This means that there is not much to maintain on it unless you want to add your own buildings or other property. In Georgia and Florida, NBC News independently confirmed through research of property records that the Gateses investment firm owns more than 7,000 acres through two limited liability companies, Lakeland Sands and Lakeland Sands Florida, LLC. He also owns three hotels in Dublin, Ireland, and a fourth in Limerick. Bill Gates top private farmland owner in US. BlackRock also does not own the majority of the countrys 80 million single-family homes. The farmland was purchased through a constellation of companies that all link back to the couples investment group, Cascade Investments, based in Kirkland, Washington. This is part of APs effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. It can be sold as a property (or multiple properties), it can be used to produce things that people buy, or it can be rented out, like much of the farmland in the United States. This could allow you to sell or lease the individual lots of land on the property. The Gates Rancho Santa Fe estate was purchased in 2014 because of its horse stables and proximity to a local race horse track. But a Gates spokesperson said in a statement on Friday that the claim that hes bought the majority of the nations farmland is false, pointing to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report from February that showed there were more than 895 million total acres of farmland in the country last year. That title goes to John Malone, the former CEO of Tele-Communications Inc, which was purchased by AT&T Inc in 1999 for more than $50billion. APS ASSESSMENT: False. But billionaire class assertions that they are philosopher kings and climate-conscious investors who know better than the original caretakers are little more than ruses for what amounts to a 21st century land grab with big payouts in a for-profit economy seeking green solutions. America's Biggest Owner Of Farmland Is Now Bill Gates - Forbes So while the tech mogul certainly owns a large constellation of farms, its nowhere close to the majority nationwide. Last year, Bill and Melinda purchased a sprawling beachfront 6-bedroom, 4-bath home in Del Mar, Californiaoutside of San Diegofor $43 million. Weve never been one of the big institutional buyers of single family homes, BlackRock, single-family rentals nationwide. Is this simply a diversification of Gates' massive tech investment portfolio? Gates and his investment team own more than 240,000 acres, as reported by O'Keefe, including 2,167 acres in Michigan. The family's 1.7 million acres of land are primarily spread across Washington, Oregon, and California. As more and more land gets developed, if you own land that is in the path of the plan, you could have buyers offering you big money to take hold of the property. The third richest man on the planet doesnt have a green thumb. Cascade Investments declined to comment on its interest in acquiring so much American farmland, but a spokesperson for the firm, Charles V. Zehren said it is very supportive of sustainable farming. He pointed out that in 2020, the acreage that Bill Gates firm owns was all enrolled in a sustainability program. According to Forbes, the worlds billionaires saw their wealth swell by $1.9tn in 2020, while more than 22 million US workers (mostly women) lost their jobs. Bill Gates' $13.5 million investment in 2,100 sprawling acres of North Dakota land has raised questions as the purchase coincided with a controversial Chinese company buying 370 acres of. We know that one of the best ways to sequester carbon is through the soil. This number stems from last year's edition of . He's one of the richest men in the world and the largest individual owner of farmland in the country. AP'S ASSESSMENT: False. The map shows a 242,000 acre square situated over New York. Several Properties in Wellington, Florida: $27.2 Million (Total). The option expires Oct. 31, 2024. You just have to keep it relatively clean, mow it, and pay property taxes. His largest holding is in Louisiana (69,071 acres), followed by Arkansas (47,927 acres) and Arizona (25,750 acres). Weve been trained by experience, land acquisition courses, and hundreds of hours meeting with county assessors and clerks, zoning officials, realtors, and land investors. The area off Interstate 10, called Belmont, has space for 80,000 homes as well as more than 4,000 acres for schools, offices, and stores; and 3,400 acres of open space. Cascade declined to comment on its specific land holdings. Every Property Bill and Melinda Gates Owned Together | RISMedia\'s Bill and Melinda bought this massive mansion in the Coachella Valley for $12.5 million in 1999. The land is owned both directly and indirectly by Cascade Investment, the Seattle-area firm that Gates the worlds third-richest man with a net worth of $132 billion, according to Bloomberg set up to manage his massive fortune, according to The Land Report. 