Baroness Bra of ‘Billionaire Island’: Lingerie tycoon Michelle Mone snaps up £10million home in ultra-exclusive Florida enclave as ministers demand she and husband repay £122million after PPE scandal

It is under pressure to repay tens of millions of pounds to UK taxpayers following a bombshell court ruling over the PPE scandal; But Michelle Mone clearly has other ideas for some of her and husband Douglas Barrowman’s money.

Speculation has been swirling that the former lingerie mogul has moved to America – and now The Mail on Sunday can reveal the couple have bought a four-bedroom, five-bathroom flat on Florida’s Fisher Island worth £10 million; This apartment is an extremely private haven nicknamed ‘Billionaire Island’.

The Glasgow-born couple bought the spacious luxury flat in July, just three mFonths before the High Court ordered PPE Medpro, owned by a consortium led by Mr Barrowman, to repay the Government £122 million for substandard surgical gowns supplied during Covid.

The small, secluded island, accessible only by boat or helicopter, ranks as one of the wealthiest places in the United States in terms of per capita income and is home to some of the country’s most expensive homes.

The dazzling list of celebrity owners includes Hollywood legends Julia Roberts and Mel Brooks, as well as chat show queen Oprah Winfrey. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also has a home nearby.

The MoS understands the pair must go through a strict review process before the sale is approved by a committee of the elite Fisher Island Club, which oversees the operation of the area.

Located in a private beachfront building, the approximately 5,000-square-foot corner apartments feature a wraparound terrace with stunning views of Miami Beach, Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. This state-of-the-art apartment features a private elevator entrance and a kitchen with artisan-designed features, granite countertops and state-of-the-art appliances.

Mr Barrowman, a keen golfer, has access to a nine-hole course just minutes from his door, while Baroness Mone, 54, can explore the compound’s fitness center and hair salon. A number of sources spotted the duo at the island’s upscale restaurants.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal Mone and husband Douglas Barrowman bought a £10 million four-bedroom, five-bathroom flat on Florida’s Fisher Island (pictured)

Although the couple have sold the £6.8 million 40ft yacht Lady M, there are also two marinas in the area.

The revelations come after this newspaper revealed Lady Mone, who faces calls to leave the Lords over her connection to the PPE scandal, wants to flee the UK.

She and Mr Barrowman, 60, have begun offloading parts of their British property empire, including £19 million London townhouses and two properties in Glasgow.

Mark Williams-Thomas, representing Lady Mone, told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Barrowman’s firm had bought the property and the couple had stayed there occasionally during renovations.

He said: ‘Mr Barrowman is a professional investor who has bought and sold all types of assets for the last 35 years. ‘His group’s real estate arm recently purchased a property on Fisher Island in Miami with the intention of renovating and then reselling.’

Earlier this month, a judge ruled that 25 million Chinese-made surgical gowns supplied by PPE Medpro were not properly sterilized when the Covid outbreak occurred in 2020. Lady Mone, who was adopted as a peer by David Cameron in 2015, was said to have recommended the company to the Government via the so-called ‘VIP route’ on the day PPE Medpro was created in May 2020.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves demanded the company refund the money in full, saying: ‘We want our money back.’

PPE Medpro missed the October 15 deadline for payment and the firm has filed for administration, so recovering the funds may be impossible. Lawyers claimed the firm had been “singled” and that the gowns had become defective because the NHS had not stored them properly.

The Fisher Island condo was sold by real estate agent Jill Eber, who cited client confidentiality when asked about the sale.