Chilling history behind world’s most expensive island that no one lives on after being sold for $30,000,000

The world's most expensive island is doing wonders for scientific exploration but has no permanent residents and comes with a fair few ghost stories.

Splashing out a staggering $30 million on an island only to leave it with no permanent residents? While I would pay a lot to get some peace and quiet away from any other person, for that much? It doesn't seem to make much sense.

However, there's a reason Palmyra Island lies empty despite being bought for $30 million - and it's not just to do with some rather ominous historical tales about it.

Would you visit Palmyra Atoll? (Getty Images/ Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times)

Palmyra Island and its unusual set-up

Palmyra Island - also known as Palmyra Atoll - 'lies 352 nautical miles north of the equator, about 120 miles northwestward of Washington Island, 200 miles northwest of Fanning Island, 33 miles southeastward of Kingman Reef and 960 miles south by west of Honolulu'.

The island ended up heavily polluted as a result of being a former US military base in World War Two and after its environment regrew, it was bought by The Nature Conservancy in 2000 from the Fullard-Leos Family for a whopping $30 million.

While it's now blooming with life in terms of wildlife and nature, it's reported there's no permanent population on the island, just various researchers who come and go to study its environment as well as the odd tourist here and there.

The island is helping scientists study how ecosystems can revive and is helping inform important research on climate change too however, despite its positive impact on science, that's not stopped the island being shrouded in several spine-chilling historical tales.

The island is aiding scientists' understanding of ecosystems and climate change (Getty Stock Images/ Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times)

Palmyra Island's dark history

As an expensive island which has sat without permanent residents for so long, it's only natural Palmyra comes with a ghost story or two.

Author Curt Rowlett dives into the 'Palmyra Curse' in his Rowlett Report and the fact the island has a 'supernatural pattern of disaster and near-disaster associated with' it.

Rowlett draws on accounts from yachtsmen who visited the island who reported 'a foreboding feeling' on it alongside the island being 'threatening'.

It's reported the island was first found by accident in 1798 by American sea captain Edmond Fanning. While his ship was on the way to Asia, Fanning is said to have woken up to find himself having moved from his bed to being on the ship's deck, believing a 'supernatural intervention' had led him there.

In 1816, a Spanish pirate ship ended up going down after battling another vessel, some of those onboard making it to Palmyra with treasure which they're said to have buried there - although no silver or gold has ever been found. The survivors then tried to sail to find help on rafts but all reportedly died.

Several murders are also alleged to have taken place connected to the island including the murders of a sailing couple in 1974 - skeletal remains later showing up exhibiting signs one of the victims had been 'shot or bludgeoned to death', their body 'dismembered' and then 'burned'.

Throw in reports of people sailing past the island and hearing 'singing hippies' and reports of psychic vibes radiating from the island and well, it's just as well no one permanently lives there.