Motu Tane

Is Motu Tane for sale, and how much does it cost?

Motu Tane is a 9.6 acres developed private island in Bora Bora, French Polynesia, French Polynesia. It is currently offered for sale: US$37,500,000. Tenure is freehold. Foreign ownership is permitted subject to local approvals. This is an editorial profile drawn from public record, clearly attributed, not our listing.

Summary

Motu Tane is arguably the trophy private-island asset of French Polynesia: a freeholdOutright ownership of the land itself, indefinitely — the strongest form of title. motu on the Bora Bora lagoon, formerly owned by cosmetics founder François Nars and comprising twenty-two structures with interiors by Christian Liaigre. It sleeps around twenty across master suites, beach bungalows and guest suites, with a great room, library and commercial kitchen supporting large-scale entertaining. This is not a development site but a finished, design-led estate — the reference point against which other Society Islands offerings are measured, and priced to match.

Land & Waterfront

The motu sits directly on the Bora Bora lagoon with the iconic Mount Otemanu as its backdrop, wrapped in sandy beach and coconut groves. At under ten acres it is intimate rather than expansive, but its position within one of the world's most recognised lagoons gives it a scarcity value that acreage alone cannot. Frontage is calm, swimmable lagoon water with reef beyond, ideally suited to a self-contained family compound where the water is effectively a private extension of the estate.

Access & Utilities

Access is a short ten-minute boat transfer from Bora Bora's main island, itself reached by a lagoon-side airport with regular connections from Papeete. The estate operates as a fully serviced compound with a commercial-grade kitchen and two staff quarters, implying established power, water and waste systems, though a buyer should verify capacity, age and the resilience of those systems given the remote setting. Provisioning and staffing logistics are mature here relative to undeveloped Pacific motus.

Ownership & Use

Tenure is freehold under French law, which permits foreign ownership but layers in a governmental pre-emption right and notary and transfer costs of roughly ten to twelve percent; many buyers hold through a local SCI for tax and succession reasons. The realistic use is a private family retreat or an ultra-discreet rental flagship, given the turnkey condition. One portal has flagged the island as under offerA sale has been agreed and is progressing, but contracts have not completed — it can still fall through., so confirming live availability and pre-emption clearance are the first steps of any approach.

Provenance

Motu Tane was French polar explorer Paul-Émile Victor's home from 1965; NARS Cosmetics founder François Nars acquired it around 2000 (Wikipedia gives 1997) and rebuilt it with designer Christian Liaigre into today's 22-structure estate, listing it for sale by 2016 at $50 million and continuing to market it since at a current $37.5 million.

Specification

Status	Available
Offering	For sale
Region	South Pacific · Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Country	French Polynesia
Size	9.6 acres · 3.9 ha
Tenure	Freehold
Development	Developed
Holding-cost band	High — estate operations
Access	boat
Nearest airport	About a 10-minute boat transfer from Bora Bora's main island and lagoon airport
Power	on-island supply
Water	on-island supply
Communications	mobile
Structures	two master suites, nine beach bungalows, two guest suites, great room seating 36, library, photography studio, commercial kitchen, two staff quarters
Foreign ownership	Permitted (see notes)
Publicly marketed	since 2016

Price record

Documented public figures over time — asking prices, reported sales and reductions, each attributed. This record is maintained editorially and may lag the market.

The full traced record — ownership lineage and every dated event back to the earliest public mention — is in The Ledger, for members.

Legal & Ownership Notes

French Polynesia follows French law; foreigners including non-EU buyers may acquire freehold, but the territorial government holds pre-emption rights and notary and transfer costs run around 10–12%. Ownership is frequently held through a local SCI.

• confirm current status — one portal has listed it under offer
• verify pre-emption clearance and holding-structure tax treatment

Satellite reference: ESRI World Imagery / Google Earth — Motu Tane, Bora Bora, French Polynesia.

Common questions

How much does Motu Tane cost?

Motu Tane is profiled at: US$37,500,000. Figures reflect public record at time of writing and may change; the profile keeps a dated price record.

What tenure does Motu Tane have?

Motu Tane is held on freehold tenure. Always confirm the exact instrument and any remaining term on the title.

Can a foreigner buy Motu Tane?

Foreign buyers may own property here subject to local approvals. French Polynesia follows French law; foreigners including non-EU buyers may acquire freehold, but the territorial government holds pre-emption rights and notary and transfer costs run around 10–12%. Ownership is frequently held through a local SCI.

How do you get to Motu Tane?

Access is by boat. Nearest airport: About a 10-minute boat transfer from Bora Bora's main island and lagoon airport.

How big is Motu Tane?

Motu Tane is approximately 9.6 acres (3.9 hectares).