MATTHIAS KUHN

GERMAN REAL-ESTATE KING
MATTHIAS KUHN
SHOWS US AROUND HIS
EXCLUSIVE RETREAT — TAGOMAGO,
THE BALEARICS’ ONLY PRIVATE ISLAND
Matthias is the international property
mogul behind this 400,000m2 isle just off
Ibiza, renovating the property since its
acquisition four years ago. Inset: the
51-year-old, whose clients reportedly
include Boris Becker and Michael Douglas,
steps out of his private helicopter
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‘Tagomago simply radiates peace.
You never want to leave’
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Above: the island’s luxury
compound, with Ibiza in the
backdrop. On the left, a pair of
teepees that serve as playhouses
for Matthias’s two sons. Inset:
Tagomago’s small harbour, the only
access point by sea
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Each of the five bedrooms has its
own colour scheme: the master
bedroom (above) is yellow, and guest
rooms come in red, white and blue.
Lime (not pictured) marks the
children’s territory
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All the bedrooms are decorated in relaxing white —
each featuring a different dramatic pop of colour
would have meant a massive failure.
Finally, I sold my fi rst apartment to an
Austrian guy who I’d cornered in the
street.”
You didn’t have an offi ce?
“I didn’t have anything. Just a table
and computer in my mother’s house,
which was where I was living. Two or
three years went by before I was able
to open the fi rst real-estate offi ce. I
spent many years promoting Majorca
in Germany.”
So you could say you’re responsible
for people saying: “Majorca belongs
to the Germans”!
[Laughs]. “No, not at all. Just the
opposite. Majorca belongs to anyone
who’s in love with this marvellous
island, and I happen to count myself
among them.”
And then one day, Tagomago entered
your life.
“I live in Palma, Majorca, and instead
of having a holiday home like so
many people, I prefer to go off on a
boat whenever I can to get away from
it all. And one of my favourite trips
has always been sailing from Majorca
to Formentera – invariably passing by
Tagomago.
“Five or six years ago, I said to
myself, ‘On the way back, I’m going
to visit that island.’ But in the end I
didn’t dare to go without getting
permission – it’s a private island
– although I could have docked
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Though he has been leaving his mark on the Balearics’ property
scene for two decades now, it was only four years ago that he took
on Tagomago. Below: the island’s 101-year-old lighthouse. Plans
are in place to restore the quaint cottages that sit at its base
‘When I fi rst saw this island, I was amazed...
you can virtually reach out and touch Ibiza,
and it has extraordinary fl ora and fauna’
at the pier because that’s open to the
public.”
So in the end did you sail, or go in
your helicopter?
“In my helicopter, but only after
arranging an appointment on the
phone with the owner, a German
duchess.”
And you arrived at the island like a
German Robinson Crusoe.
“I was amazed, honestly. I loved it. A
private island next to Ibiza! The
house was Seventies-style and showed
all the signs of not having been lived
in for a long time. We came to an
agreement and the deal was done
four years ago.”
Did you begin renovating it
immediately?
“No. First I saw it with some friends
to decide what to do. Then, with the
help of interior designer Olga Ferrer,
we got the work under way. It’s turned
out beautifully, although there are
still a few tiny things to be sorted
out.
“While we were in the middle of
all the work, a famous German
journalist – a close friend of mine –
rang me to say she’d like to get
married in Tagomago because she
wanted total privacy. There’s only
one place where you can access the
island from the sea.”
And it’s not very big.
“It’s 40 hectares, 400,000m 2 . You can
walk around it in an hour.”
You can virtually reach out and touch
Ibiza.
“Yes, that too. You’ve got total privacy
and security but you’re not isolated
because the island’s only a kilometre
from Ibiza. Tagomago simply radiates
peace. The feeling of balance and
tranquillity makes you never want to
leave. Apart from using it, the plan is
to rent it out.”
There’s even a lighthouse.
