News Farmland
These are the largest landowners in the US
American billionaires like to invest their wealth in buying land. Ranches and forests are especially popular with entrepreneurs. The Country Report annually compiles a list of the hundred largest land owners. Farmer Bill Gates is also prominent in this.
Since 2007, The Land Report, a magazine for investors in – and owners of – land has compiled a list of the 30.350 largest land owners. Before the first edition, you were assured of a spot with 75.000 hectares (63.000 acre) in ownership, today you should now have XNUMX hectares.
The editors of the magazine look purely at owned land, so no rental or leased land. For example, the last of the list has owned 63.000 hectares, but leased 2 million acres (809.000 hectares). That would put them in the top 10 in one fell swoop.
Wood giant on one
In first place is the 92-year-old Red Emmerson. A real self-made man. He and his children own Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI). The second largest wood producer in the country. It is therefore not surprising that almost all the land that he owns – and that is 2,33 million acres or 942.000 hectares – consists almost entirely of forest. Most of this land is in California. A private trust, managed by his daughter, spends tens of millions annually on scholarships and other programs that benefit society.
Emmerson started in 1949 with 0 acres and a $10.000 loan on a lumber mill, which he ran with his father. The rest is history, as they say. In 63 years and more than twenty deals later, he has become the largest landowner in the States. Moreover, the timber trade is currently not a bad business to be in, although Emmerson sees it differently. He prefers a stable market. This year he bought more than 70.000 hectares.
In second place is John Malone, owner of Liberty Media, with 2,2 million acres. Liberty Media is a media company that became big in the television world, but also has hefty shares in sports such as Formula 1 and baseball. Closing in the top 3 is the New York family Reed with 2,1 million acres. In fourth place is another media mogul: Ted Turner. The name probably doesn't mean anything to you, but he once founded news channel CNN. It is good for 2 million acres.
How is Bill Gates doing?
When will Bill Gates come, you're probably wondering. The Microsoft man is at number 47. However, if you look at private property - so not through a company - then he is at number 1 with his almost 110.000 hectares of land. Last year, Gates made headlines when he attempted to buy a large ranch embroiled in a massive tax scandal. Ultimately, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bought the company for $209 million. In doing so, they outbid mister Microsoft by exactly 1 million. The talk why Gates buys so much land, he says, is simple: "That's what my investment company advises me to do."
Another tech giant is in 24th place: Jeff Bezos. He was the big man behind Amazon, the big international brother of Bol.com. Like Tesla founder Elon Musk, he also loves space. He uses his ranch in Texas as a launch site for rockets. Bezos has been investing in land since 2004. His portfolio has now been expanded to 170.000 hectares.
Where are the farmers?
It is a search for 'farmers' in the list of large landowners. You will hardly find it in the top 25. It concerns wood, ranches or fruits. In 22nd place is the Simplot family, known for their potatoes and as the exclusive supplier of McDonald's in the US. The family owns nearly 180.000 acres of land. It is only in the second half of the list that you come across families who actually have arable and livestock farms.
It is becoming more and more expensive for rich Americans to buy land. Last year, the average price of land rose 7% to $3.380 per acre. That is converted to more than € 7.500 per hectare. A tip for the average polder farmer, but by American standards that is substantial.
Niels van der Boom
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