Here’s where the 16-room resort is located.
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The raffled off island of Kosrae in Micronesia, barely even visible on a map, is now owned by a man identified as Joshua.
It was the Beitzes eldest son Adam who hatched up the novel idea of starting a raffle at AUS$49 (RM149) a ticket to sell off the property, which would let the Beitzes pay it forward to someone “young and naïve” just like they were when they first came to the island.
Tens of thousands of people from all over the world reached into their pockets for the $49 entry fee, the Guardian reports.
Doug and Sally Beitz established Kosrae Nautilus Resort in 1994 after becoming sick of the “corporate rat-race” in Australia. “We’ve had our time in the sun and enjoyed a career most people would never even dare dream about, but our current goal now is to become professional grandparents”.
Doug Beitz said that the inspiration behind the raffle was a desire to hand off the resort to someone who really wanted it – not just the highest bidder.
After receiving over 75,000 entrants from over 150 different countries, the draw was held yesterday, and Joshua is the lucky victor.
“We’ve tried to market it in a way where we are attracting people like ourselves”, said Doug Beitz, a former firefighter. “Your life is about to change in a very special way!”.
“It was a real unknown for us but it worked out wonderfully”.
Kosrae is the second-largest island of the Federated States of Micronesia, a sub-region of Oceania.
Officials of the remote Irish island Inishturk are urging Americans who are terrified at the thought of Donald Trump becoming president to consider a move to their small community.
As the winning ticket holder in Tuesday night’s draw, Joshua – who is hanging onto his anonymity, for now – now owns the Beitz family’s 16-room Kosrae Nautilus Resort and associated scuba diving business, both fully staffed and debt-free.
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However, if Joshua is not prepared to run the resort himself, the website suggests he employ someone to manage it on his behalf.
