Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have quietly continued expanding their massive estate on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, and neighbours are not particularly happy about it.
The couple recently purchased an additional 962 acres of ranch land for more than $65 million, bringing their total holdings on the island to over 2,300 acres. The property’s estimated value is now around $75 million, per the New York Post.
Zuckerberg’s relationship with Kauai began back in 2014 when he started acquiring land on the lush island.
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Zuckerberg's Hawaiian project hits a nerve with many locals
Notably, in 2016, Zuckerberg filed a lawsuit against hundreds of Hawaiians to gain full control of small plots of land, known as kuleana lands, tucked within a 700-acre property he had purchased for $100 million.
These kuleana lands, granted to Native Hawaiians in the 1800s, are often held in shared ownership by extended families, some of whom are unaware of their inheritance. Zuckerberg’s companies filed eight “quiet title” lawsuits.
{{/usCountry}}These kuleana lands, granted to Native Hawaiians in the 1800s, are often held in shared ownership by extended families, some of whom are unaware of their inheritance. Zuckerberg’s companies filed eight “quiet title” lawsuits.
{{/usCountry}}“For most of these folks, they will now receive money for something they never even knew they had. No one will be forced off the land,” Zuckerberg said at the time, per CNBC.
“It is common in Hawaii to have small parcels of land within the boundaries of a larger tract, and for the title to these smaller parcels to have become broken or clouded over time,” his lawyer told CNBC, defending the move.
“Quiet title actions are the standard and prescribed process to identify all potential co-owners, determine ownership, and ensure that, if there are other co-owners, each receives appropriate value for their ownership share.”
Some locals fear the expansion could limit access to ancestral burial sites. Julian Ako, a Native Hawaiian, told Wired, “If they uncover iwi — or bones — it’s going to be a challenge for that to ever become public knowledge.”
Today, Zuckerberg’s Koʻolau Ranch estate features two mansions, guest houses, treehouses, a gym, tennis court, agricultural areas, and even an underground storm shelter. Plans are in place for three more large buildings, totaling 16 bedrooms and bathrooms.
Spokesperson Brandi Hoffine Barr detailed that these new structures will serve as short-term housing for guests, friends, and staff. She added that much of the land is being used for agriculture and conservation, and that plans for luxury housing were scrapped.