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“Top Gun: Maverick” actor Tom Cruise allegedly had a vehicular accident on the island of Lanai, according to a recent article in Bloomberg. Shortly after Oracle founder Larry Ellison bought the island in 2012, Cruise vacationed there. Residents recall that Cruise borrowed one of Ellison’s vehicles, a Toyota Land Cruiser, to explore the breathtaking terrain on primarily unpaved roads and reportedly flipped and totaled the SUV.

Where was Tom Cruise driving a Toyota Land Cruiser?

Tom Cruise driving
Tom Cruise stunt double driving in movie scene | Getty

Billionaire Ellison bought the island in 2012 for $300 million. But news of Cruise’s accident has only surfaced now after a Bloomberg cover story about the transformations that have occurred in the decade since the tech titan bought the tiny island. With those changes has come a focus on protecting the privacy of visitors. Lanai is one of the hardest-to-reach regions in the United States and has few accommodations unless you want to pay thousands per night for a resort room. This appeals to vacationers like Jessica Alba, Will Smith, and Cindy Crawford, who crave the beauty of a more-untouched and unpopulated Hawaii without the disturbance of paparazzi. Much of the Bloomberg article focuses on the island’s changes in 10 years, spurred by recent headlines and reports of longtime residents and families having to relocate to Hawaii’s other islands due to a lack of employment and affordable housing.

Sources interviewed for Bloomberg claim that island overhauls have transformed it into more of a destination for the wealthy.

Soon after buying Lanai, Ellison established Pulama Lanai, a management company that oversees Lanai’s transformation. Residents and workers interviewed for the Bloomberg piece say the remote island is becoming more exclusive as real estate prices soar. Lanai is about 90,000 acres and has approximately 3,000 residents. Known as the Pineapple Island, it now boasts two Four Seasons resorts and a Nobu restaurant, along with other commercial and residential buildings and businesses. Since purchasing 98 percent of Lanai (the state owns the remaining 2 percent), Ellison has invested in renovation and construction projects, along with desalination, a Tesla charging station, and a hydroponic farm, with a goal of making it a completely green, environmental community. Islanders report an increase in yachts and private jets visiting Lanai–a change from its onetime laid-back and more simple existence.

What happened after the Land Cruiser accident?

Tom Cruise driving
Tom Cruise drives during the filming of a movie scene | Getty

Bloomberg confirmed with a number of residents about the Cruise accident. Because most of the roads on Lanai are unpaved, driving the island is a challenge. Pulama Lani reportedly cleaned up after the accident and recycled the wreckage. No police reports were filed, according to Bloomberg. That’s because there were no apparent injuries in the Land Cruiser accident, and Lanai is considered private property. Sources who were interviewed by Bloomberg reporters did so by requesting anonymity. 

The Lanai Four Seasons, the Maui Police Department–which has jurisdiction over the island–along with representatives for Pulama Lanai, Ellison, and Cruise, did not respond to requests for comments according to Bloomberg. At the time of Cruise’s visit, a couple of employees of the Four Seasons hotel were allegedly suspended for inadvertently revealing the actor was on the island, says Bloomberg.

Why wasn’t there a report of the accident?

Discontinued SUVs that should make a comeback
The Toyota Land Cruiser SUV driving through dirt | Toyota

Transportation on Lanai includes riding horses, e-bikes brought over from Maui, gleaming white rental Jeeps, sailing, and hiking.

Not one usually associated with a Land Cruiser, action star Cruise has a vast car and motorcycle collection, including a Bugatti Veyron, which is considered one of the fastest cars in the world. The actor also owns a 1958 C1 Chevrolet Corvette, a 1949 Buick Roadmaster, and a 996 Porsche 911.

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