After a bombshell court ruling last week, she is under pressure to repay millions of pounds to the UK taxpayer.But Michelle Mone, it seems, has other plans for some of her and her businessman husband’s cash.For Baroness Mone – who is also facing calls to quit the House of Lords over her role in the Government wasting a fortune on inadequate protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic – has told friends she is relocating to an ultra-exclusive area of America nicknamed ‘Billionaire Island’.The 53-year-old former bra tycoon and her husband Doug Barrowman want to set up home in a tiny and secluded private community for the mega-wealthy in the Miami area off the Florida coast.Fisher Island – accessible only by boat or helicopter – is ranked as one of the richest places in the US in terms of per capita income and boasts some of the country’s most expensive houses.Its dazzling list of celebrity property owners includes Hollywood legends Julia Roberts and Mel Brooks, chat show queen Oprah Winfrey, and multi-billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. One friend of Baroness Mone said: ‘Fisher Island really is an amazing place to live. She’s very excited about it.’On Wednesday, after a crushing defeat in the High Court, PPE Medpro, which is owned by a consortium led by Scots businessman Mr Barrowman, was ordered to repay £122 million to the Government for surgical gowns bought when Covid struck in 2020. Michelle Mone and Doug Barrowman could soon rub shoulders with some of America’s wealthiest people Ultra-exclusive Fisher Island can be reached only by boat or helicopterA judge ruled that the 25 million Chinese-made gowns had not been properly sterilised.Mrs Justice Cockerill said Glasgow-born Baroness Mone, who was given her peerage by David Cameron in 2015, had referred PPE Medpro to the Government via the so-called ‘VIP lane’ for PPE providers on the very day that the company was created in May 2020.After the ruling, Chancellor Rachel Reeves demanded the company repay the cash in full, saying: ‘We want our money back. We are getting our money back.’PPE Medpro is supposed to repay all £122 million by 4pm on October 15. However, the firm has filed for administration, meaning that recovering the funds could prove impossible.Meanwhile, families who lost loved ones during the pandemic demanded Baroness Mone be stripped of her peerage.The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK campaign group said: ‘Greed and corruption during the pandemic have cost lives.‘Baroness Mone should have no role in making and passing the laws we all live under. Her title must be revoked.’Baroness Mone and her husband, also originally from Glasgow, reportedly reaped profits of £60 million-plus from Government PPE contracts totalling £200 million. The couple currently face a criminal investigation over allegations of ‘pandemic profiteering’, which they deny.Pending the National Crime Agency’s probe, the pair – who married in a lavish ceremony on the Isle of Man in November 2020 – had £75 million of assets frozen.However, the move apparently hasn’t stopped them house-hunting in the Florida sunshine.Fisher Island, covering just 216 acres, was once home to the Vanderbilt family – who were famous both for their vast wealth and the opulence of their lifestyle. In the 1980s it was developed into an exclusive residential enclave, home to just 800 or so families.Chat show queen Oprah Winfrey (left) and actress Julia Roberts are among celebrities who own homes on the secluded isleEarlier this year, the island was ranked by a property website as the most expensive postcode in the US, with a median listing price of $11.9 million (around £8.8m).Isaac Toledano, CEO of a construction firm with properties on the island, explained its appeal.He said: ‘If you can afford to live on the water, this is the perfect American dream. It has everything – the marina, the tennis courts, the club, tons of amenities.‘Every day, we have new millionaires and billionaires. Obviously, buying luxury real estate and enjoying life – it’s something that makes a lot of sense.’In June, The Scottish Mail on Sunday revealed that Baroness Mone and Mr Barrowman were looking to start a new life in Florida and had offloaded some of their British property empire.Records showed they sold two Glasgow townhouses, making £2 million in profit, while a mews house in London linked to Baroness Mone’s son Declan’s company was also sold for £2.185 million to a Middle Eastern royal.The couple last year also sold their £19 million London townhouse as well as a £6.8 million yacht called Lady M.Representatives for Baroness Mone declined to respond to a request for comment.
Michelle Mone and husband want to move to community for mega-wealthy
After a bombshell court ruling last week, Michelle Mone is under pressure to repay millions of pounds to the UK taxpayer.














