Necker Island (British Virgin Islands) would survive their castaway adventure for at least three weeks, but as McCullin later recounted, "because of our gathering weakness ... out of temper, and out of water, we hoisted the red flag and were taken off in the early hours of the fifteenth day". According to McCullin, there was nothing idyllic about the desert island: "The mosquitos and other insects were more venomous and persistent than any I had encountered in Vietnam or the Congo." Richard Branson's "Extreme Tech Challenge" has been hosted annually at Necker Island since 2015. Described as one of the largest technology competitions in the
Jacques Necker by his contemporaries for his fabulous wealth. He owned a capital of six or eight million livres and used Château de Madrid as a summer house. In 1775, he published his "Essai sur la législation et le commerce des grains", in which he attacked the physiocrats, like Ferdinando Galiani, and questioned the laissez-faire policies of Turgot. In May, after the 'Flour War' Turgot had made too many enemies and was succeeded by Clugny de Nuis, who already died in October. On 22 October 1776 Necker was appointed as the "Directeur du trésor royal" on Maurepas’ recommendation. On 29 June 1777,