“Correct. It’s 101 years old and is very
picturesque. There are two cottages
where the old lighthouse keepers
lived with their families. We’re now
going to renovate them through my
new Tagomago Island Foundation
for environmental and nature
projects.
“The island has extraordinary
flora and fauna. We’ve taken great
care of the environment.”
You’ve branched out as a real-estate
developer. Can you tell us about
that?
“Well, we specialise in luxury homes
and have carried out some truly
emblematic projects on Majorca.”
If your two sons have inherited your
tenacity, they’ll do well.
“I can’t say that for sure just yet. But
I’ve lived through a different era to
them. What I can say is that they’re
great lads...
“I’ve always tried to make them
appreciate the many blessings they
have in their lives... to make sure
they keep their feet on the
ground.”
H
PHOTOS: JAVIER ALONSO, PABLO
ROBLES AND KLAUS SIEPMANN
STYLING: ANNA Y HOLMSTROM
CO-ORDINATION: MARIA EUGENIA YAGUE
www.tagomago-island.com
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‘Tagomago’s previous owner was a duchess...
Here, you’ve got total privacy and security’
he honorary title of Ambassador
Tto Majorca would certainly suit
real-estate ‘kaiser’ Matthias Kühn –
who made his name in his native
Germany and, above all, in Spain’s
beautiful Balearic islands, with his
company Kühn & Partner. Tall, wellbuilt,
blond and enterprising,
Matthias revolutionised the idea of
luxury living in the Mediterranean
archipelago, where he has 17 offi ces
on Ibiza and Majorca.
The father of two sons, 51-yearold
Matthias is a sports lover and
avid fan of diving, golf, skiing and
tennis (he was the tennis champion
of Hamburg, where he was born).
He personally takes care of the sale
of those luxury homes valued at
more than £9 million, and it’s wellknown
that there are plenty of VIPs
among his friends and clients, from
sports stars to businessmen and
politicians. Among them, reportedly,
are tennis champion Boris Becker
and fi lm star Michael Douglas.
Although real estate is Matthias’s
speciality, his company has been
branching out into other areas. In
1999, he launched the Matthias
Kühn Foundation, aimed at
developing relations between native
Majorcans and other residents of
the island.
Here Matthias speaks to hello!
and takes us to his private paradise,
the isle of Tagomago, situated just a
kilometre from Ibiza – an idyllic spot
where you can dream beneath the
stars.
Matthias, your life hasn’t always
been this luxurious. Tell us your
story.
“I was born in Hamburg in 1958.
Two years later, my grandfather
bought a house in Majorca.”
So your love affair with the Balearic
islands goes way back?
“From that moment, you could say.
We used to holiday in Spain two or
three times a year and as I got older,
The island’s 1970s-style villa had been in less than stellar condition, but, with the help of designer Olga
Ferrer, Matthias, seen right, next to the pool, transformed it into an ultra-modern hideaway with a
minimalist interior. Below right: the salon, which can be opened to seamlessly connect to the spacious
outdoor terrace. The open-air concept continues in the dining area (below)
a piece of my heart started to stay in
Majorca. Since then I’ve always felt
at home here.”
And when did you set your sights on
Majorca, businesswise?
“Well, the resort of Puerto Portals,
built in the Eighties, marked
Majorca taking off as a destination
for high-end tourism. I thought the
island could become a kind of
European Florida because of its
location and the infl ux of wealthy
tourists.”
So you got straight to work...
“Yes. In 1987, seeing how Majorca
was becoming fashionable in
Germany – and having worked in a
new-technologies fi rm where I had
lots of possibilities – I decided to
head to the island. I arrived with a
computer, my car and £13,000, all I
had in the bank. My only thought
was to work and carve a niche for
myself in the world of real estate.”
So you were on your own?
“Yes, it was just me – I wasn’t
receiving financial support from
my parents. Nearly a year went by
without me selling anything.”
You could have gone home.
“Never. I’m a fi ghter and that
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