Larry Page applied for $10m NZ residency three months before medevac flight
Friday, 6 August 2021
Reclusive Google billionaire Larry Page applied for a $10million investor visa three months before he came to New Zealand on a medevac flight, Stuff can reveal.
Immigration NZ told Stuff on Friday afternoon that Page, the co-founder of Google and the sixth-richest man in the world, applied for residence under the “Investor Plus” category on November 3.
That category requires applicants to have $10 million to invest in New Zealand over three years.
On January 11, the government received an application for Page’s child to be medevaced from Fiji to New Zealand for medical treatment. The Page family has been spending the Covid-19 pandemic in Fiji.
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He and his child came to New Zealand on a Kiwi air ambulance the following day. Page went into managed isolation at an Auckland hotel, while his child went to Starship children's hospital in Auckland.
A statement attributed to Immigration NZ border and visa operations general manager, Nicola Hogg, said because Page was offshore at the time of his application, it was unable to be processed because of Covid-19 restrictions.
Page's application was approved after he arrived in the country.
“Once Mr Page entered New Zealand his application was able to be processed and it was approved on 4 February 2021,” Hogg said.
“His application included the appropriate documentation necessary and was assessed as meeting immigration requirements.”
Representatives of Page have not responded to repeated requests for comment. He is believed to have left the country and returned to Fiji.
Page is understood to have an interest in Wisk Aviation, which has developed an electric, autonomous aircraft intended for use as an air taxi. The company has its headquarters in the US but has a presence in New Zealand and will trial aircraft here.
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A Wisk spokeswoman refused to comment on its investors.
Page’s interest in the company arises from Kitty Hawk, the aviation company he backs. Wisk, formerly called Zephyr, is a joint venture between Boeing and Kitty Hawk.
It has had a presence in New Zealand since 2016.
Wisk is one of the flagship projects in the New Zealand Government's Innovative Partnership programme.
Air New Zealand and Wisk have signed a memorandum of understanding regarding electric aircraft.
A super yacht called Senses, once owned by Page but reported to have since been sold by the billionaire, remains moored in Whangārei Harbour.
Stuff has been unable to independently confirm whether reports of its sale by Page are accurate.
Several Whangārei shipbuilders have been working on the vessel. They declined to comment, citing non-disclosure agreements.
Senses was formerly owned by late Kiwi businessman Sir Douglas Myers, who sold it to Page in 2011.
The billionaire has links to other New Zealand business magnates, it is understood.
They include Warehouse founder Sir Stephen Tindall, who told Stuff he was aware Page had been in the country because his child was unwell and needed treatment at Starship.
Tindall said Page had left the country “quite a while ago”.
After breaking the news of Page’s previously unheralded visit to New Zealand, Stuff revealed on Friday morning the billionaire’s entourage asked for preferential treatment, including an upgrade, during his stint at an Auckland managed isolation hotel.
After a two-year period, the holder of a resident visa like Page's can apply for permanent residency, Immigration NZ’s statement said.
“Although the holder of resident visas and permanent residents enjoy many of the same privileges - including being able to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely if the holder is in New Zealand - they are different types of visas.
“Resident visas may be subject to conditions which relate to their stay (e.g. the need to maintain an acceptable investment in New Zealand, or to stay in particular employment for a set period of time) and/or travel (i.e. allowing travel to and from New Zealand for a specific period of time).