Mark Zuckerberg adds 1,000 acres to Hawaii estate, sparking backlash over land rights

The latest purchase includes 962 acres of ranch land on the island of Kauai, acquired earlier this year through a limited liability company, according to Wired magazine. A source close to the sale estimated the price at more than US$65 million, bringing Zuckerberg’s total holdings on the island to over 2,300 acres.

Documents reviewed by Wired suggest the estate could eventually accommodate more than 100 people based on bedroom plans. Zuckerberg’s spokesperson, Brandi Hoffine Barr, confirmed the acquisition but declined to comment on the price or scale. "Mark and Priscilla continue to make a home for their family and grow their ranching, farming, and conservation efforts at Koʻolau Ranch," Barr said.

The couple’s total investment now exceeds the $311 million fiscal year 2024 operating budget for Kauai, according to New York Post.

Zuckerberg’s presence has received both praise and criticism. He has donated millions to local nonprofits, including a charter school and an affordable housing initiative near the estate, and his projects have generated well-paying jobs.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo from Meta

Still, some residents remain uneasy about the long-term consequences of concentrated land ownership. "If our island has any hope of remaining Hawaii, this kind of activity has got to stop," Puali‘i Rossi, a professor of Native Hawaiian studies at Kauai Community College, told Wired. "Eventually Hawaii isn’t going to look like Hawaii anymore — it’s going to be a resort community. Are we really thinking about 100 years from now, what this island is going to look like?"

The Facebook founder began acquiring land on Kauai in 2014 with a $100 million purchase of 700 acres near the town of Kilauea. That land included parcels with kuleana rights — traditional claims held by descendants of Native Hawaiian families.

In 2016, he filed "quiet title and partition" lawsuits to establish formal ownership, prompting public backlash. He later withdrew the suits. Julian Ako, a Hawaiian cultural practitioner, said preserving his family’s burial sites became his mission after Zuckerberg purchased and restricted access to 740 acres of surrounding land, Hawaii News Now reported.

"That was sad because the place doesn’t look the way it looked when I was a kid and I would visit my great-grandfather there. It looks very, very different," he said.

Although Ako collaborated with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to register the graves with state authorities, he said he can no longer visit the sites freely. The foundation however guaranteed it had fenced off the burial plots and would ensure their ongoing maintenance.

It added that less than 1% of the land has been developed, with most of it used for agriculture and native plant cultivation. Employees are also required to report any remains found during construction. However, Ako expressed concern that workers bound by non-disclosure agreements may be discouraged from reporting culturally sensitive discoveries.

"So it’s basically, you know, we’re operating on trust that they will do what the law actually requires them to do, but there’s no guarantee," Ako said.