‍

Blake, Wm. Dante and Virgil Gazing into the Ditch of the Flatterers. 1824.

‍

A small group of 37 billionaires owns a significant portion of Hawaii, according to a new Forbes analysis, with their holdings totaling at least 218,000 acres. Despite being just 0.003% of the state’s total population, they own 11.1% of all private land.

Among these billionaires is Oprah Winfrey, whose Maui estates total 2,130 acres; Larry Ellison, who owns nearly 97% of Lanai; Steve Case, who has a 35,000-acre farm on Kauai; and Marc Benioff, who hopes to put his land to philanthropic use through affordable housing.

Bob Greene, Oprah Winfrey’s property manager: “It looks like Scotland but with really good weather.”

Marc Benioff, Salesforce CEO: “I feel a strong spiritual connection to Hawaii. I have a deep understanding of the people and spirit of Hawaii, what we call ‘the aloha spirit.’”

The situation has sparked debates about the future of land use in Hawaii, such as potential legislative responses to limit foreign and non-residential ownership to protect local interests and maintain the state’s unique identity.