07:04 GMT 16 Jan 2021. Bill Gates was quietly becoming the biggest private owner of farmland in the United States. The sale was notable because it added to Gates' farmland holdings which includes large tracts of land in Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, California, and about a dozen other states. Land will likely never be a bad investment, as long as the land is healthy and properly located. In fact, he owns some of the land that produces potatoes used to make McDondalds french fries. My investment group chose to do this, Bill Gates said on Reddit in March when asked about his farmland purchases while promoting his latest book, How to Avoid A Climate Disaster. It is not connected to climate. He did acknowledge that more productive farming techniques can help reduce deforestation in other parts of the world. His first major purchase was Bell Ranch in New Mexico, a 290,100-acre plain saturated with mesas, rimrock canyons, pastures and a bell-shaped mountain. . Gates . But even with his big new agricultural holdings, Gates still doesn't rank in the Top 100 of private landowners overall in the U.S. - when considering owners of land of all types, not just agricultural. In terms of agriculture and his practices Bill Gates, Microsoft billionaire, may be more than . And that its going to take big swaths of land, like what Bill Gates has taken, to do that, said Konda Mason, the founder and president of Jubilee Justice and Potlikker Capital, which funds and supports regenerative agriculture projects owned by people of color. Not only is it usable by you, but land can be used for so many different things. The 13,573-square-foot home has six bedrooms, 11 bedrooms and more luxury features than you can count. Farmer Bill - The Land Report Of those rentals, less than a third are owned by non-individual investors, according to a 2022 report by Harvard Universitys Joint Center for Housing Studies. To put that into perspective, thats nearly the size of Hong Kong and twice the acreage of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, where Im an enrolled member. By In 2014, he co-founded The Red Nation, an Indigenous resistance organization. Gates owns almost 9,000 acres in Ohio, just over 9,000 acres in Indiana, nearly 18,000 in Illinois, but only 552 acres in Iowa. He hoped Gates would have invested in different farming techniques that could help turn around the ecological damages from big agriculture. Bill Gates now the biggest owner of farmland in the US The average person has nothing in common with mega-landowners like Bill Gates or Ted Turner. Maps Mania: The United Gates of America - Blogger Nick Estes is a citizen of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. Bill Gates now owns more farmland than anyone else in the United States, as the tech tycoon has quietly purchased 242,000 acres of farmland in several states across the country. Why Is Bill Gates Buying So Much Farmland? - Farmland Riches His 242,000 acres of farmland stretch across 18 states from Washington to Florida,. So why did the Land Report dub him Farmer Bill this year? And Bill Gates new book How to Avoid a Climate Disaster positions himself as a thought leader in how to stop putting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and how to fund what he has called elsewhere a global green revolution to help poor farmers mitigate climate change. Bill Gates uses farmland as investment vehicle, owning 269,000 acres of land. 4. He is the author of the book Our History Is the Future: Standing Rock Versus the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the Long Tradition of Indigenous Resistance (Verso, 2019), In a pandemic, billionaires are richer than ever. Report: Bill Gates is largest owner of private farmland in U.S., with 2,167 acres. In total, Bill and Melinda Gates have acquired land in more than a dozen states. Now Bill Gates appears to have acquired a slice of their tiny city, and locals near. There are also ways to generate passive income on the land without selling it because you can lease the land or sell the mineral rights, among other methods. The foundation aims to support country-led inclusive agricultural transformation across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, according to its website. Nor does he put in the back-breaking labor humble people do to grow our food and who get far less praise for it. There are more than 85 million single-family homes in the country, and only around 15 million of those are rentals, according to the latest American Housing Survey by the Census Bureau. But Gates, known for his philanthropic work solving some of the worlds most pressing public health and climate problems, has suggested that he does not treat his American farmland investments as part of his broader plans to save the planet. Malone also has 25% shares in Liberty Global, the largest international cable company with just under 30million subscribers, and owns 8% of the Atlanta Braves baseball team. Not only that, but it fits in with Gates values as a philanthropist because he can keep the farmland healthy for future generations. He backed Impossible Foods, which relies on genetically modified soybeans, and also held shares of Beyond Meat through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, though SEC filings show those shares were sold in 2019. Through his subsidiary Mt. Almost 300,000 acres is a lot of land for one family or private individual to own, but it's still just a. Through Sierra Pacific, the family owns some 2 million acres in California and Washington. Back in January, US magazine The Land Report revealed that Bill and Melinda Gates have amassed the largest portfolio of private farmland in the US, comprising an estimated 242,000 acres. You may have heard that Bill Gates owns a lot of land, but you may not know how much. , an annual survey of the nations largest landowners. retail, office buildings, hotels and apartment complexes, rather than single-family homes, but he declined to provide a breakdown. The billionaire recently came under severe criticism from a fourth-generation farmer in South Georgia for his farmland ownership in the U.S. Will Harris, who owns a 152-year-old family farm named. He is an assistant professor in the American studies department at the University of New Mexico. The opportunities are virtually endless. One of the Gates favorite vacation homes is in the Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana. In Nebraska where he owns 20,000 acres, it is used for soybeans. Bill Gates may be trading his pocket protector for cowboy boots. The