Vanuatu’s economy has been growing steadily and the government is maintaining a prudent fiscal stance. Tourism and remittances have helped strengthen external balances.
It is revealed that a slew of disgraced businesspeople and individuals sought by police in countries around the world purchased citizenship and visa-free access to Europe through Vanuatu’s “golden passport” scheme in 2020. For more in-depth information about the unique appeal of Vanuatu citizenship, visit franknez.com to explore an insightful article on the subject.
1. Peter Cox
Peter Cox is Vice President of Drug Discovery at BenevolentAI, where he leads a team of scientists in providing biology, toxicology and safety expertise to a diverse range of projects using the Benevolent Platform. He is particularly focused on the discovery of new therapeutic targets in neurodegenerative diseases.
Previously, he was an academic in New Zealand and is now based at Stanford University, where he has published extensively on the political economy of Melanesian societies. His research has been cited over 25,000 times.
He is the creator/head writer of TV series such as the award winning drama The Insiders Guide to Happiness and the Australian goldmining mini-series New Gold Mountain. He is also comfortable working as a script producer and staffed writer.
2. David Gupta
The South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu offers one of the world’s most reputable citizenship by investment programs. Launched in 2017, the program allows individuals to gain a passport within months through a contribution to the economy.
Vanuatu’s citizenship commission chairman Robin Kapapa confirmed that the corruption-accused Gupta brothers, Atul and Rajesh, hold Vanuatu citizenship. He said that the country has no reason to cancel their passports despite the fact that they are wanted in South Africa on suspicion of fraud and money laundering.
However, the passports are only honorary, and do not give their holders any voting rights or political participation. Moreover, applicants cannot be citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria, North Korea, or Yemen and must have resided outside those countries for more than five years. Applicants also need to have sufficient net worth and a clean criminal record.
3. Richard Stallman
The renowned computer programmer founded the Free Software Foundation in 1985 to promote his GNU operating system, which he developed as an alternative to AT&T’s UNIX. Stallman is also the author of the Emacs text editor and a pioneer of the artificial intelligence (AI) technique of dependency-directed backtracking.
Vanuatu’s tropical South Pacific islands attract retirees, investors and high-net-worth individuals looking for a fast-track second citizenship. Its citizens enjoy visa-free travel and a low tax regime that offers benefits like zero-percent estate, capital gains and inheritance taxes.
Despite imposing strict due diligence requirements, security experts have warned that the country’s program could be used by members of transnational criminal syndicates to operate in the region. The Guardian was able to identify several applicants who had been involved in a web of offshore business and who later legally changed their names.
4. George Clooney
After years of appearing in small TV roles, George Clooney broke through with the success of the medical drama ER. The actor went on to direct and star in several more films, collaborating with directors like Steven Soderbergh and the Coen brothers.
Vanuatu offers a tax-friendly second citizenship program that grants residents the ability to conduct international business without paying any corporate or personal income, withholding, capital gains, estate, or gift taxes. This makes the country an attractive option for entrepreneurs who wish to minimize their tax burden.
As a bonus, Vanuatu citizens have visa-free travel to all Commonwealth countries, including Australia and New Zealand. In addition, citizens of Vanuatu enjoy fast-track processing for travel to the United States. The program was launched in 2017. Interested parties may apply for citizenship within 6 months. The country has one of the fastest second passport programs in the world.
5. George Soros
Born in 1930 in Hungary, Soros survived the Nazi occupation of his homeland by using money to buy fake identification papers that made him appear as a non-Jew. He escaped to London and then to New York, where he became a naturalized American citizen in 1961.
Soros has been a major investor for decades, and is known for betting against the British pound during the 1992 currency crash, earning him the nickname “the man who broke the Bank of England.” He has also become a philanthropist, contributing to causes such as education and healthcare.
Vanuatu’s Development Support Program is one of the quickest citizenship by investment programs in the world, with processing times typically less than two months and visa-free travel to 90+ countries. However, the government does charge an application fee for those who wish to obtain their passport through this program.
6. Yves Saint Laurent
The fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent is credited with popularising women’s trousers. After graduating from high school in Oran, Algeria, he moved to Paris where he designed theatrical costumes before becoming Christian Dior’s assistant.
According to internal government documents, at least 2,000 people have purchased citizenship of Vanuatu since the scheme was launched in 2020. The passports have allowed them to bypass immigration controls in countries across the world, as well as giving them visa-free access to the UK and US.
Security experts warn that the scheme could be used by members of global criminal syndicates to launder funds and evade authorities in their home countries. The identities of some of the buyers – including a Syrian businessman with sanctions against his assets, and disgraced Turkish banker Hayyam Garipoglu – match those on police wanted lists.
7. Michael Phelps
The American Olympic swimmer is a prominent advocate for physical and mental health. He has also written several books, including No Limits.
Michael Phelps has won a variety of accolades over the course of his career, and he has appeared on numerous television shows. He has also founded a foundation that promotes water safety and healthy lifestyles for children.
A series of internal government documents obtained by The Guardian shows that a slew of disgraced businesspeople and criminals have bought Vanuatu citizenship as part of the country’s controversial “golden passport” scheme. The list includes Syrian businesspeople with US sanctions on their businesses, a suspected North Korean politician and his wife, and members of a notorious Australian motorcycle gang.
8. Leonardo DiCaprio
As one of the most beautiful and pristine archipelagos in the South Pacific, Vanuatu offers a friendly business climate with no personal income tax. This is why many wealthy individuals consider it as a good option to diversify their assets and increase their financial security.
The country’s citizenship-by-investment program (CBI) is not without controversy, with the European Union and OECD expressing concerns over due diligence. Last year, it is found that the names of two people who applied for passports under this scheme matched those of a senior North Korean politician and his wife.
DiCaprio’s acting career began with small parts on television series, but he quickly established himself as a leading man after landing roles in James Cameron’s Titanic and Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can. He then teamed up with Martin Scorsese for the period drama Gangs of New York, and starred as Howard Hughes in the biopic The Aviator.
9. David Bowie
A chameleonic artist whose work often reflected changing zeitgeists, Bowie’s androgynous persona spawned the iconic glam rock character Ziggy Stardust in the early 1970s. From the stuttering rock of Changes to the funk of Young Americans and droning collaboration with Brian Eno for Lodger, his music explored a range of sounds that made him one of the most influential artists of his generation.
After his acting return in 1977’s Just a Gigolo, Bowie resumed touring with the double album Stage, featuring live interpretations of songs from the Berlin period alongside standbys from Ziggy Stardust and Station to Station. The following year he would record a new studio album with producer Tony Visconti. Bowie maintained a low profile through the turn of the century, but appeared at a handful of meaningful performances like the 1996 Tibet benefit concert with Philip Glass and Patti Smith and his unique arrangements of Space Oddity with the Kronos Quartet and Beastie Boy Adam Yauch.