{"id":315114,"date":"2026-04-20T12:00:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T11:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=315114"},"modified":"2026-04-18T05:06:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T04:06:43","slug":"the-complete-list-of-what-billionaires-own-in-hawaii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2026\/04\/the-complete-list-of-what-billionaires-own-in-hawaii\/","title":{"rendered":"The Complete List of What Billionaires Own in Hawaii"},"content":{"rendered":"
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by Creative Fabrica<\/p><\/div>\n

Updated 2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Just 37 billionaires now control more than 218,000 acres of Hawaii. That\u2019s 11% of all private land in the state \u2013 and the actual number is almost certainly higher because these buyers hide behind shell companies with Hawaiian-sounding names.<\/p>\n

After 30 years on Oahu, I\u2019ve watched this unfold in real-time. But what happened in 2025 changed everything.<\/p>\n

The Numbers Behind the Billionaire Land Grab Are Staggering<\/h2>\n

Forbes spent months digging through thousands of property records across all six major islands in 2024. What they found shook people.<\/p>\n

Those 37 people equal just 0.003% of Hawaii\u2019s population.<\/strong> They own 11% of its private land. And that number is almost certainly low. These buyers go to extreme lengths to hide ownership through shell companies with Hawaiian-sounding names.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen LLCs pop up with names like \u201cKoolau Holdings\u201d or \u201cMauka Properties.\u201d Sounds local, right? There\u2019s usually a tech billionaire behind them. It\u2019s become standard operating procedure.<\/p>\n

\"Hawaii <\/picture>
The kind of estate that used to be rare in Hawaii \u2013 now there\u2019s one behind every gated driveway on the North Shore.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Twenty years ago, you could still find affordable ag land on Kauai. The smell of red dirt and sugarcane would hit you the second you stepped off the plane. Now that same land costs more than most families will earn in a lifetime \u2013 and the hidden costs don\u2019t stop at real estate. There are scams targeting Hawaii visitors that cost thousands, and most people don\u2019t realize they\u2019ve been hit until they\u2019re home<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And here\u2019s the thing that keeps me up at night.<\/p>\n

Three-quarters of Hawaii households can\u2019t afford a median-priced home anymore. On Oahu, the median single-family home crossed $1.1 million in 2025. Only 4% of land in the entire state is zoned for residential housing.<\/p>\n

Round-trip flights from LA start around $231, so tourists keep flooding in \u2013 but the locals who serve them can\u2019t afford to live here.<\/p>\n

The pandemic changed who controls Hawaii\u2019s land forever.<\/strong> It happened faster than anyone predicted. But 2025 made the pandemic look like a warm-up act.<\/p>\n

Larry Ellison Literally Bought an Entire Island<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s start with the most jaw-dropping acquisition in Hawaii history. Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison bought 98% of Lanai in 2012 for about $300 million.<\/p>\n

Not a house. Not a resort. An entire island.<\/p>\n

The sale included both Four Seasons resorts, a newspaper, the water utility, and basically everything except the tiny pieces owned by the state and a handful of remaining residents. About 3,200 people live on Lanai. Ellison owns the land under most of their feet.<\/p>\n

\"Manele <\/picture>
Manele Golf Course on Lanai \u2013 one of two courses owned by the same man who controls 98% of everything you can see from the tee box.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019ve visited Lanai multiple times over the years. The warm trade wind hits your face as you step off the ferry from Lahaina, and the quiet is almost eerie compared to the rush of Honolulu traffic. The vibe shifted hard after the sale.<\/p>\n

His leases say if you lose your job, you lose your home.<\/strong> Some locals told me they don\u2019t mind because he\u2019s invested in infrastructure. Others feel differently about living on what\u2019s essentially a billionaire\u2019s private playground.<\/p>\n

What strikes me most?<\/p>\n

Ellison used to be Hawaii\u2019s richest permanent resident. But records now show California as his primary home. So he owns nearly an entire Hawaiian island but doesn\u2019t even live here full-time anymore.<\/p>\n

Think about what that means for the 3,200 people whose lives depend on his decisions. And Ellison\u2019s island purchase is just the most visible example \u2013 the most dangerous things in Hawaii aren\u2019t always the ones you\u2019d expect. Even the plants and animals that look completely harmless have landed tourists in the ER<\/a>. But that\u2019s not even the most controversial story on these islands right now.<\/p>\n

What Mark Zuckerberg Built on Kauai Made Even Other Billionaires Nervous<\/h2>\n

The Meta CEO\u2019s buying spree on Kauai would make even Larry Ellison raise an eyebrow. And it keeps growing.<\/p>\n

Zuckerberg started in 2014 with a 700-acre purchase on Kauai\u2019s North Shore for about $100 million. In 2021 he added nearly 600 acres for $53 million. Then in mid-2025, he quietly scooped up another 962 acres of ranchland through a Hawaiian-sounding LLC for over $65 million.<\/p>\n

His total holdings now exceed 2,300 acres and his investment tops $300 million.<\/strong> That\u2019s more than Kauai County\u2019s entire annual operating budget of $311 million.<\/p>\n

\"Kauai <\/picture>
Kauai\u2019s North Shore \u2013 where one man\u2019s private compound now sprawls across more than 2,300 acres of former sugarcane land.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I drove past his property once. Or tried to. The security is something else entirely:<\/p>\n