tech mogul, who is the fourth richest person in the world with a net worth of $121billion, according to Forbes, has quietly built up a massive agriculture portfolio. Weve been trained by experience, land acquisition courses, and hundreds of hours meeting with county assessors and clerks, zoning officials, realtors, and land investors. Wealth accumulation always goes hand-in-hand with exploitation and dispossession. It will not tell you that Bill Gates is your neighbor. This way, the land will remain productive and healthy, while also becoming a money-driving investment. Bill Gates found to be the largest farmland owner in the U.S - KARK A MAP has revealed which billionaire owns the largest amount of land in the US - youll be shocked to know that it isnt Bill Gates. As more and more land gets developed, if you own land that is in the path of the plan, you could have buyers offering you big money to take hold of the property. Land can produce food, fuel, and manufacturing materials as well as provide environmental services, residential spaces, and more. 4 2021 Land Report: Who owns the most land in the United States? According to O'Keefe, Gates isn't the only one making moves on the farmland market, especially as farm real estate values nationwide increased 7% from 2020 to $3,390 per acre. It can be used for residential development, commercial projects, industrial zoning, public or semi-public use, agriculture, or right of way (a way for others to access a different piece of land or portion of the land). As the population grows in large cities, some people will inevitably want to move to the country. Plan for solar farm targets Gates' land - PressReader Behind Gates in terms of investment in farmland are the cofounders of the Wonderful Company, Stewart and Lynda Resnick, with 190,000 acres. Gates and his investment team own more than 240,000 acres, as reported by Eric O'Keefe, including 2,167 acres in Michigan. Many people wonder why Bill Gates would make these moves with his investment portfolio. NBC News also found that another 6,500 acres in north Florida are owned by yet another company, Suwannee River Terra, which was also started with an address in Kirkland and an email address from the Bill and Melinda Gates Investment Firm, which is now registered to the current chief counsel of Oak River Farms with a mailing address in Kansas, according to property records. Since 2017 he reportedly holds a significant stake in 24,800 acres of land on the west side of Phoenix. Much of Turner's land is used as grazing land for over 50,000 head of buffalo the largest private herd of bison in the world. It may even be easier to sell smaller lots than it would be to market the entire portion of land that you invest in. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File ), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Map reveals which billionaire owns largest amount of land in US - and Bill Gates has never been a farmer. Since then, weve sold to dozens of people from ATV weekend warriors to camping enthusiasts to retired truck drivers. The Microsoft co-founder and his former wife, Melinda, are the top farmland owners in. Bill and Melindas main residenceand by far their most impressive homeis a massive compound in Medina, Washington nicknamed 'Xanadu 2.0' in a reference to, Undisclosed Sale Price (Listed for $8.9 Million). Bill Gates Becomes the Largest Farmland Owner in the United - Peoplemag Starting in 2012, Gates investment firm began buying family farms in South Georgia. With the Washington state acreage and other additions to his portfolio, The Land Report estimates that Gates now owns at least 242,000 acres of American farmland. than 85 million single-family homes in the country, and only around 15 million of those are rentals, Of those rentals, less than a third are owned by non-individual investors, according to. BILL Gates' $80billion property empire now hangs in the balance after he and his wife of 27 years announced they are divorcing. The title for largest landholdings overall goes to US businessman John Malone, chairman of Liberty Media, who owns 2.2million acres. Do whatever you want to with the land as the value increases. Our era is dominated by the ultra-rich, the climate crisis and a burgeoning green capitalism. Both companies were founded in 2012 with the same address as Cascade Investments in Kirkland, which later changed its mailing address to a Louisiana post office box assigned to Oak River Farms, another subsidiary of Cascade. Raw land is not developed. In 2018 Gates reportedly bought about 16,000 acres in his home state of Washington, including a 14,500-acre tract in the Horse Heaven Hills region that was purchased for nearly $171 million from an insurance company that had paid $75million for it in 2010. askBAMLand.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Gates shares ownership with Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talalthe two purchased the chain in 2007 for $3.8 billion. Small farmers and Indigenous people are more cautious with the use of land. The 229-acre property was once home to Jenny Craig, founder of the Jenny Craig nutrition company, and was purchased by the Gates with hopes that it would one day be where their daughter Jennifer could train for her equestrian career. Why Bill Gates Is Buying Up U.S. Farmland - YouTube The acquisition, however . Apparently Bill Gates now owns almost 242,000 acres of land in the United States. Bill and Melinda Gates, who recently announced they're getting divorced and are dividing their assets, are deeply invested in American agriculture. The Microsoft co-founder faced several claims that he owned a majority of Americas farmland earlier this year. Gates-affiliated ownership covers vast swaths of farm and