian Gowrie-real Smith have been extremely diverse, ranging from the buying of a decrepit castle in Lithuania to the purchase of a deserted reserve in the United States.
Despite the fact that he made a significant percentage of his wealth from investments in the mining and pharmaceutical industries, it was his property investments that made it possible for him to live the lifestyle he does at the present time. Nila Sweeney tells his story to the audience.
Gowrie-Smith is the owner of a large number of commercial and residential properties in Australia and other countries. He became wealthy through the development of mining and pharmaceutical industries, which enabled him to acquire a fortune worth multiple billions of dollars. His other prized possession is a group of islands in Papua New Guinea known as the Conflict Islands. These islands are notable for being among the very few freehold atolls that are still in existence around the world.
Gowrie-Smith, just like many other successful businesses, attained success through a combination of hard work and drive. However, he is the first to admit that being in the right place at the right time also played a key influence in his success.
Sucess story of Ian Gowrie Smith-
The scrumptious benefits of possessing a collection of exotic locations
The mega-wealthy and famous have developed something of a fascination with owning an island in an exotic locale. Gowrie-Smith claims that when the chance to buy the Conflict Islands presented itself, he wasn’t even looking to buy one.
He explains, “I was working on oil, gas, and gold exploration in Papua New Guinea when my accountant indicated he was the PNG representative of an elderly couple from Hawaii who were wanting to sell the islands owing to poor health. Despite never having seen them, he assured me that they should be really attractive. I contacted the vendors, and we came to an understanding that I ought to send someone to the islands to provide us with a recent status report.
He went ahead and, in classic Gowrie-Smith form, purchased the islands without having actually seen them after receiving a report from his dependable local researcher.
He was reluctant to reveal the acquisition price, however $25 million was mentioned in certain media sources at the time.
Gowrie-Smith says that his initial impression of the islands was not very favourable. It was a “very gloomy first sight,” he claims, as there was no airfield and he arrived by boat at high tide in the middle of the night.
Fortunately, things got better in the morning, and as the day wore on, he had the chance to take in the islands’ breathtaking beauty and realised he now owned a remarkable property.
I had no notion what an exceptional, rare diamond of an investment I had landed across before, or for a while after, the man claims. I hadn’t realised that these islands were the site of some of the best diving in the entire world or that there are so few complete freehold atolls available for purchase.
Grandiose ideas
The Conflict Islands should ultimately serve the community while preserving its distinctive wildlife, according to Gowrie-Smith.
He needs to recruit like-minded investors who will agree to develop two of the largest islands and make them into a viable tourism attraction in order to realise his lofty goal.
As part of his legacy, he says, “my ambition is to create a select group of like-minded people who wish to protect and enjoy the islands for future generations.” The conservation, protection, and enjoyment of these exquisite islands are open to potential investors and buyers. The preservation of the natural beauty of the islands and the protection of species, as well as environmental consciousness in the design and operation, are essential.
Opportunities for investment include purchasing individual islands or plots for private luxury mansions, as well as joint ownership and development of the atoll as a whole.
“Hamilton Island in Queensland, where they built an airfield so you can fly out of any capital city in Australia and land on the island, is the closest illustration of what we can finally become. It becomes much more accessible if we build runways on the two largest islands, Panasesa and Irai. It would still only take between 45 and 90 minutes, respectively, even if we relied just on the already-existing airport in Alotau in Milne Bay, the man says.
Assisting the community
Naturally, it would be difficult to persuade others of your dedication to sustainability when you’ve gained your money by destroying forests to extract oil and gas.
However, Gowrie-Smith was unwavering in his belief that he should affect other people’s lives. I guess there comes a time in life when it becomes more important than ever to aid people, he says.
Speaking with some of the local dancers who travelled by sailboat for about nine hours, some of whom are young, intelligent, and well-spoken men and women who live a subsistence existence because they lack the means to do otherwise, has made my case even more essential.
Gowrie-goal Smith’s for the Conflict Islands, which he bought from the previous owner about nine years ago, was to transform them into a centre of sustainable tourism, with the aim that this will help the locals of the neighbouring islands support themselves.
Gowrie-Smith asserts that the choice to do nothing is not an option. These islands will deteriorate to the point where the biodiversity and world-class corals will vanish if we don’t take action.
Success formula
Like many great businesspeople, Gowrie-Smith achieved success through a mix of hard work and drive, while he is the first to admit that being in the right place at the right time played a significant role in his success.
“I would frequently assert that I owe more of my success to luck than to wise decision-making, but I actively position myself to benefit from serendipity. I’m lucky occasionally, but sometimes I’m not. However, many fortunate and wealthy people lack both intelligence and diligence. I have a good deal of affluent acquaintances, and I have to admit that some of them were fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right moment. Some of these individuals choose to be where they are, while other times a significant amount of chance has played a role.
“Yes, having passion is essential. While this does not imply that you will always be correct, you must approach problems with vigour and, frequently, a certain amount of naivete. Because you wouldn’t proceed if you knew how high the obstacles were in your way. You won’t have the willpower to achieve it until you’ve overcome obstacles, become accustomed to doing so, and developed the enthusiasm to overcome the last one.
I suppose you could argue that I have discipline. I also had the drive and was eager to work hard.