How NY’s Billionaires Bend Their Social Calendars to Suit Covid

By: Enrique Gomez

If you feel like the pandemic has been ruling your schedule, you’re not alone.

The Coronavirus pandemic has changed a lot of things and disrupted many plans during the past ten months. Even billionaires got their tuxes ruffled. The global health threat has disrupted the social calendars of even the superrich, their regular trips overseas, and the seasonal real estate rental markets.

“The travel patterns of the extremely wealthy have been thrown into a tailspin because of Covid,” said Tony Abrams, founder of Four Hundred, a membership-based concierge and travel company which boasts having over 75 billionaires as clients. “Most of their go-to events like Basel have been canceled, and border restrictions prevent them from going to their usual international haunts.”

As per the NY Post, New York has roughly 113 billionaires, and most of them have been figuring out new routines for their leisure time, the same as the rest of us. “In the past, I’ve gone to Europe over the summer, and the people who chartered from me would normally be in St. Tropez instead of New England,” said Jim Glidewell, owner of Glidewell Dental Laboratories, a demi-billionaire. Last summer, Glidewell’s spent much of his leisure time in New England on his 161-foot, five-bedroom superyacht, which he named Zoom Zoom Zoom. When he wasn’t cruising around, he rented it out to New York hedge funders at $165,000 for a weekly charter. “Going clamming, watching sunsets and drinking expensive wine is about as action packed as it’s gotten,” he said.

Billionaires generally seek out the privacy of a villa rather than luxe hotels, and that has not changed much. The hot spots this winter are St. Barts, and Palm Beach, FL. “St. Bart’s has always been hot, but this year it’s on fire because it’s one of the handful of places that’s open to visitors,” said Abrams. “It’s a place with great beaches and restaurants and gorgeous villas.” These already costly real estate markets have seen prices jump since the pandemic began, thanks to a lack of other options.

Aspen, Colo., will be an especially popular destination this spring for restless 1 percenters. Jeff Bezos, John Paulson and Kris, Kendall and Kylie are a few of the high profile names who will be enjoying private homes in Aspen. Four Peaks Ranch in Snowmass, is also a viable option, with prices at roughly $20,000 a night.

Real estate experts predict this summer will likely be a repeat of last. Hamptons and Malibu will fill in for the French Riviera and the Amalfi Coast for those who have deep pockets, as Covid-19 continues to pose a risk.