timberland, estimated to be 69,071 acres in all by niche land ownership publication The Land Repor t. Across the nation, Gates'. Last year, Cascade Investment made a second major investment in Arizona by acquiring more than 2,800 acres known as Spurlock Ranch in Buckeye for $25 million, that could be built out to include 8,500 homes. Gates diversified his investment portfolio through land ownership, but why? Social media users are falsely claiming that Gates owns the majority of U.S. farmland. The billionaire couple, in less than a decade, have accumulated more than 269,000 acres of farmland across 18 states, more than the entire acreage of New York City. One of those farms, Stanley Farms, specialized in Vidalia onions, and another, Coggins Farms, focused on growing carrots. BlackRock also suggested it was being confused for the similarly-named investment management firm Blackstone, which until recently owned Invitation Homes. (Matt Odom / for NBC News), Image: John Quarterman (Matt Odom / for NBC News), Image: Philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates and his wife Melinda listen to the speech by French President Francois Hollande, prior to being awarded Commanders of the Legion of Honor at the Elysee Palace in Paris (Kamil Zihnioglu / Pool via Reuters), American businessman and philanthropist (born 1955). Bill Gates' North Dakota Land Purchase Sparks Questions Online - Newsweek Here is an overview of all of the property the couple owned together at the time of their divorce: Bill and Melinda dont publicly discuss this topic often, but they are the top owners of farmland in the U.S. With some 242,000 acres, the estimated value of their farmland is in the billions. Bill Gates Called Out By Farmer For Secretly Buying Up US Farmland: 'I Investors bought a record 18.4% of the homes purchased in the fourth quarter of 2021 three-quarters of which were single-family homes, according to real estate firm RedFin. According to The Land Report, the Microsoft co-founder owns farmland across 18 states, with the largest holdings being in Louisiana (69,071 acres), Arkansas (47,927 acres) and Nebraska (20,588. Bill Gates investment company, Cascade Investments, has invested in hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland in the last 10 years. In 2010 the Gates Foundation Trust invested about $23 million in Monsanto, the genetically modified seed and chemical company, though it sold its shares the next year following outcry from environmental groups. Bill Gates is now America's biggest farmer - The Telegraph (Ruth Fremson/The New York Times) (Ruth Fremson / The New York Times via Redux Pictures), John Quarterman on his farm in Lowndes County, Ga. (Matt Odom / for NBC News), John Quarterman stands by the Withlacoochee River. These shell companies have made it difficult to find out where and how much farmland the Gateses own even for local farmers, like John S. Quarterman, a farmer and landowner who grows okra, corn, squash and other vegetables in Lowndes County on the southern edge of Georgia. 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Bill Gates' 20,000 acres in Nebraska help make him the top farmland A survey of the Gateses farmland holdings shows that a broad range of the vegetables that Americans eat can be traced back to his land and that some of this land has also been owned by other billionaires. Bill Gates now owns almost 242,000 acres of the continguous USA. Bill Gates has secured legal approval for his North Dakota farmland purchase But the deal drew scrutiny under a 1932 anti-corporate farm ownership law Now state AG says the deal is legal, because . Bill Gates Doesn't Own That Much Farmland | Aaron Smith Weve answered hundreds of questions from people regarding the buying and use of land. Renewable energy company Savion has an option to buy the property for what . The attraction that people have to investing in farmland is that it tends to be countercyclical to the stock market. In Nebraska where he owns 20,000 acres, it is used for soybeans. In this country, enslaved Black labor first built US wealth atop stolen Native land. This site also participates in other affiliate programs including but not limited to ShareASale, CJ, and ClickBank, and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. In 2014, he reportedly purchased more than 4,500 acres in Suwannee County, Florida, for nearly $28 million. It can be sold as a property (or multiple properties), it can be used to produce things that people buy, or it can be rented out, like much of the farmland in the United States. Another 5,500 acres was sold to Generation Land Georgia, a company that shares an address with Miami-based Optimum Agriculture, which bought Generations Farms in 2019. In January 2021, Bill Gates became the largest owner of farmland in the United States. Bill Gates owns more private farmland in the US than anyone else, an analysis by The Land Report found. Since then, it has been revealed that the two never signed a prenuptial agreement, instead opting for a separation agreement. The process of splitting the couples assets will be a mammoth task. Why aren't they giving more? (Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times via AP file), The buildings of the 100 Circles Farm are at the center of this satellite image. According to the Tri-City Herald, 14,500 acres of Eastern Washington farmland was recently sold to the couple for almost $171 millionthats nearly $12,000 an acre. Bill and Melinda Gates Own 70,000 Acres of Louisiana Farmland; What Bill Gates' farmland buying spree highlights investment appeal A few years ago, Bill Gates has announced plans to build a smart city outside of Buckeye in Arizona. The tech mogul, who is the. Bill Gates is now the largest private landowner in the country.